What does an AI SEO agency do differently from a traditional SEO agency?

A traditional SEO agency optimises for Google's blue links. An AI SEO agency also optimises for Google AI Overviews (AEO), AI assistant recommendations from ChatGPT and similar tools (GEO), and the emerging landscape of AI-powered search engines like Perplexity. The technical foundations overlap — strong content, technical health, authority — but the AEO and GEO layers require additional expertise that most traditional agencies haven't developed.

Do I need AI SEO or just traditional SEO?

If your customers are researching your services online — and most are — you need both. Traditional SEO still drives the majority of search traffic for most businesses. But AI Overviews now intercept 30%+ of informational searches, and AI assistant usage is growing fast, especially for recommendation queries. If you're only doing traditional SEO, you're leaving a growing share of search visibility unaddressed.

Is AI SEO just a trend, or is it here to stay?

It's structural. Google's investment in AI search (Gemini integration, AI Overviews expansion) is a multi-year, multi-billion dollar commitment. OpenAI's SearchGPT and similar products are building real search user bases. The shift from keyword-based to conversational, AI-mediated search has been building since voice search, accelerated with ChatGPT, and will continue. Businesses that adapt now build sustainable advantages over those that wait.

How do I know if AI SEO is working?

We track AI Overview citation frequency for target queries, monitor AI assistant responses to relevant recommendation queries, and correlate these with organic traffic, referral patterns, and enquiry volumes. AI SEO metrics are less deterministic than keyword rankings — but directional improvement in AI citations and the downstream traffic effects are measurable. We report on all of this monthly.

Sydney's AI SEO agency.
Search has changed. Your strategy should too.

Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity — AI is answering your customers' questions before they see your website. We get you into those answers.

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The AI search landscape in 2025 — what's actually happening

Search hasn't died. But it has fractured. Your customers are now getting answers from multiple AI-powered sources that didn't exist two years ago — and those sources are intercepting queries before they reach your website.

Google AI Overviews

AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation

Appears above organic results on 30%+ of informational searches. Cites sources — but only a handful of businesses per query get named.

ChatGPT & OpenAI

GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation

150M+ weekly users asking recommendation queries like 'best solar installer Sydney'. Not connected to real-time web by default — relies on training data and browsing.

Perplexity AI

AEO + GEO combined

Rapidly growing AI search engine that cites sources in real-time. More like Google AI Overviews but independent — different citation algorithm.

Google traditional search

Traditional SEO (still critical)

Still drives the majority of commercial search traffic. Not going anywhere — but its share of total search attention is slowly declining.

AEO + GEO combined — a unified AI search strategy

Running AEO and GEO separately misses the synergies. The same content quality, E-E-A-T signals, and authority building that help you get cited in Google AI Overviews also help AI language models recognise your business as a trustworthy recommendation. We build an integrated strategy that addresses both simultaneously.

Shared E-E-A-T foundation — credentials and expertise signals that work across all AI platforms
Schema markup layer — FAQPage, HowTo, LocalBusiness, Service, Person all implemented
Content architecture — structured for both AI extraction (AEO) and AI training signals (GEO)
Digital footprint building — review platforms, directories, and brand mentions that influence AI models
Unified reporting — AEO citations, AI assistant mentions, and traditional rankings in one monthly report

Learn about AEO →

How we engineer Google AI Overview citations

Learn about GEO →

How we get your business mentioned by ChatGPT

What we measure — because AI SEO without metrics is just theory

AI SEO is newer than traditional SEO, which means measurement is still evolving. But 'we can't measure it' is not an acceptable answer. Here's exactly what we track and report on monthly.

AEO metrics

AI Overview appearance rate for target queries
Citation frequency (how often your site is cited vs competitors)
AI Overview click-through traffic in Search Console
Schema markup health and validation

GEO metrics

AI assistant response monitoring for target recommendation queries
Brand mention frequency across indexed sources
Digital footprint growth (new directory citations, mentions)
Referral traffic patterns indicating AI-driven discovery

Who AI SEO is for

AI SEO is high-impact for businesses where customers research before buying — and especially for businesses where recommendation queries are common. The highest-priority candidates:

Trade businesses and home services — 'best plumber/electrician/builder in [suburb]' is a classic AI recommendation query
Healthcare and professional services — health queries heavily feature AI Overviews
High-consideration purchases — solar, home renovation, legal, financial advice
Local businesses where geography matters — AI local recommendations are growing fast
Any business where a competitor showing up in AI answers before you is a real commercial risk

Ready to build an AI search strategy?

Book a free consultation. We'll audit your current AI search visibility, show you where competitors are appearing in AI answers that you're missing, and outline an integrated AEO + GEO strategy for your business.