If you run a local business and someone tells you that SEO is dead, they are wrong. If someone tells you that SEO alone is enough, they are also wrong. The reality is more nuanced, and understanding the difference between SEO and AEO will help you make better decisions about where to invest your marketing budget.
SEO in 30 seconds
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the practice of getting your website to appear higher in Google's traditional search results. When someone searches "plumber Dee Why", Google shows a list of websites ranked by relevance, authority, and a few hundred other factors. SEO is about ticking as many of those boxes as possible so your site appears near the top.
It has been around for over 20 years, it works, and it is not going away. Google still processes billions of traditional searches every day. The organic results still generate significant traffic for businesses that rank well.
AEO in 30 seconds
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is the practice of making your business visible to AI tools that answer questions directly. When someone asks ChatGPT "who is a good personal trainer near Manly?", the AI does not show ten links. It recommends one or two businesses by name. AEO is about becoming the business that gets recommended.
If you want the full breakdown, read our plain-English guide to AEO. The short version: AI tools pull from your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, directories, and other online sources. If your information is well-structured and consistent across all those sources, AI tools feel confident recommending you.
The key differences
How results appear. SEO shows your website in a list. AEO names your business in a direct answer. One gives the customer options. The other gives the customer a recommendation.
What gets evaluated. SEO focuses heavily on your website: keywords, backlinks, page speed, content quality. AEO evaluates your entire online presence: website, Google Business Profile, reviews, directory listings, social media, structured data. Consistency across all sources matters more than any single source.
The role of structured data. In SEO, structured data (schema markup) is helpful but optional. Plenty of websites rank well without it. In AEO, structured data is close to essential. It is how you tell AI tools exactly what your business is, where it operates, and what it offers. Without it, the AI has to guess, and it usually picks a competitor that made the job easier.
Competition levels. SEO for competitive local keywords is tough. If you are a plumber in Sydney, the top spots have been held by businesses investing in SEO for years. Outranking them takes time and money. AEO competition is currently low. Most businesses and most web agencies have not started optimising for AI search. Getting in now is cheaper and easier than it will be in twelve months.
How trust is measured. SEO trusts backlinks heavily — other websites linking to yours signals authority. AEO trusts E-E-A-T signals: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Real photos, qualifications, reviews, years in business, and consistent information across the web. For small businesses with genuine expertise, AEO is arguably a more level playing field than SEO.
Where they overlap
SEO and AEO are not completely separate. They share a lot of common ground.
Good website content helps both. A well-written page that clearly describes your services, answers common questions, and uses natural language is good for SEO and good for AEO. Google rewards it with rankings. AI tools pull from it for answers.
Google Business Profile matters for both. A complete, accurate Google Business Profile helps your local SEO and gives AI tools a verified source of business information.
Reviews help both. Google reviews influence local SEO rankings and are heavily weighted by AI recommendation algorithms. Getting more reviews is never wasted effort.
Technical performance matters for both. A fast, mobile-friendly website that loads quickly is better for SEO rankings and easier for AI tools to crawl and parse.
When SEO matters more
SEO is still the primary channel for searches where people want to browse options rather than get a single recommendation. If someone searches "personal trainers Manly" (plural), they probably want to compare a few options. That is still a traditional search experience. SEO puts you in the comparison set.
SEO also matters for informational searches. If someone is looking for "how to fix a leaking tap", they want a guide, not a plumber recommendation. Blog content optimised for SEO captures this traffic and builds brand awareness.
For e-commerce and product searches, traditional SEO is still dominant. People want to see product images, compare prices, and read reviews across multiple sellers. AI is making inroads here, but traditional search results remain the primary channel.
When AEO matters more
AEO is more important when the search is transactional and specific. "Who is the best electrician on the Northern Beaches?" is an AEO query. The person wants a name, not a list. They are ready to call someone.
AEO is also critical for voice search. When someone asks Siri or Google Assistant for a recommendation, they get one answer, not ten links. Being that answer is an AEO outcome.
For local service businesses where the customer journey is short — they need someone, they search, they call — AEO is increasingly where the first contact happens. These customers might never see your website at all. They get your name from ChatGPT and call the number they find on Google.
The smart approach: do both
The businesses that will win over the next few years are the ones that invest in both SEO and AEO. Fortunately, they are complementary. Many actions help both channels simultaneously. A well-structured website with clear content, proper schema markup, a complete Google Business Profile, and strong reviews is optimised for both traditional search and AI search.
If you are starting from scratch, prioritise AEO. The competition is lower, the impact is faster, and the work you do for AEO (structured data, consistent information, review building) also improves your SEO. If you already have solid SEO foundations, adding AEO on top is relatively straightforward.
At AMACCA, every website we build includes both SEO and AEO optimisation. We handle the structured data, the Google Business Profile setup, and the content strategy that feeds both channels. And we track AI citation performance so you can see when ChatGPT and Perplexity start recommending you.
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Or call Adam on 0420 498 037 to talk through your options.