AEO (yes, another marketing acronym)
For years, digital visibility was mostly about one thing: ranking well on Google. That’s still important. But it’s no longer the full picture. More people are now using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to ask questions, compare providers and get recommendations directly. Often without ever clicking through traditional search results.
At the same time, Google itself is moving towards AI-generated answers and summaries. Ultimately, that changes how businesses get discovered.
“Traditional SEO is still hugely important,” says Baxter Brook, AI Sherpa at Tenzing. “But businesses also need to think about how AI systems interpret and reference their content.”
Search engines are becoming answer engines
Historically, search engines returned lists of links and left users to decide where to go next. AI-powered search tools increasingly try to provide the answer themselves. They summarise information, compare providers and recommend businesses directly within the interface. That means visibility now depends on more than rankings alone.
Businesses increasingly need to think about:
- whether their content is structured clearly enough for AI systems to understand
- whether they demonstrate enough authority and trustworthiness
- whether local and service-specific information is easy to interpret accurately
This becomes even more important for multi-location businesses, where every office or branch effectively needs its own digital presence.
So, what is AEO?
The industry hasn’t fully settled on the terminology yet. Some call it Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Others refer to Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) – whatever the label, the underlying shift is the same.
Historically, search engines returned lists of links. AI-powered tools increasingly attempt to provide the answer directly – summarising information, comparing providers and recommending businesses within the interface itself. This changes how visibility works – instead of simply trying to rank highly on Google, businesses increasingly need to ensure their content can also be understood, trusted and surfaced by AI systems.
What we’re seeing in practice
Through recent SEO and PPC audit work with one of Tenzing’s portfolio companies, Baxter reviewed everything from technical SEO and local search visibility to Google Ads performance and competitor positioning. The findings were interesting, but increasingly familiar – the traditional SEO foundations were relatively strong. The bigger gap was AI-readiness.
Not surprising, really. The industry is still figuring this out in real time. Best practices are evolving quickly, analytics are limited and the platforms themselves are changing constantly. But despite the uncertainty, the direction of travel is clear: search behaviour is fundamentally changing.
AI is changing PPC too
The shift isn’t limited to organic search – Google Ads is now deeply AI-driven through products like Performance Max, Smart Bidding and automated targeting. Increasingly, machine learning systems decide who sees ads, when they appear and how budgets are allocated. That changes the marketer’s role significantly.
Success now depends less on manual optimisation and more on:
- feeding platforms high-quality data
- structuring accounts properly
- supplying strong creative assets
- understanding how to guide automated systems effectively
In other words, most businesses are already managing AI systems whether they realise it or not.
Where AI genuinely adds value
AI also played a practical role during the audit itself. Large volumes of campaign data, keyword performance and search terms could be analysed much faster using AI-assisted tools. But the strategic recommendations still relied heavily on human judgement and commercial context.
“AI is very effective at processing information at scale,” says Baxter. “But identifying what actually matters commercially – and what actions should be taken – still depends heavily on experience and interpretation.”
That balance is where AI tends to work best today – not as a replacement for expertise, but more as a way to help good teams move faster, focus attention more effectively and make better-informed decisions.
What businesses should be thinking about now
Most businesses do not need to completely rethink their digital strategy overnight.
The fundamentals still matter:
- strong technical SEO
- high-quality content
- clear site structure
- well-managed PPC accounts
But businesses do need to recognise that search is evolving quickly. Visibility increasingly depends not just on whether people can find your content, but whether AI systems can understand, trust and surface it too.
The companies that adapt early are likely to benefit. The ones that ignore it may become less visible long before they realise search has changed around them.
About Tenzing’s AI Sherpa Programme
Tenzing’s AI Sherpa Programme combines AI-assisted prototyping, product strategy, and hands-on delivery to help organisations move from concept to validated product direction – quickly, and without premature engineering risk.
It is designed for situations where the opportunity is clear, but the optimal path forward needs to be proven.
By replacing speculative development with rapid validation, Tenzing’s AI Sherpas enables teams to commit resources with confidence – and focus investment where it will deliver the greatest return.
