What is the Difference Between SEO and AEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) optimizes your site to rank in traditional search results, like Google's blue-link pages. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) optimizes your site to be cited by AI engines, like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, when they generate answers to user questions.

The goal of SEO is a high position in a results list. The goal of AEO is a direct mention inside a generated answer.

The techniques overlap but diverge on specifics. SEO requires keyword research, backlink building, technical performance, and on-page optimization. AEO requires those same basics, plus structured data (FAQPage and HowTo schemas), direct question-and-answer content, an llms.txt file, and a dedicated Q&A page on your site.

The audience behavior is also different. A user doing a Google search chooses to click your link. A user asking ChatGPT or Perplexity receives an AI-generated answer that may or may not mention your site. If your site isn't structured for citation, you don't appear in that answer at all, regardless of how well you rank in traditional search.

The two are not competing strategies. They reinforce each other. A site with strong SEO fundamentals, clear title tags, clean architecture, authoritative content, is a better candidate for AEO citation. But SEO alone won't get you there. The structured data and direct-answer content need to be added deliberately.

Sites built today should optimize for both. Traditional search still drives significant traffic. AI-powered interfaces are growing fast. Building only for one means missing the other.

Migrate AI builds and migrates websites that are optimized for both traditional search and AI engine citation.