CMO Overview of SEO in an AI Era
AI SEO vs AEO vs AI Overviews vs SGE + 9 things you need to know right now about SEO
I’ve watched a lot of the marketing function change with AI — from ABM to Product Marketing to content creation. But nothing has quite changed as much and often as SEO. It’s on 🔥! There are so many tools out there it’s hard to wrap your head around it. There are also a bunch of new terms I want to clarify.
New SEO terms for the CMO
AI SEO - basically uses AI and NLPs (natural language platforms) to optimize websites for better rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). It automates tasks such as keyword research, content optimization, backlink analysis, and technical audits to improve efficiency and precision.
AEO - is “answer engine optimization” and is basically optimized content that provides direct answers to user queries through answer engines like Google’s featured snippets, voice assistants (e.g., Alexa), or generative AI-powered chatbots.
AI Overviews (aka SGE) - are a feature in Google’s search engine that uses generative AI to provide concise summaries of topics based on multiple sources. These appear prominently at the top of SERPs.
SGE - refers to Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), an AI-powered search model that generates AI-driven summaries and overviews, potentially impacting how users find and interact with search results and, consequently, how websites rank.
AIO - AI Optimization basically uses AI to optimize content and SEO strategies.
All of these are important for different reasons.
SEO be a changin’
In the words of Twinkle Chatterjee from ThriveCraft SEO:
“Keyword stuffing, black hat tricks, and low-quality content won’t get you anywhere.
Google rewards relevance, transparency, and user experience.
Shift to semantic search, mobile-first strategies, and earned backlinks. Adapt now or get left behind.”
9 Things to know about SEO right now
According to McKinsey’s latest B2B Pulse Survey of B2B decision-makers, 19% of respondents are already implementing gen AI use cases for B2B buying and selling, and another 23% are in the process of doing so.
And according to Search Engine Land, 71.5% of people are using AI search to research products. 14% of people said they use the tools daily.
Tools like Surfer SEO offer a tool called Surfer AI which can help with AEO.
Good content still matters. Relevant, quality links from reputable sources in your content still matter. Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are crucial for ranking well.
AI-Generated content is being deprioritized (unless Expert-Led) Surfer SEO also has a free AI content detector tool, it’s one of the best I’ve seen and tried so far.
Google is pushing trusted sources over generic content. If you’re using SEO to build brand, combine it with PR and social to maximize visibility.
Google is prioritizing content that best satisfies user search intent and the user experience. Solution: Try optimizing for UX (fast-loading, mobile-friendly, engaging, and interactive content)
Build topic clusters: interconnected content around core themes will build authority. Tools like Link Whisper (free version) or InLinks can help identify interlinking content on your site.
Zero-Click Searches Are Rising. Use structured data (FAQs or How-To schema) to help AI extract your content
Video and visual search are growing. YouTube SEO, image optimization, and Google Lens are changing search behaviors. Solution: focus on video content, schema markup for images, and optimizing visuals for search.
Voice & conversational search are shaping queries.
With smart assistants and voice search growing, natural language queries are increasing. Solution: Optimize your content for question-based and long-tail searches.
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