New platforms like Perplexity and ChatGPT are giving users faster access to direct, detailed answers, while Google's AI Overviews provide direct responses without requiring clicks to websites. These AI tools are creating more zero-click searches, leading to lower clickthrough rates (CTRs) and reduced web traffic from traditional search engine result pages (SERPs).

But two and a half years after ChatGPT's launch threatened to upend search as we know it, Google remains the undisputed king. According to a deep dive from Rand Fishkin at SparkToro, Google processes 373x more search queries than ChatGPT and grew search volume by 21.64% in 2024. 

Meanwhile, all AI tools combined still represent less than 2% of the search market. And not all AI interactions are searches. While ChatGPT's weekly active users have doubled to 400 million in just six months, according to SEMRush analysis, only about 30% of ChatGPT messages fit traditional search query criteria — the rest may be creative or productivity-related tasks like generating images, summarizing text, or writing code. Meanwhile, Google has invested heavily in AI Overviews, AI modes, and Gemini integration, while maintaining its search dominance. 

AI may be changing the way we think about driving traffic to our sites, but it’s also creating opportunities to connect with more intentional, high-value users. 

So marketers need to evolve their strategies right alongside SEO and get familiar with AEO (Answer Engine Optimization). In this post, we'll cut through the hype and arm leaders with practical guidance. No panic necessary — just smart adaptation.

How AI is changing search 

Several types of AI-powered experiences now compete for user attention. ​​Conversational LLMs (large language models) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini now supplement their training data with web searches when needed (or requested). Dedicated AI search engines like Perplexity were built specifically for searching the web. 

Unlike traditional searches, conversational LLMs allow for ongoing follow-up questions, providing tailored answers that go much deeper than a traditional SERP ever could. Meanwhile, Google's AI Overviews (AIOs) provide direct, detailed answers at the top of search results.

However, both Google’s AIOs and LLMs searching the web provide citations and links to their sources — creating the opportunity for brand visibility even without clicks.

The impact of AI on search traffic

When it comes to search traffic, AI platforms are a double-edged sword. Seer Interactive’s research shows that AIOs decrease clickthrough rates by 70%, while paid search CTRs decrease by about 12%. At the same time, AI search tends to drive higher-value traffic. 

"This isn't a user who searched [for] a random keyword and accidentally clicked on your site,” said Alisa Scharf, Seer’s VP of SEO and AI. “This is somebody who engaged in a conversation with an AI assistant about your product or services. So these are high-value users, and we want to pay attention to them." 

Marketers need to think beyond raw traffic numbers and consider how brand visibility in AI searches — even without direct clicks — can influence the customer journey. That involves understanding how these AI platforms find, select, and cite sources. 

Understanding Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

The SEO industry never met an acronym it didn't like. So naturally, optimizing for AI has already spawned several terms — including LLM SEO, AI SEO, GEO (generative engine optimization), and CSO (conversational search optimization). But we'll stick with Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) as we explore what it is, how it works, and how it differs from traditional SEO. 

What is AEO?

While traditional SEO focuses on ranking web pages in search results, AEO is the practice of optimizing your content to appear in AI-generated responses, making your content the source that AI systems cite when answering relevant queries.

To optimize effectively, you need to understand where AEO gets its information: 

• LLM training data includes vast datasets of published content from the web, books, and other sources used during model training. For ChatGPT, this also includes partnerships with premium publishers like Time, Hearst, Conde Nast, and Vox.
• Real-time web searches supplement training data when LLMs need current information. Due to its Microsoft partnership, ChatGPT's web search function primarily pulls from Bing's search index. 
• Google AI Overviews ground their AI-generated answers with real-time search data using retrieval augmented generation (RAG). About half the time, its cited pages rank in the top ten for the search query.

For both LLM web searches and AIOs, certain sites are frequently cited: Wikipedia, YouTube, Reddit, and LinkedIn, along with authoritative sources in the relevant industry (like Healthline or Nerdwallet).

AEO vs. SEO: An evolution, not a revolution

The good news for marketers is that AEO best practices already align with mature SEO practices. The old days of keyword stuffing have evolved to understanding user intent, topics, and the relationships between concepts — foundations that also serve AEO well. 

Quality content that comprehensively answers user questions is the north star for both SEO and AEO. There are a few key differences to note:

• Content format is more crucial: using clear headers, FAQ sections, tables, and schema markup helps AI systems crawl and understand your information.
• Developing an earned media strategy is as important as having an owned content strategy. Your owned content — the content your brand produces and publishes on your own site and platforms — may help you rank in traditional search. Earned media — where your content is cited and mentioned — is also critical because AI and LLM tools summarize many search results into a single answer. As a result, the stronger your owned content is, the more likely your content will be cited.
• Citations will be more important than traditional backlinking: metric. AI citations (especially mentions for the categories and topics that you want your brand to be known for) create brand awareness among high-value users, even when they don't click through to your site. As SEO expert Kevin Indig writes, "Visibility, not raw referral traffic, is becoming the main currency of organic search." 

Practical strategies for combined SEO and AEO success

Building on the foundation of quality, comprehensive content, here are more ways to help your site show up in AI-generated responses. 

Brand visibility tactics

• Expand your PR and earned media strategy. Experts agree that LLMs heavily rely on brand mentions in their training data to generate responses. Most recommend focusing on strategic PR to increase relevant mentions in high-quality publications (especially influential sources frequently cited in LLMs). 
• Maintain consistent brand messaging. Use consistent terminology and develop standardized descriptions of your brand, products, and services to create the repetition that helps AI connect your brand with relevant queries.
• Diversify your platform presence. Establish content on platforms frequently cited in AI responses: YouTube (with clear speech for transcriptions and comprehensive metadata), LinkedIn (especially for B2B brands), and Reddit (ideally, with earned upvotes). 

Content optimization strategies

• Implement proper schema markup. Add FAQPage schema for frequently asked questions, HowTo schema for tutorials, and QAPage schema for community Q&A sections. These structured data formats make it easier for AI systems to extract and cite your information.
• Optimize product pages for AI citation. One study shows that product-related content shows up frequently in AI citations (46-70% of all cited sources). Include clear specifications, original insights, and  comprehensive comparison content to make your product pages citation-worthy. 
• Create content specifically for question queries. AIOs are most frequently triggered by queries with 4+ words and questions, usually for informational searches. Consider creating content that directly addresses specific questions your audience is asking — if you’ve done keyword research before, this will feel familiar. 

Technical considerations

• Ensure AI crawler accessibility. Check your robots.txt file to confirm AI crawlers aren't accidentally blocked. Like traditional SEO best practices, ensuring that your site and pages are crawlable helps AI bots access and cite your content. 
• Minimize JavaScript dependency. Most AI crawlers often struggle with JavaScript-heavy pages. Ensure critical content appears in HTML source code and consider simplifying the technical structure to improve crawlability.
• Don't forget Bing optimization. Given the crucial role of Bing results in determining ChatGPT citations, optimizing for Bing can provide significant AEO benefits. Kevin Indig recommends adding your site to Bing Webmaster Tools and monitor performance alongside Google Search Console.

Evolving with AI, not fighting it

By putting your website in a good position to benefit from AI now, before it becomes a serious threat to Google, you can claim a first-mover advantage. 

Start by assessing your current content strategy. Most likely, you're already doing many things right: creating quality content, answering user questions, and structuring information clearly. Now, enhance these efforts with AI-specific tactics like expanded PR, consistent brand messaging across platforms, and technical optimizations for AI crawlers.

The one thing we know for certain about AI: it will keep evolving and improving, probably faster than we expect. But the fundamentals of reaching your audience with valuable information won’t change. 

Remember that visibility in AI responses creates brand awareness among highly engaged users — an audience worth pursuing even if traditional traffic metrics shift. By adapting to this new frontier, you'll ensure your brand remains visible wherever your audience looks for answers.