SEO Isn’t Dead But AEO Is How You’ll Win in 2025

More than half of Google searches now end without a click. AI Overviews and snippets surface answers above links. To stay visible, your content needs to be AEO-ready: concise, structured, source-backed, and written for both humans and answer engines. AEO doesn’t replace SEO, it extends it into the AI era.

What’s Changed And Why It Matters

By 2025, 58–60% of Google searches end without an external click. Users are now finding what they are looking for via snippets, knowledge panels, and now AI Overviews.

We are seeing organic click-through rates sliding, especially on mobile devices. What you’ve likely noticed by now is that when an AI Overview appears, it often pulls from sources already ranking in the top 10 but places its summary above those links.

👉 Translation: classic SEO still matters (rankings, crawlability, E-E-A-T), but it’s no longer enough. To win visibility, you must write for answer extraction.

What Is AEO?

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the practice of designing content so that both humans as well as answer engines can instantly extract a useful, trustworthy response.

It applies to:

• Google AI Overviews

• Featured Snippets & People-Also-Ask

• Perplexity, ChatGPT, and other AI answer “cards”

• Even short-form content on LinkedIn or TikTok

In other words: SEO helps you rank, AEO helps you get lifted.

How To Make Your Pages AEO-Ready

1. Lead with the answer.

   • Open with a 2–4 sentence, jargon-free answer to the query you’re targeting.

   • Example: “Does creatine help endurance athletes? Yes, studies suggest it supports muscle recovery and energy, though benefits are greater for strength than pure endurance.”

2. Use a question-based structure.

   • Format H2/H3s as natural questions (Who, What, How, Risks, Dosage).

   • This mirrors how users ask and how AI parses.

3. Be specific and source-backed.

   • Use numbers, dates, ranges, and named entities (ingredients, protocols, study years).

   • Link to primary or high-quality sources (PubMed, NHS, WHO).

4. Add schema.

   • Implement FAQPage, HowTo, Product, Organisation, and Person schema where relevant.

   • This boosts eligibility for rich results and helps AI engines understand context.

5. Show credentials.

   • In health and wellness, trust is non-negotiable.

   • Include author bios, credentials, and an editorial process.

6. Make it scannable.

   • Use bulleted checklists, tables, short FAQs, and a 30-second summary block.

7. Repurpose answers across surfaces.

   • The same insight can live as a LinkedIn carousel, a 60-second Reel, and a downloadable PDF.

   • Consistency builds recall and authority.

8. Measure beyond pageviews.

   • Success isn’t only about sessions. Track brand mentions in AI answers, newsletter sign-ups, and returning user actions.

Mini Checklist You Can Copy

• 30–60 word answer box at the top

• H2s framed as questions

• 1–3 cited facts (numbers, dates, studies)

• FAQ with 3–5 real queries

• FAQPage / HowTo schema JSON-LD

• Author bio + last updated date

• One visual (diagram/table) with alt text

Example: “What Is The Best Time To Take Magnesium For Sleep?”

Lead Answer:
Most studies suggest taking magnesium 1–2 hours before bedtime. It supports relaxation and sleep quality in deficient individuals. Effects compound with consistent use over several weeks.

Expand:

• Forms (glycinate vs citrate)

• Dosage ranges

• Contraindications

• Links to reputable sources

FAQs:

• How long until I notice effects?

• Can I combine with creatine?

• Any endurance benefits?

The Bottom Line

SEO isn’t dead, but it’s shifting.

Winning now means answering better and structuring smarter. Brands that create crisp, credible, human-friendly answers that machines can lift but people love more will own visibility both above the fold (AEO) and below it (SEO).