Are AI answers the new SEO?

25 Jul 2024 · 1 min

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In this commentary, the speaker argues that optimizing answers for AI-driven search engines—referred to as AI answer optimization or generative engine optimization—is the next evolution of traditional SEO. While AI search is becoming the primary method for discovery, the underlying ranking factors remain similar: citations, reviews, link mentions, and the consistency of those signals. The speaker illustrates the point by comparing recent rankings for a marketing podcast across ChatGPT and Google Gemini, noting that positions have shifted from top spots in 2022 to lower rankings now, indicating that AI models pull from a broader set of sources. The core message is that, despite the new AI layer, classic SEO fundamentals such as being frequently cited and linked continue to drive visibility.

Chapters

AI answer optimization is the new SEO. So we talked about a couple weeks ago, community is the new SEO, whatever's the new SEO. Now it's like AI answer optimization, which is basically generative engine optimization. Key points: AI search is increasingly used for search and discovery. Optimization for AI search will likely be similar and an evolution of traditional SEO versus something entirely different. I think what it does reinforce, because I went to Gemini, I went to ChatGPT again, and I searched for what's the best marketing podcast. ChatGPT, we're number 2, and then for Gemini, I think we're number 4, number 5 or so. But the results have been changing so much in the since 2022, I think, before we're like number one for all these, right? And now it's changing, it's pulling from different sources. But what we've been saying in the past, ever since the very beginning, is citations matter. The number of reviews, the number of times we appear, all these things, like it's pretty easy to see who's actually being talked about a lot on the internet versus who isn't. So just like traditional SEO, yes, your links matter. How often you're cited, how consistent are your citations? Those things all matter.