The digital world is changing at lightning speed. For years, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was the one true king of online visibility. Every marketer’s dream was to rank their website on the first page of Google and watch the traffic roll in. But today, things are shifting dramatically. The way people search for information and the way search engines deliver it have evolved beyond recognition.
Welcome to the new age of AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation), GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), and LLM Optimisation. If you’re still relying only on traditional SEO tactics, your strategies might already be outdated, and you might not even realise it.
In a world dominated by ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, Perplexity, and voice assistants like Alexa or Siri, the “blue links” game is fading. People no longer want to scroll through ten links to find what they’re looking for; they want direct, reliable, and conversational answers.
Let’s break down what this evolution means, and how you can adapt before it’s too late.
The Fall of Traditional SEO
SEO used to revolve around keywords, backlinks, and meta tags. You’d research the right keywords, write an optimised article, build some backlinks, and wait for your rankings to climb.
But now, the search experience is no longer linear. Users interact with AI tools, ask questions in natural language, and expect instant, summarised answers. Google is no longer just a list of web pages it’s becoming an intelligent assistant that thinks for the user.
And the biggest change?
Users don’t even have to visit your website anymore.
AI tools are capable of pulling your content, summarising it, and delivering your insights without ever sending you traffic. This might sound scary, but it’s also an opportunity if you understand how to play the new game.
AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation
When someone asks Siri, “What’s the best time to post on Instagram?” they’re not looking for a blog link. They want a quick, accurate, and conversational answer.
That’s what Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is all about.
Instead of optimising for keywords, you’re optimising for answers. Your content must be structured in a way that AI systems and search snippets can easily pull direct, reliable responses from.
