Has AEO Made SEO Obsolete?

Your digital path was never yours to navigate independently. Since the beginning of the commercial internet, organizations have competed with each other for digital primacy, and a lot of that had to do with search engine optimization (SEO).

Now the battleground is shifting from SEO to AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization. Whereas SEO has a greater focus on keywords and content to standout in standard search (think ranking higher on a Google results page), AEO has a greater focus on clear, concise answers that AI can use as featured snippets. This can be in AI-powered search (think the “AI Overview” now at the top of most Google search results) or it can be within the answers to a prompt in a large language model (LLM).

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of SEO’s demise are greatly exaggerated. The dance between AEO and SEO is not either/or, but yes/and.

In June 2026, a Pew Research Center survey found that 60% of adults in the United States are reading AI search engine summaries. This past July, TechCrunch reported that approximately 43% of Google searches included AI summary displays. Big picture opinions of AI continue to evolve, but when it comes to smaller and more practical uses – like with search – the numbers continue trending upwards.

So, what to do? A lot of your SEO practices are going to remain strong, but you’ll want to review your website to ensure you’re writing clear and authoritative copy that answers frequently asked questions from potential supporters. Clarity in your mission, who you serve, how you serve, why you are the go-to in your sector, your geographic space (if applicable), etc. Strip down to the classic questions, then build authoritative and brief answer copy from there. Refine your building blocks, review/rebuild your content, and set yourself on the path for a strong AEO and SEO presence into the future.

And if you still need some SEO and AEO assistance, we’d love to help.

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