Let’s Talk About SEO vs. AEO and Why it Matters to Brands and Media

Plus Best AEO Practices for PR Professionals

Had fun exploring FiDi over the weekend! :)

In my last newsletter covering the State of Journalism, one of the talking points was the increasing prevalence of large language models (LLMs) and particularly ChatGPT. According to MuckRack’s report, nearly 77% of journalists surveyed reported using AI in some capacity, and almost half of them said they integrated ChatGPT into their regular workflow.

That usage can, of course, mean all kinds of things—from small-case uses like formatting ideation or a handy thesaurus—to larger-use cases where large chunks of text are copied and pasted (I’m clutching my pearls, too).

Those working in media obviously aren’t the only people using LLMs. Global AI usage is up dramatically, with an approximate adoption rate of 48% by individuals and over 70% adoption rate by organizations. Basically: it’s here, and it’s not going anywhere.

[Psst. Did you miss my latest posts? Here are a few I’ve recently published: Creative Ways to Get Your Client Featured—Without Pushing a Product + Please Stop Asking Journalists These 10 Questions + 7 Huge Trends Taking Over the Lifestyle Space]

A Quick Rundown on SEO vs. AEO and Why it Matters to Brands and Media

What’s particularly interesting to me, as a reporter, is how people are now finding their information online. While people obviously still use Google to get answers and find content—powered by SEO or search engine optimization—there’s a notable exodus to LLMs such as ChatGPT. This has lead to AEO, also known as “Answer Engine Optimization” (or GEO aka “Generative Engine Optimization.)

So what is AEO, exactly? That’s what we’re discussing today, because like it or not, is it important to understand the changing media/internet landscape of how people are searching online.