AI marketing expert explains Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)

Want to stay ahead in the world of search? Our recent member exclusive webinar with SEO and AI expert Graham Hansell delved into search engine fundamentals and their evolution into advanced AI-powered Answer Engines. This articles answers some of your most pressing questions from the session, providing you with the essential information you need to remain visible online.

AI Answer Engines are changing the game for organic search, and marketers are faced with a shift away from traditional SEO keyword optimisation to intent-driven content. During the webinar, we received a huge number of questions on the emerging topic of Answer Engine marketing, how it differs to traditional SEO and how best to use it to support and boost visibility for businesses. We put your questions to the session’s host Graham Hansell and have collated his answers below to help you build out your toolkit to improve your rankings and adapt to the changing search landscape.

Key themes across all answers

• Evolution, not revolution - Google is still 34x larger than its competitors, but AI search is growing rapidly.
• Quality over quantity – You can see higher conversion rates from Answer Engine traffic.
• Technical foundations matter - Bot access and structured data are critical in forming AI search answers.
• Authority building is essential - Digital PR and unique content ownership help solidify positioning.
• Measurement is changing - Focus on influence and conversion quality over traffic volume.

Foundational AEO strategy

As AI Answer Engines become more prominent in the search landscape, businesses must rethink how they approach online visibility. This section explores some of the key concepts that can help you establish a strong presence in AI-driven search results, even if your traditional SEO performance has room for improvement.

How can we be part of AI search/rank on ChatGPT?

There is a four-step foundation to help your rankings on ChatGPT:

1. Audit current AI presence
2. Technical wins (schema, bot access)
3. Content transformation (Q&A format, 50–100-word answers)
4. Build authority signals and monitor with GA4 and logfile analysis

What will the role of websites be in the future? 

Websites will become a transaction and relationship hub, while discovery will move to Answer Engines, but conversion happens on-site. You could expect lower volume but conversion rates which are twice as high.

If SEO performance is poor, can you still get ahead in AEO?

It depends on why SEO performance is poor. If it is due to technical issues (crawling/indexing), this will hurt AEO too. Content-focused problems can be fixed with an answer-focused approach. Strong brands may overcome poor SEO in Answer Engines.

Monitoring and measurement

Understanding how your content is accessed, interpreted, and surfaced by large language models is more important than ever. Traditional SEO metrics are evolving, and marketers need new tools and techniques to track performance effectively.

How can I check AI bot accessibility and track LLM crawling?

Use existing SEO tools (SEMrush) for logfile analysis. Some key bots are: GPTBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended and ClaudeBot. Monitor frequency, pages crawled, and error rates.

How do you know what ChatGPT extracts from your pages?

Create unique identifiers (product names, frameworks, terminology), test Answer Engine responses for your unique phrases and focus on distinctive, ownable content elements.

Advertising

Advertising within AI Answer Engines presents both challenges and opportunities. As platforms experiment with new pricing models and formats, marketers must adapt their strategies to maintain brand visibility and measure long-term impact. These questions look at how advertising is evolving, what metrics matter most, and how to align your campaigns with the new dynamics of search.

How can I measure long-term brand equity from Answer Engine ads?

Return to classic metrics: NPS, brand searches, direct traffic, share of voice. Consider Media Mix Modelling (Google's Meridian) for modelling-based measurement.

How are Answer Engine ads priced?

Back to the 1990s - CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions) model with Perplexity. Google Ads AI Max for Search and PMax are still Pay Per Click.

How will AI Overviews affect Google's ad revenue?

AI Overviews target informational queries (which typically have a low ad revenue anyway). Google launched AI Max for Search for AI Mode advertising.

Should Google ads shift from conversion to brand awareness? 

Google's been conversion-first for 5 years. Enhanced Conversions and demand generation campaigns already handle this evolution.

Content strategy and optimisation

Content remains at the heart of digital visibility, but the way it is evaluated and surfaced by AI has shifted. Instead of focusing solely on keywords, marketers must now consider how content is structured, how it answers user intent, and how it builds authority.

What content elements get included in AI answers?

LLMs are trained on existing web content. Use semantic markup, schema, FAQs and Q&As. Key shift: Page-level (SEO) to Paragraph/Phrase-level (AEO) optimisation.

Do you have any content marketing/thought leadership strategy tips?

Create unique concepts or frameworks, move beyond static content to tools, live streams, and webinars to focus on transaction-driving content.

How can I retain web traffic when AI overviews feature my content? 

Research competitor citations, expand authority across the topic area, and get cited in multiple AI Overviews with strategic landing page links.

How can I optimise pages for Answer Engines?

It’s all about quality over quantity. You only need 50-100 words per answer, include paragraphs with clear, structured content using semantic markup. Focus on visibility, impressions, and conversion quality instead of traffic percentages due to privacy-driven measurement challenges.

Will AEO cannibalise SEO traffic? 

Yes, at the individual site level, but overall search volume has grown. We can expect a shift in traffic distribution towards higher-intent visitors.

Business context and industry applications

The impact of AI Answer Engines extends beyond marketing tactics to broader business strategy. From local search visibility to e-commerce integration and shifting user demographics, businesses must understand how these changes affect their industry.

Google Reviews and Business Profile in AI search

Google owns this content, which makes it perfect for LLM training, and it will give you increased visibility. It is critical for local search queries.

Answer Engines' effect on online retail/Google Shopping

Google's AI Mode Shopping aims to own the entire e-commerce journey. To ensure a positive effect on your e-commerce, monitor adoption, ensure products are available in the Merchant Center, and optimise for AI consumption.

What are the demographics using Answer Engines?

Currently the demographic using Answer Engines most are younger (45% under 25), male-dominated (64-75%), higher income ($60k+) people. But that’s not to say it won’t change as Answer Engines grow. If your audience isn't there yet, build a foundation now while the competition is lower.

The evolution of AI Answer Engines is changing how discoverability works in organic search, rewarding businesses that provide clarity, relevance, and trustworthiness over traditional SEO tactics like keywords or backlinks. It is essential in today’s business landscape to ensure you have an effective AEO strategy to stay competitive and discoverable.

Interested in learning more about AI Answer Engines in depth? CIM members can watch back Graham Hansell’s webinar on demand now. Or gain further insight into this ever-evolving AI landscape and get actionable tips on visibility boosting techniques now in the AEM training course from CIM.

Book your place on the training course here