Is SEO Dead? The Shift to AEO and GEO

If you’re anything like me, Artificial Intelligence (AI) feels impossible to avoid right now. With the rise of AI agents like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, there’s a question facing many marketers: is SEO dead?

The short answer: not exactly.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) certainly isn’t gone, but it’s evolving.

The way people look for information has shifted dramatically, and as marketers, our job is to make sure our content is easy to find wherever and however people are searching for it.

From Keywords to Questions

Think back over the past week. How many times have you asked ChatGPT a question? Maybe it was “what’s a good headline for my campaign?” or “which restaurants are open near me?”

This behaviour is far from uncommon, in fact it is the new normal. Instead of typing short keywords into Google (like “restaurants near me”), people are asking conversational questions to AI agents, in a similar way to how they would ask a colleague or friend.

That change is why Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) are becoming just as important as SEO.

What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?

AEO is about structuring your content so AI agents can quickly scan it and use it as the best possible answer to a user’s question.

• A blog that rambles for 1,200 words before offering any value is less effective.

• A blog that answers the question up front, then goes deeper into context, is far more likely to be surfaced.

In short: AEO is about clarity, structure, and direct answers.

What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?

GEO takes it a step further. It’s about designing your content so that when AI generates a response, your brand is included as part of the answer.

For that to happen, AI needs content that:

• Signals credibility (through expertise and trustworthy references).

• Is written around natural questions, not just keywords.

• Uses clear clusters of related ideas, rather than over-optimised keyword stuffing.

In short: GEO is about being cited or included in AI-generated answers.

One of the biggest shifts in mindset for marketers is moving from “writing for search engines” to “writing for people, with AI in mind.” In the past, we could drive success with keyword density and backlinks.

Today, to ensure success,our content needs to clearly and confidently answer real questions. Consider how your audience speaks in their day-to-day. They would never say“children’s hospital donations Sydney”, instead they ask “how can I support a children’s hospital near me?”That’s the language AI agents are looking for.

The more natural, conversational, and structured your content is, the more likely it is to be picked up, summarised, and shared by AI systems. This shift doesn’t mean abandoning traditional SEO altogether, but it does mean changing our focus as content writers.

6 Ways to Optimise for AEO and GEO

If you’re not sure where to start, I’m sure you’re not alone. Here are practical steps to make your content AI-friendly:

1. Write for questions, not just keywords.

   • Stop thinking about what keywords someone would include in their Google search and take a moment to consider how your audiencewould phrase their problem out loud.

   • Use headings and subheadings framed as questions (e.g. “What is the difference between AEO and SEO?”).

2. Answer up front.

   • AI agents like clarity. Start with a clear answer at the beginning of your copy.

   • Then expand with detail. Use the “inverted pyramid” model from journalism.

3. Structure for easy scanning.

   • Make your content more digestible by breaking it into shorter paragraphs.

   • Use bullet points and numbered lists where you can.

   • As with SEO, apply semantic HTML (H1, H2, H3) so AI agents can recognise the hierarchy.

4. Build credibility.

   • Link to reputable sources, studies, and expert commentary.

   • Demonstrate authority with evidence and clear expertise.

5. Use natural language.

   • Avoid jargon-heavy copy that only makes sense internallyand not for your audience.

   • Write in a conversational, human tone. Remember: AI is trained on natural dialogue, and it is looking for content it can mirror.

6. Keep SEO basics in place.

   • Metadata, site speed, accessibility, and mobile optimisation still matter.

   • AEO and GEO build on SEO foundations; they don’t replace them.

So, is SEO Really Dead?

SEO isn’t dead yet, but it’s evolving. The future of being found by your audience is less about keeping up with Google’s algorithm updates and more about anticipating what questions people are asking and how they are asking them.

Right now, people are asking AI.

If we want our content to be found, trusted, and recommended by AI agents, we need to adapt our strategies. That means optimising not just for search engines, but for answer engines and generative engines.

Because in this new landscape, it’s not about being on page one.It’s about being the answer.