AI is ringing in 2026 louder than any noise the PR and Marketing industry has heard in years. How we utilize AI in our overall strategy is at the top of the list for many of our New Year’s resolutions. When it comes to resolutions, there’s an old one that’s more relevant now than ever in our industry…“out with the old, in with the new!”
For AI, that means “out with the old SEO and in with the new AEO!” Answer Engine Optimization, commonly referred to as AEO, is the practice of creating your own content to drive AI search engine audiences directly to your information. Where SEO relies on your use of keywords to achieve search engine rankings, AEO makes you the “source” through detailed, long form, synthesized responses. We’ve all seen Google’s emphasis on this with their placement of AI queries at the top of the page. So an effective AEO strategy is critical to start 2026 off right. What are some immediate tactics you can incorporate to achieve successful AEO?
-
Be The Source! Create original content on your site, whether that’s in blog posts, news releases, multimedia, etc. This will drive AI to cite your news and information directly from you, not through a 3rd party source.
-
Multimedia, Multimedia, Multimedia - Google loves videos, podcasts, and images, and often includes those assets in AI searches. Including your original multimedia content keeps your audiences interested.
-
Data & Research - Content that includes confirmed statistics, infographics, and cited research provides validation for AI queries. Your website content should be full of interesting and insightful data that draws audiences to you.
These are just a few AEO tactics I recommend this year that hopefully place your content at the top of the search page and create greater engagement with your targeted audiences. If you need more information on AI and its potential impact on your PR and Marketing strategy, my team at iPR Software is here to help.
Wishing you all the best in 2026!
JD Bowles
