Found in AI Ep. 3: AEO, GEO, and the Future of SEO: How to Show Up in AI Search
Reddit's ChatGPT Citations Just Dropped 86% + What It Means for AI Search Visibility – Found in AI: AI Search Visibility, SEO, & GEO
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- Start Here: The 5-Step AI Search Visibility Strategy from 80+ Episodes
- Microsoft Clarity's AI Visibility Metrics and Google's Reddit Denial
- How Approval Layers Slow Down AI Search Visibility — with Rose Ann Mullet
Welcome to Found in AI, the podcast about getting your business found in AI search.
In this episode, I sit down with Ioana Wilkinson, B2B content writer and founder of Innovatech Content, to break down how AEO, GEO, and SEO actually fit together in today’s AI-driven search landscape.
You’ll learn:
• What Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) really means in practice
• Why micro-intent queries get cited more often in AI answers
• How Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) builds on SEO to make content AI-friendly
• The experiment I’m running this week: updating my HubSpot bio to see if LLMs surface me in the right searches
Transcript: AEO, GEO, and the Future of SEO: How to Show Up in AI Search
Cassie Clark:
Over the past year, you’ve probably heard terms like AEO, GEO, and even LLM optimization thrown around in marketing conversations or littered all over your LinkedIn feed. I know it is on mine. But what do those terms actually mean in practice, and how do they change the way we show up in search now that AI is pulling the answers?
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Cassie Clark. I’m a content strategist who helps startups and B2B brands get seen. And now that AI engines are part of how people search, that means creating content that shows up in those AI-generated answers.
This show is where I share what I’m learning, the experiments I’m running, and the strategies you can use to get your business found in AI search. And in today’s episode, we’re talking with Ioana Wilkinson, B2B content writer and founder of Innovatech Content, about how SEO, AEO, and GEO actually fit together in this new landscape. Here’s part of that conversation.
So when people say AEO, what do they actually mean in practice? What have you been seeing and what have you been telling your clients?
Ioana Wilkinson:
Yeah, it’s actually pretty simple. It just means Answer Engine Optimization. And basically, you just want to make sure that what you’re writing about, the AEO can pull your content for direct answers within the search results.
So that’s going to be the snippets at the top. It can be FAQ sections — that’s a super easy add. You can include them in almost any piece of content with clear answers to common questions.
And always include both the question and the answer. So if it’s something like, “What is productivity software and why does it matter?” your answer should be, “Productivity software is X, and it matters because…”
Those very clear answers are really going to help a lot. And like I said, the FAQ schema, tables of contents, highlight sections at the top — all of those are useful. It’s funny because Google has said that some of this doesn’t work. But in practice, when we track the data, we’ve seen that it absolutely does.
So yeah, that’s essentially what it means.
Cassie Clark:
A couple of my clients, maybe early last year, started adding FAQs to their content. I even mentioned this to another content writer at the time, and they said, “Well, if everyone starts doing that, then what good does it do?”
So it’s kind of funny that now the advice really is: add the FAQ. I didn’t realize until recently that you actually need custom code for the FAQ schema. I thought just asking the questions was enough. Have you been doing that too?
Ioana Wilkinson:
I don’t do a lot of backend technical work. My clients or their technical SEOs usually handle that. But I do provide them with the FAQ text, and they implement it.
Cassie Clark:
That wasn’t something I was doing before. I’ve just started adding it in the last couple of weeks. Have you seen your clients actually get results from adding the schema?
Ioana Wilkinson:
Oh yeah — definitely. It’s super easy and to me it’s a no-brainer. Almost any kind of content can benefit from an FAQ.
The main thing is targeting micro-intents. If you aim for conversational, specific queries like, “What is the best productivity software for small businesses under $100 a month?” instead of just “productivity software,” you reduce competition and increase your chance of showing up.
That’s what it’s really about: being helpful and giving the user concise, clear summaries and snippets.
Cassie Clark:
So the more specific the better.
Ioana Wilkinson:
Absolutely. One of the agencies I’ve worked with, USERP, analyzed over 200 client queries and found that brands using micro-intent targeting instead of evergreen terms were cited about five times more often in AI responses.
Cassie Clark:
That’s good to know. So, be as specific as possible.
Ioana Wilkinson:
Exactly. Think about it like conversational SEO. The kinds of long, natural questions you’d ask Alexa or another voice assistant are the kinds that now surface in AI search. It’s easier to rank for those than for broad, competitive terms.
Cassie Clark:
Okay, let’s move to GEO. How’s GEO different from AEO or traditional SEO?
Ioana Wilkinson:
They’re all connected, but GEO expands on SEO and AEO. GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — is about optimizing content for use in AI-generated responses.
Formatting and structure are key. Highlights, FAQs, and clear “what/why/how” sections make it easier for AI to parse content. It’s almost like old-school SEO making a comeback.
You also want to feed LLMs with high-value material: case studies, screenshots, original research, ROI calculators, product comparisons. Those elements increase the likelihood of being cited. It’s about giving AI exactly what it needs to recognize your authority.
Cassie Clark:
Amazing. So when we talk about the “AI surge,” what falls under that umbrella?
Ioana Wilkinson:
Pretty much everything — SEO, AEO, GEO, even LLM optimization. The foundation is still SEO. Without it, the others can’t exist.
Even platforms like Reddit are becoming search layers in their own right, which is why AI trusts content from communities like Reddit and Quora so much. They’re seen as authentic user-generated sources.
Cassie Clark:
That makes sense. I’ve noticed more people on LinkedIn talking about Reddit marketing. Have you recommended that to clients?
Ioana Wilkinson:
Yes, 100%. AI often trusts real, user-generated content more than polished product pages. But the key is to add value — not to jump in with spammy self-promotion. Share genuine insights and experiences.
Cassie Clark:
Got it. Back to SEO for a moment — do you think keywords still matter?
Ioana Wilkinson:
Yes, absolutely. Keywords will always matter. Bots need language to parse. Use them naturally and with context. If you’re writing about blueberry muffins, don’t just keyword stuff — write about your grandmother’s recipe, your experiences, do’s and don’ts. That creates value while reinforcing the keyword.
Cassie Clark:
If you were advising a new startup, how should they approach AEO or GEO differently from SEO?
Ioana Wilkinson:
First, know your audience deeply. Interview them. Map pain points to funnel stages — top, middle, bottom.
Then, build content clusters and authority pages. Layer in micro-intent queries, FAQs, highlight boxes, and conversational elements. Balance short answers with in-depth content like case studies and tool walkthroughs.
It’s a big undertaking, but worth it.
Cassie Clark:
So if someone started implementing this today, how long before they’d see results?
Ioana Wilkinson:
Hard to say, but with a competitive, strategic approach, results can come in as little as three months.
Cassie Clark:
Listening back to this conversation, one thing that really stuck with me is how much authority sources matter — both to Google and AI engines.
That brings me into this week’s experiment. I’ve been testing prompts in ChatGPT like, “I’m looking for a fractional content strategist who works with Series A/B startups.” Even though my website is updated, I’m not showing up yet. Instead, the AI pulls an old bio that says, “Cassie is a teacher-turned-writer.”
While true, that’s not the brand story I want showing up. And I noticed the sources are usually high-authority bios, like my profile on HubSpot.
So last week, I asked the HubSpot team to update my bio with new keywords like “fractional content strategist for Series A/B companies.” Once Google reindexes it, my theory is that LLMs will start pulling that version — and I’ll begin surfacing in the right searches.
I’ll keep you posted on whether it works.
That’s exactly what I help brands figure out. I’m Cassie Clark, a content strategist who builds AI search-ready content systems for startups and B2B companies. If you want to talk about how we can make your content work harder in this new search landscape, connect with me on LinkedIn or visit cassieclarkmarketing.com.
Next week, we’re tackling how to track and measure AO and GO metrics, and I will catch up with you
then.
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