What SEO means in plain English
SEO, short for search engine optimization, is the work of helping your pages show up when people search for what you do. For a local business, that usually means two places on Google: the regular list of results (the "blue links") and the map pack, the box of three businesses with a map that appears for searches like "AC repair near me."
Google says it ranks pages using many signals, and its own guidance keeps coming back to one idea: make content for people first, not to manipulate rankings. In practice, SEO means your pages clearly match what people search for, load fast, are easy for Google to crawl, and give a real answer when someone lands on them.
What AEO means, and why it matters now
AEO, short for answer engine optimization, is the work of making your pages easy for AI tools to understand and quote. An answer engine is any tool that replies with an answer instead of a list of links: Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.
This shift is real and measurable. In a March 2025 study of real browsing data, Pew Research Center found that about 18% of Google searches produced an AI summary, and people clicked a regular result on 8% of those visits, compared with 15% when no summary appeared. More of the conversation now happens inside the answer itself, so being one of the sources that answer draws from matters.
For more on how AI tools pick their sources, see my page on AI search.
How SEO and AEO differ, and where they overlap
The short version: SEO earns you a spot on the list, and AEO earns you a mention in the answer. The groundwork is mostly the same.
| SEO | AEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in the blue links and map pack | Be quoted or cited in an AI-generated answer |
| Where it shows up | Google and Bing results pages, Google Maps | AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, voice assistants |
| What wins | Relevance, page quality, links, local signals | Clear, direct answers that are easy to lift out and trust |
| Page structure | Good headings, keywords people actually use | Answer first, then detail, then FAQs |
| How success looks | A click to your site | A citation, a mention, or a click from the answer |
| Shared foundation | Crawlable pages, accurate facts, schema, speed, internal links | The same, plus proof that a real business stands behind the content |
Google itself says there are no additional requirements or special optimizations needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. The same SEO fundamentals apply. That's good news: you don't need two separate strategies, just one done well.
Answer-first content and FAQs
Every page I write opens with a short, direct answer to the main question, usually 40 to 60 words. That's the part an AI tool or a featured snippet is most likely to quote, and it's what a busy visitor wants anyway. The details, examples and caveats come after.
Each page then ends with FAQs: real questions customers ask, each answered in the first sentence. Good FAQs catch the long, specific questions people type or speak, like "how long does a roof inspection take" or "do you service Sun City West." I gather those questions from you, from your reviews and from the searches people run in your field. If you don't have time to write, I handle it. See content writing.
Schema, internal links and page speed
Schema. Every page I build includes structured data, which is a small block of code in the schema.org format that tells search engines exactly what the page is about: your business name, phone, service area, services and FAQs. Google describes structured data as a standardized format for classifying page content, and it asks that your markup match the visible text on the page. I write mine by hand to match what's actually there.
Internal links. I link related pages to each other with plain, descriptive words, so both people and crawlers can follow the path from a general topic to a specific service. Google lists internal links among its best practices for its AI features too.
Page speed. Fast pages are easier to crawl and nicer to use. Google's Core Web Vitals set good thresholds at 2.5 seconds or less for the main content to load (LCP), 200 milliseconds or less to respond to a tap (INP), and a layout shift score of 0.1 or less (CLS). Hand-coded sites without plugin bloat have a head start here. More on that at website speed.
I also add an XML sitemap, clean URLs, and an llms.txt file, a plain-text summary some AI tools read. To be clear, Google says its AI features don't need special AI files, so llms.txt is a small extra for other tools, not a shortcut.
E-E-A-T: showing a real business stands behind the page
E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. It's the framework Google uses to describe content worth showing, and Google says trust is the most important of the four. It isn't a single ranking switch. It's a set of signals that add up.
Here's how I build those signals into your site:
- Your real name, story and photos on an About page, not stock images of strangers
- Accurate business details that match your Google Business Profile and directory listings
- Specific, first-hand detail about how you do the work, which generic content can't fake
- Clear contact information on every page
- Links to authoritative sources when a page cites a fact
What I can and can't promise
Nobody can honestly guarantee a page 1 ranking, a spot in the map pack or a citation in an AI answer. Google says plainly that there's no way to pay for a better local ranking. Anyone who promises otherwise is guessing.
What I can do is stack the odds in your favor: a fast, well-structured site, accurate content written to your business, schema on every page, and steady work after launch through my Internet Optimization Plan, which covers keywords, content, blogs, your Google Business Profile, citations, back-links, reviews and social. If you'd like to talk through where your site stands, call or text me at 480-550-2871.
Frequently asked questions
Is AEO replacing SEO?
No, AEO builds on SEO rather than replacing it. Google says the same fundamentals that help pages rank also make them eligible for AI Overviews and AI Mode. People still click blue links and use the map pack every day. The difference is that pages now also need clear, quotable answers so AI tools can use them as sources.
How do I get my business mentioned in ChatGPT or AI Overviews?
You improve the odds by having clear, accurate pages that answer real questions directly and are easy to crawl. Add structured data that matches the page, keep your Google Business Profile and listings consistent, and earn mentions on other trusted sites. No one can guarantee a citation, but these steps make your business a more likely source.
What is schema markup and do I need it?
Schema markup is a block of code that describes your page to search engines in a standard format, such as your business name, hours, services and FAQs. It isn't required to rank, but it helps search engines understand your content and can make pages eligible for richer results. I include it on every page I build.
How long does SEO take to work?
SEO usually takes months, not days, and the timeline depends on your competition, your market and your site's starting point. A new, well-built site gives search engines a clean foundation right away. Steady additions after launch, like helpful blogs, updated service pages and new reviews, are what build visibility over time.
Can you do SEO on a site you didn't build?
Yes, I can help with content, your Google Business Profile, citations and reviews no matter who built your site. Some technical fixes, like speed, schema and page structure, depend on how much control your platform allows. If your current site is holding you back, I'll tell you honestly and walk you through your options.