Organic search is always undergoing changes to how it works, but, more recently, users have been completely changing the mediums they use to find information. Google still dominates with roughly 90% of the market share, but a new category of tools is capturing user attention: AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's own Gemini. These answer engines are challenging to optimize for because, unlike traditional search engines, they provide responses and give answers directly to users without requiring a click through to a new website.
While these platforms are unlikely to fully replace traditional search engines like Bing, Google, and Yahoo!, it is essential for digital marketers and businesses with any online presence to understand how they work and how they can optimize their content for AI search.
Answer engines are fundamentally different from traditional search engines because of the nature of the responses they provide. When searching for information through an answer engine, a direct answer to the user’s question is provided rather than just a list of websites, removing many opportunities for traffic to flow to a business’s website.
However, this doesn’t mean businesses shouldn’t be worried about trying to compete in this new market. Answer engines typically link out to the sources they pull from to generate their response, meaning businesses and websites can be directly referenced within the answer to the search query.
Answer engines allow you to become the entire answer, not just part of the search results.
So, how do ChatGPT and other answer engines work to provide these answers? Most answer engines fall under one of two categories to find info for their answer generation:
Pre-Trained Generative AI: A pre-trained engine references provided documents and data and recognizes patterns in what it already knows, rather than finding new information, which helps with speed but can lead to inaccuracies. This is essentially an advanced version of predictive text generation models that are extremely useful for content creation.
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): Models using a RAG method actively search in real time to find information to synthesize new answers. These engines directly cite their sources and only need to be fact-checked as much as the cited source. These engines have the advantage of up-to-date information but lack in speed and tone, sometimes lacking the ability to create human-like, conversational content at a quick pace.
Traditional search engines tend to rank websites based on authority and content relevance to search queries, while answer engines tend to favor content that is easy to access, understand, and cite due to the way they extract information for users. Because of this, a different content strategy is required to rank well on this new generation of search results.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a chatbot created by OpenAI with a vast knowledge base and an ability to engage in human-like conversations. ChatGPT is pre-trained and is an extremely quick and consistent option for content creation, general questions, and more. Many people use quick chatbots like ChatGPT to find local businesses providing services they're looking for without having to do the research themselves.
PerplexityAI
Perplexity is one of the top RAG-style engines, which generally makes it an extremely accurate and useful engine for prompts that require the most recent and accurate information. Research, fact-checking, and comparisons are suited best to this kind of engine rather than a traditional pre-trained model.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini is Google’s answer to other answer engines. Not only is Gemini a standalone AI chatbot with similar features to ChatGPT, but it’s also integrated into the Google Suite for ease of use within Google Docs and Sheets. Google’s traditional search engine’s new AI Overview feature also uses a speed-optimized version of Gemini to create quick answers to users’ queries while using Google like they normally would.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is powered by the same Large Language Model (LLM) that ChatGPT runs on. Similar to Gemini, it is integrated into the Microsoft Suite and can be used within programs like Word, Outlook, and Excel. This makes it extremely convenient for businesses that already use these programs to integrate into their procedures.
ChatGPT remains the dominant answer engine and is a household name at this point, holding over 60% of the AI Search market share. Microsoft and Google are not far behind, and this is because these 3 tend to be the fastest and most accessible chatbots to those looking for quick answers.
Answer Engine Optimization focuses on structuring and optimizing website content so that it has the best chance of being referenced directly in responses to user search queries. The goal is to create clear, authoritative content that AI platforms can easily understand, trust, and cite when generating answers.
While traditional SEO aims to rank website pages higher in search results, AEO aims to make your content the definitive answer that AI platforms present directly to users. Some strategies are shared between the two mediums, while some are very different.
The convergence of several trends makes AEO essential:
AI engines tend to favor the following types of content because it is easy for them to understand and extract information that is immediately helpful to users:
Don't Abandon Traditional SEO: AEO builds on SEO fundamentals. Strong SEO creates the foundation for AEO success; they work together to create a strong organic presence.
Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Don't create thin content just to target questions. Quality, depth, and genuine expertise matter more than ever. Most of AEO vs. SEO comes down to formatting, not dumbing down content.
Don't Ignore User Intent: Answer engines are great at understanding intent. Content must genuinely satisfy the user's underlying need; this is extremely similar to traditional SEO!
It is essential to integrate AEO best practices into existing SEO procedures because AI Search is a market that’s only going to grow. At Sokal, we are working to ensure our content ranks well on both search engines and AI answer engines.
This involves following the best practices found in this article, but also performing research to ensure we don’t miss out on any trends or changes in how these LLMs perceive content. Our team regularly attends conferences, researches new statistics and articles, and tests new tracking tools to make sure our clients are featured in common AI chatbot responses.
Online search is evolving faster than ever, and AI-powered answer engines are at the forefront. While traditional SEO remains important, Answer Engine Optimization is no longer optional—it’s a critical part of ensuring your content remains visible and authoritative in this new environment. By structuring content for extractability, answering real user questions, and staying up-to-date with AI trends, Sokal is at the center of this new landscape.
We understand the nuances of both SEO and AEO and are working to help dealerships maintain their already existing digital presence but also become the definitive source that answer engines cite directly. By integrating these strategies, we help our clients stay ahead of the curve, ensuring their content reaches car buyers whether they’re searching on Google, chatting with ChatGPT, or exploring information through the next generation of AI platforms. The future of search is here—and with the right strategy, your content can be at the forefront.
Sources: Firstpagesage, Seranking, Link-Assistant
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