What Matters More in 2025: AEO vs. SEO for Small Businesses?
- Angie
- May 30
- 3 min read
If you run a small business in 2025, chances are you’ve heard a lot about SEO. But lately, a new acronym has entered the spotlight: AEO — AI Engine Optimisation.
As search behaviour shifts and AI-powered engines like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Meta AI start influencing customer discovery, the question isn’t whether SEO is dead — it’s how it’s evolving.
So what does this mean for small businesses? Is it time to drop SEO in favour of AEO?
Let’s break it down.
What is AEO (AI Engine Optimisation)?
AEO stands for AI Engine Optimisation — and it’s all about making your business content discoverable and trustworthy in AI-powered search experiences.
Unlike traditional search engines like Google, which rank blue links on a results page, AI engines:
Pull answers directly from your site or structured data
Use AI to summarise and recommend businesses or solutions
Prioritise relevance, clarity, and authority in real time
Think: How your business is referenced in ChatGPT, Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience), or Perplexity’s AI recommendations.
How Is AEO Different From SEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) | AEO (AI Engine Optimisation) |
Optimises for search engines like Google, Bing | Optimises for AI assistants and chat engines |
Focuses on keywords, backlinks, technical health | Focuses on structured data, clear answers, and semantic content |
Measures clicks and SERP ranking | Measures inclusion in AI summaries or answers |
Driven by links, domain authority, page structure | Driven by trust signals, factual accuracy, and clarity of information |
Why Small Businesses Need to Pay Attention in 2025
Most small businesses rely on visibility — but where that visibility happens is shifting.
In 2025, people are no longer typing only into Google — they’re asking questions in AI chat engines and voice assistants.
That means your brand needs to:
Show up when someone asks “What’s the best eco-friendly fashion brand in NZ?”
Be recommended by AI when a user says “Find me a Christchurch-based digital marketer.”
Be understood and trusted contextually, not just ranked for a keyword
What You Can Do Now: SEO and AEO Basics for Small Business
Here’s how to future-proof your digital presence:
1. Write Clear, Structured Content
Use FAQs, how-to guides, and concise summaries
Structure your pages with H1s, H2s, and short paragraphs
Make your site easy for an AI model to “read and summarise”
2. Build Topical Authority
Focus on one niche at a time
Create 3–5 in-depth pages/posts around one topic (e.g. “eco home heating solutions in NZ”)
3. Implement Schema Markup
Use structured data (FAQ, product, local business schema)
Helps AI engines parse your business offering with precision
4. Optimise for Trust and E-E-A-T
Highlight your experience and credibility
Add clear “About” info, credentials, media mentions, or testimonials
Use your real name and location to boost local trust signals
5. Claim & Optimise Your Business Listings
Keep your Google Business Profile and local directories updated
Add descriptions, services, and fresh reviews — these often feed into AI-powered local answers
Final Thought: AEO Isn’t Replacing SEO — It’s Expanding It
For small businesses in 2025, the goal isn’t to abandon SEO, but to evolve with it.
SEO gets you seen. AEO gets you selected.Together, they make your brand ready for how people discover, compare, and trust in a new era of AI search.
If you’re ready to future-proof your digital presence and get found where it matters — I’d love to help.
