Yes. SEO and AEO can work together and, especially in Google Search, there is substantial overlap: core SEO best practices still apply to AI Overviews and AI Mode, with no special AI schema, separate AI file, or AI-only content required. AEO mainly adds a different way of checking public information and measuring visibility across AI-assisted experiences.
What do SEO and AEO share?
The overlap is particularly clear in Google Search, but you should not assume that every AI system works the same way.
For a page to be eligible as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode, it must be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a snippet. Google sets no additional technical requirements specifically for these features.
So the following remain important:
- allowing important pages to be crawled,
- sound technical performance,
- useful and reliable content for people,
- clear information about services, products, or topics,
- clear site structure and internal linking.
This is meaningful overlap between SEO and AEO. You do not need a second version of the website for AI.
Where do they differ?
The main difference lies more in what you check and what you measure than in creating two entirely different types of content.
Main focus
- SEO: How pages are found and perform in search
- AEO: How complete, accurate, and verifiable the public information is when someone asks a question to an AI or in an AI-powered search
Common data
- SEO: impressions, clicks, queries, average position, and organic traffic
- AEO: Generative AI report in Search Console for Google's AI features, stable control questions for other AI systems, sources/links shown, and visits from AI sources where they can be measured
What is not guaranteed
- SEO: a specific position or click
- AEO: appearance, mention, citation, or recommendation from AI
AEO does not mean the goal is to "become the source the AI recommends." It is more useful to check whether the information a reliable answer needs is publicly available, accurate, and consistent across sources.
For example:
"I'm looking for an accounting firm in Kozani for a sole proprietorship. Which firms publicly state that they support myDATA, and what can I check before getting in touch?"
For a question like this, it matters that there is public and correct information about services, area, contact details, and relevant pages — regardless of whether the user starts from Google Search, ChatGPT, or another service.
You can see the detailed comparison in how AEO and SEO differ.
Do you have to choose SEO or AEO?
No.
There is no reason to stop a sound SEO strategy because you also want to evaluate AI systems. In Google Search, AI Overviews and AI Mode do not have separate SEO technical requirements.
That does not mean every task labelled "AEO" automatically helps SEO, or vice versa. Each change should have a clear purpose.
For example, you do not need to:
- rewrite all your content just "for AI,"
- add schema simply because you are doing AEO,
- create an FAQ on every page,
- build a separate version of the same content for every AI system.
For Google, no special structured data is required for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Structured data still has value when it is correct, matches the visible content, and serves a specific Search feature, but it is not a prerequisite for these AI features.
The same applies to special files such as llms.txt: Google has clarified that they are not needed for Google Search and do not positively or negatively affect visibility or rankings. They may still be used by other services, but they are not a Google requirement.
If you want more on using them correctly, see the guide on schema markup and AEO.
Where do you start if you already have SEO?
You do not need to start over from scratch.
First, keep what already works and then check:
-
What real questions do your customers ask?
Not just keywords, but complete questions they would ask on Google or an AI system. -
Is the information needed to answer them publicly available?
Services, location, prices where they can be published, terms, specializations, contact details, and other critical information. -
Is the information consistent with itself?
Check the website and the important external sources, such as professional profiles or directories. -
Are there real technical gaps?
Fix crawling, indexing, or structured data problems where they actually exist. Do not add technical solutions just because they carry the "AEO" label. -
Can you measure what changes?
For Google's AI features, use the Generative AI report in Search Console. For other AI systems, keep a stable set of real questions and monitor the sources or links that appear and the visits from AI sources where they can be measured.
If you want the general framework first, see what AEO is.
If you want us to look at your own case, we start from your existing SEO, your customers' real questions, and the public information that exists today.
No SEO or AEO practice guarantees a specific position in Google, nor appearance, citation, mention, or recommendation in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, or another AI system.