From SEO to AEO: Make AI Recommend Your Business
Key insights
- AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) focuses on being recommended in AI-generated answers, not just ranked in search results
- AI search traffic reportedly converts at higher rates than traditional search because users get direct, trusted recommendations
- You don't need a big marketing budget. Consistent presence across reviews, forums, and local media builds the credibility AI tools look for
This article is a summary of SEO Is Over: How To Get AI To Recommend Your Small Business (An AEO Guide). Watch the video →
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In Brief
Forbes contributor TerDawn DeBoe argues that the way customers find businesses is shifting. Instead of scrolling through Google's search results, more people ask AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews for direct recommendations. This video lays out six practical steps small businesses can take to show up in those AI-generated answers, a practice called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
What is AEO?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. Traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about ranking high on Google's list of links. AEO is about something different: getting AI tools to mention and recommend your business when someone asks a question.
When a customer types "best bakery near me" into ChatGPT or Perplexity, those tools don't show ten blue links. They give a direct answer. AEO is the practice of making sure your business is part of that answer. DeBoe argues that this traffic tends to have "much higher conversion rates" than other sources (0:54), reportedly because users who get a direct recommendation are closer to making a decision.
Explained simply: Think of traditional SEO like putting up a billboard on a busy highway. You hope drivers notice it among hundreds of other signs. AEO is more like being the friend that someone's personal assistant calls for a recommendation. The assistant (the AI) already trusts you, so the recommendation carries more weight. Unlike a real personal assistant who knows you personally, AI tools build trust from patterns in public data, not personal relationships.
The good news: DeBoe emphasizes that you don't need a big marketing budget to be visible in AI answers (1:00). AI tools judge credibility differently from traditional search engines. A mention in a small trade magazine or a handful of detailed customer reviews can carry real weight.
Six steps to optimize for AI answers
These six tips come directly from DeBoe's Forbes article and video. They are ordered from quick wins (things you can do today) to longer-term strategies.
Step 1 — Write content in Q&A format
Format your website headings as natural questions that customers actually ask: "What's the best time to visit Jeløya?" or "How much does a custom wedding cake cost?" Then write clear, direct answers right below (1:08).
Why this works: AI tools are trained to match questions with answers. If your content already looks like a question-and-answer pair, it's easier for AI to pull it into a response. Think about what customers ask you on the phone or in emails, and turn those into page headings.
Step 2 — Add schema markup to your site
Schema markup is a type of structured data, a way of labeling your website content so machines can understand it. You add invisible tags to your HTML that say "this is a FAQ" or "this is a how-to guide." DeBoe specifically mentions FAQ schema, how-to schema, and QA page schema (1:35).
Structured data helps your content appear in zero-click answers, where users get the answer without clicking through to your site. Free tools exist to generate schema markup without coding. If you use WordPress, plugins like Yoast or Rank Math handle this automatically.
Step 3 — Build authority beyond your website
AI tools don't just look at your website. They scan reviews, social media, forums, local media, and industry publications. DeBoe stresses that consistency across platforms is key (2:10). If your business name, description, and expertise appear consistently across multiple sources, AI tools are more likely to treat you as credible.
Detailed customer reviews are especially valuable. A review that says "Great plumber, fixed our kitchen leak in under an hour, fair price" gives AI tools specific claims to work with. A review that just says "Good service" does not.
Step 4 — Participate in relevant forums
Reddit, Stack Exchange, Quora, LinkedIn, and industry-specific forums are all sources that AI tools draw from (2:49). The key: don't self-promote. Answer questions conversationally and helpfully. Research which keywords people use when asking questions in your industry, and weave those naturally into your answers.
A florist who regularly answers questions about flower arrangements on Reddit builds a trail of expertise that AI tools can find. The same florist posting "Visit my shop at florist.com!" does not.
Step 5 — Don't discount regional and local media
Chamber of commerce publications, neighborhood newsletters, trade magazines. DeBoe makes an important point: AI doesn't use the same scale to judge prestige as humans (3:39). A mention in a small local newspaper can establish recognition just as effectively as a feature in a national outlet, because AI tools weigh relevance and consistency, not brand prestige.
Pitch stories to local media, write guest columns, or get listed in industry directories. These mentions accumulate over time.
Step 6 — Repurpose content across channels
Turn one piece of content into many: a blog post becomes a short video, a social media thread, an infographic, and a downloadable guide (3:54). The more consistent information AI tools find about you across different channels, the stronger your AEO advantage. This isn't about saying the same thing everywhere. It's about reinforcing the same expertise in different formats that reach different audiences.
Explained simply: Think of AEO like applying for a job. Your website is your resume, but the hiring manager (the AI) also checks your references: reviews, forum posts, local media mentions, social media. If multiple independent sources say you're good at what you do, the AI is more likely to recommend you. Unlike a real job application where one great reference can tip the scales, AI tools look for patterns across many sources rather than relying on any single one.
Checklist: Common pitfalls
- Are you stuffing keywords instead of answering questions? AI tools are trained on natural language, not keyword lists. Write like a human answering a real question, not like a search algorithm
- Is your business information inconsistent across platforms? If your Google Business Profile says "open until 6 PM" but your website says "open until 8 PM," AI tools may flag you as unreliable. Audit your listings
- Are you self-promoting in forums instead of helping? Blatant promotion gets ignored or downvoted. AI tools pick up on the helpful, conversational answers, not the sales pitches
- Are you ignoring schema markup? Without structured data, AI tools have to guess what your content is about. Schema markup removes the guesswork. It's free and there are no-code tools to generate it
- Are you only optimizing your website? AEO is about your entire digital footprint. Reviews, forum posts, local media mentions, and social media all contribute. A great website with zero external presence is invisible to AI answers
Remember: AEO doesn't replace SEO. Traditional search engines still matter. The point is to add AEO to your strategy so you're visible in both worlds.
Practical implications
For solo businesses
Start with Steps 1 and 2: rewrite your most important pages as Q&A pairs and add FAQ schema markup. These changes cost nothing, take a few hours, and immediately make your content more readable for AI tools. Then ask your happiest customers to leave detailed reviews that mention specific services.
For marketing teams
Map out your full digital footprint. Which forums does your audience use? Which local publications cover your industry? Assign team members to contribute helpful answers in those spaces. Use a content calendar to repurpose blog posts into social media, videos, and guides (Step 6). Track whether your business appears in AI-generated answers by regularly asking ChatGPT and Perplexity questions your customers would ask.
For local businesses
Steps 3 and 5 are your biggest advantages. National chains have big websites, but they rarely show up in chamber of commerce newsletters or neighborhood forums. Local media mentions and community engagement are exactly the kind of signals AI tools use to recommend businesses for location-specific queries.
Test yourself
- Transfer: A freelance photographer has a portfolio website but no social media, reviews, or forum presence. Based on the AEO framework, which two steps would have the biggest impact for them, and why?
- Trade-off: A small business has limited time. When would investing in schema markup (Step 2) give better results than forum participation (Step 4), and when would the opposite be true?
- Behavior: If AI tools increasingly recommend businesses based on AEO signals, how might this change the way small businesses invest their marketing budgets over the next few years?
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) | The practice of optimizing your online presence so AI tools recommend your business in their answers. Like SEO, but for AI-generated responses instead of search result rankings. |
| AI Overviews | Google's feature that shows an AI-generated summary at the top of search results, often answering the query directly. Previously called SGE (Search Generative Experience). |
| Conversion rate | The percentage of visitors who take a desired action (buy something, book a service, fill out a form). Higher conversion rate means more visitors become customers. |
| FAQ schema | A type of structured data markup that tells search engines and AI tools "this page contains questions and answers." Helps content appear in zero-click results. |
| LLM (Large Language Model) | The AI systems (like GPT, Claude, Gemini) that power tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity. They generate human-like text by predicting what comes next based on patterns learned from large amounts of text. |
| Schema markup | Invisible labels added to website HTML that help machines understand the content. Like putting name tags on everything in your store so a robot assistant knows where to find things. |
| SEO (Search Engine Optimization) | The practice of making your website rank higher in traditional search results (Google, Bing). Focuses on keywords, backlinks, and site structure. |
| Structured data | Information organized in a standardized format that machines can read. Schema markup is one form of structured data. |
| Zero-click answer | When a search engine or AI tool answers a question directly on the results page, so the user doesn't need to click through to a website. Good for visibility, but the user may never visit your actual site. |
Sources and resources
Want to go deeper? Watch the full video on YouTube →