You've heard of SEO. Now meet AEO: Answer Engine Optimization. It's the practice of structuring your website so AI systems can find, understand, and recommend your business.
How AI search works differently
Traditional search shows you ten blue links. AI search gives you one answer. When someone asks ChatGPT 'best plumber in Bergen,' it doesn't show a list of websites. It gives a recommendation. If your business isn't structured in a way that AI can parse, you won't be that recommendation.
AI systems pull from structured data, clear headings, FAQ schemas, and authoritative content. They favor websites that answer questions directly and concisely.
What AEO actually looks like
AEO isn't a separate discipline from SEO. It's an evolution. Here's what it involves:
1. Structured data (Schema.org markup) so AI knows what your business does, where you are, and what services you offer. 2. Clear, direct answers to common questions. Not buried in paragraphs of filler. 3. FAQ sections with real questions your customers ask. 4. Local business markup with your address, hours, and service area. 5. Content that answers 'who, what, where, when, why' for your industry.
Why this matters for small businesses
Big companies will adapt. They have SEO teams. Small businesses risk being left behind because they don't even know the game has changed.
The window is now. AI search is growing fast but the standards are still forming. Businesses that optimize early will have a lasting advantage. It's the same as getting your website indexed by Google in 2005.
How Smiien handles AEO
Every website we build includes structured data, schema markup, and content structured for AI readability. It's not an add-on. It's built in from day one, on every plan.