What is AEO and why does it matter in 2026?

How is AI changing the way people search?

Think about how you use the internet now compared to two years ago. Increasingly, people are asking ChatGPT or Google's AI Overview a question and reading the answer directly. They're not scrolling through ten blue links. They're getting a summarised response with sources.

Google's AI Overviews now appear on a significant portion of UK searches. When someone asks "best accountant in Bury for small businesses," Google might generate an AI answer that names specific firms — pulled from websites that have clear, structured content about their services.

If your website isn't structured in a way that AI can parse, you won't be in that answer. Your competitor will.

What's the difference between SEO and AEO?

SEO focuses on ranking in traditional search results — getting your page to appear in the list of links. It's been the standard for 20 years and it still matters.

AEO focuses on being the source that AI uses when it generates an answer. It's not about ranking in a list. It's about being cited in a response.

Here's a practical example. A solicitor with good SEO might rank third for "employment law Manchester." That's valuable — people click those links. But a solicitor with good AEO might be the firm that ChatGPT names when someone asks "can my employer change my contract without my consent?" That's a different kind of visibility entirely.

You need both. SEO gets you into the search results. AEO gets you into the AI answers.

How does AEO work in practice?

AI systems pull information from websites that make their content easy to understand. That means:

• Structured data (schema markup) — code that tells AI exactly what your business is, where it's located, what services you offer, and what questions your content answers. It's invisible to visitors but crucial for AI.
• Direct question-and-answer format — content structured as clear questions (in headings) with concise, factual answers in the first paragraph. Exactly like this blog post.
• Entity clarity — your website needs to clearly establish who you are, what you do, and where you do it. Not buried in marketing copy. Stated plainly.
• Authoritative, factual content — AI systems prioritise sources that provide specific, accurate, useful information. Vague marketing waffle gets ignored.
• FAQ sections — properly marked up FAQ pages are a goldmine for AEO. They're exactly the format AI systems are looking for.

What about GEO?

You might also hear the term GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation. It's closely related to AEO. GEO specifically targets AI-powered search engines that generate responses rather than listing links.

In practice, AEO and GEO use the same techniques. The distinction matters to marketers writing blog posts about it. For a business owner, just know that optimising for AI answers covers both.

Does AEO matter for local businesses?

Absolutely. And it might matter more for local businesses than anyone else.

When someone asks an AI "where's the best Sunday roast near Rochdale," the AI needs to find that information somewhere. If your restaurant's website clearly states your location, your menu, your Sunday roast offering, and has reviews mentioning it — that's what the AI will cite.

If your website is a single page with a phone number and "welcome to our restaurant" — the AI has nothing to work with.

Same goes for professional services. An accountant whose website has detailed pages answering common questions — "do I need to register for VAT?", "when is the self-assessment deadline?", "how much does an accountant cost in the UK?" — is far more likely to be referenced by AI than one with a generic brochure site.

What should I do about it now?

You don't need to overhaul your entire website. Start with these practical steps:

• Add structured data to your site — LocalBusiness schema, FAQ schema, Service schema. This is a technical job your web designer should handle.
• Structure your content as Q&A — use real customer questions as headings, then answer them clearly in the first sentence.
• Be specific — "We provide employment law advice to small businesses in Greater Manchester" is better than "We provide legal solutions."
• Add an FAQ page — answer the 10 most common questions your customers ask. Use proper FAQ schema markup.
• Keep your Google Business Profile updated — AI systems cross-reference multiple sources. Consistency helps.

The businesses that start optimising for AI now will have a head start. AI search is growing fast. By the time everyone else catches on, you'll already be established as a trusted source.