Here's what you need to know: SEO and AEO work together. 18% of marketers don't plan to touch AEO, and 23% are just starting. That's your chance to stand out.
This article explains how SEO and AEO are different, how they overlap, and how to use both so you win visibility everywhere.
Focused Comparison: SEO vs. AEO
Understand the differences to cover every angle. Here's how the five essentials compare.
1. Focus and Objectives
SEO lifts your pages in search results. The goal: more organic clicks to your site, so you turn visitors into leads or buyers. You target keywords, get backlinks, and write content that matches what people want to know.
AEO puts your content into answers. If someone asks ChatGPT or triggers a featured snippet, you want your brand in the answer. More citations and higher-quality mentions build your authority. Traffic matters less than being the source AI trusts.
2. User Targeting
SEO targets people typing into search engines. They don't mind the results as a list of links to look further.
AEO targets people talking to AI or using voice assistants. They ask full questions using natural language and want answers right away. 80% of AI voice searches are full sentences or questions.
3. Content Focus
SEO content is long and thorough. You write deep guides, long articles, and detailed blogs. Keyword use is important, but expertise and detail matter more. On competitive topics, you go for 1,500+ words.
AEO content is short and structured. Start with a direct answer—40-60 words. Add lists, bullets, or short paragraphs. FAQ sections, PAA answers, and snippet-optimized content win citations. Format is just as important as the info.
4. Devices Targeted
SEO serves desktop and mobile users in browsers. You care about speed, mobile-friendliness, and smooth site experience.
AEO targets AI chat apps, voice assistants, and smart speakers. Think platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Alexa, and Google Assistant. There are 8.4 billion voice assistant devices worldwide—and that number grows daily.
5. KPIs and Metrics
SEO measures:
Search rankings
Organic traffic
Click-through rates
Conversions
You watch keyword positions and page views—and track who becomes a customer. Google Analytics and Search Console give you the data.
AEO measures:
Visibility score—the frequency with which your brand is mentioned in AI Search Results based on queries that cover your brand.
Website mentions—the frequency with which your website is mentioned in AI Search Results
Featured snippet appearances
It is critical to monitor how often your brand shows up in AI responses and if those citations are high-quality. Use tools like Hatter’s AI Visibility monitoring for this.
How AEO Builds on SEO
AEO pushes your existing SEO even further. It helps AI engines find and cite your content, building on your site’s quality, speed, and mobile basics.
SEO basics still matter: great content, clean site structure, fast load times, and mobile-first design. But AEO brings new requirements that traditional SEO skips.
Structure your content for AI. Use clear headers, lead with direct answers, and organize info so it’s easy to scan. AI platforms need quick, strong answers to cite.
Focus on user intent, not just keywords. AEO wants the exact question answered. If someone asks, "How do I reset my password?"—give that answer upfront.
Add detailed schema markup. This helps AI understand your content. Use FAQ, HowTo, and Speakable schema to signal readiness for direct answers.
AEO-Specific Content Formats
Some formats get more AEO traction. Use these to get cited more often:
FAQs: Structured Q&A is perfect for AI. Use FAQ schema. Write answers in 40-100 words, framing questions in natural language.
Featured Snippets: Short, clear summaries (40-60 words), lists, tables, or tight paragraphs. Answer the question first, then detail with steps or bullets. Use clear headers.
People Also Ask (PAA): Address related questions on one page. Use H2 or H3 headers in question format that matches real searches.
Schema Markup: Add HTML to help AI and search engines "see" your content.
Using SEO and AEO Together
The best plan combines both. Here’s how you do it:
Build on SEO. Do keyword research first, so you know what your audience wants. Map keywords to user intent.
Layer on AEO next. Add direct answer sections to your long-form SEO pages. Insert FAQ blocks. Add detailed schema markup to highlight answers.
This gives you the strengths of both. Long-form content covers SEO. Clear, concise answers pull in AEO citations.
When you integrate both:
You show up in traditional search, featured snippets, AI answers, and voice results.
Hybrid strategies get 14% better CTRs than just SEO.
Common FAQs About AEO vs. SEO
Can AEO and SEO work together?
Yes. They support each other. SEO gets people to your site. AEO makes your brand the answer across AI and voice platforms. Leverage both.
Is AEO replacing SEO?
No. Traditional search still brings lots of traffic. Google still has billions of queries daily, and people still visit websites. But AI-powered search is exploding. Perplexity AI’s queries jumped 239% from August 2024 to May 2025. You need both sides covered.
What are the benefits of using both strategies?
Reach more people across more channels.
Show up in both traditional search and AI results.
Capture users at every stage from research to purchase.
Should businesses prioritize AEO over SEO?
No. Get your SEO right first. When your rankings and traffic are strong, start adding AEO tactics. Add FAQ blocks, schema, and lead with answers. Small changes, big results.
Elevate Your Brand for the AEO & SEO era
Search is changing fast. But the basics are the same. Create content users want. Make it easy for search and AI to read. Build trust and authority.
What’s new? How users search and where they get answers. AI and featured snippets are everywhere.
Winners are adapting. They keep SEO strong and pile on AEO. They craft content that ranks high and gets cited by AI. They watch the data and improve constantly.
Ready to win with both SEO and AEO? Hatter gives you live AI visibility tracking with a fully outsourced solution.
