Not long ago, getting found online mostly meant showing up on Google. You’d fight for your spot on that first page, hoping someone would click your link instead of your competitor’s.
But things are changing fast. People now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or voice tools like Siri and Alexa for direct answers. They don’t want a list of websites. They want the tool to pick the best business for them.
If your business does not show up as that answer, you are invisible.
That is where Answer Engine Optimization comes in.
So what is Answer Engine Optimization really about
Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is how you get your business to appear when someone asks AI for advice.
Instead of trying to be number one on Google’s list of links, you want to be the actual business these tools name when people ask who is best or most trusted nearby.
Think about how you use AI yourself. If you ask who is the top electrician in your city and it gives you a name, you probably go straight to calling them. That is exactly how your potential customers think too.
Why does this matter more than ever
AI tools are quickly becoming the first stop for people looking to hire.
Someone might say to their phone, find me the best electrician near me or ask ChatGPT who is a reliable plumber around here. The AI gives them a name and that is often the end of their search.
They do not browse through dozens of websites. They trust the answer and move on.
If your business is not the one that AI chooses to recommend, you lose that customer without even knowing they were looking.
How do you actually get picked by AI
This is the part most business owners miss.
It is not about tricking the system or stuffing your website with keywords. AI tools look for clear, helpful signals that show you are trustworthy and know your work.
A lot of the groundwork is the same as good old-fashioned SEO. You still need a site that loads fast, looks great on a phone, and explains exactly what you do. But for AEO, you go a step further. You build your site to give AI the confidence to pick you as the best answer.
Write content that answers real questions
AI tools are trained to look for pages that directly solve people’s problems.
Think about what your customers actually ask you.
How much does a switchboard upgrade cost. Can you install energy-saving LED lights in an older home. How long does a full house rewire usually take.
Write short, clear sections on your website that tackle these topics. Use simple language. The easier it is for AI to pull a confident answer from your site, the more likely it will be to recommend you.
Make your local signals loud and clear
AI does not just want to know what you do. It wants to know exactly where you do it and who trusts you there.
Use your city and the suburbs you serve naturally in your website text. Make sure your address and phone number are front and center.
Even better, show off reviews from local customers. That tells AI you are the trusted local choice, not just another generic business.
Use structured data so AI reads you right
Structured data is a simple bit of hidden code on your site that tells AI exactly who you are. It lays out your business name, address, phone number, services, and even hours in a format machines love.
This makes it much easier for tools like Google, ChatGPT, and Gemini to understand what your business is all about.
If your web person does not know how to add structured data, they are behind. It is a basic now, not a fancy extra.
What does this mean for your business right now
In 2025, it is not enough to rank somewhere on Google. You want to be the business AI trusts enough to name directly when someone asks who to hire.
That means your website cannot just look pretty. It needs to load quickly, work perfectly on a phone, show exactly what you do and where you do it, and prove you are both skilled and trusted.
Because if your site does not give AI the signals it needs, your competitors will. You will never even know you were skipped.
Ready to see if your website is set up to be picked by AI? Get in touch with us today. We would love to take a look and give you honest, no-pressure feedback on how to make sure your business is the one these tools recommend.
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