If you caught my recent LinkedIn post, I’ve been sounding the alarm on SEO and search’s fading dominance. Not because it’s irrelevant, but because the game is changing fast.

For years, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been the foundation of digital discovery. But we’re entering the age of Google Zero—a world where fewer clicks make it past the search results page. Google’s tools (Maps, embedded widgets, AI Overviews) are now hogging the spotlight. And here’s the latest signal: In April, Apple’s Eddy Cue said that Safari saw its first-ever drop in search queries via the URL bar. That’s huge. Safari is the default browser for iPhones and commands over half of U.S. mobile browser traffic. A dip here means a real shift in how people are asking questions.

I’ve felt it in my habits. I still use Google, but I’ve started using Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Claude to ask my questions. It’s not about keywords anymore, it’s about answers. That brings us to a rising idea: AEO — Answer Engine Optimization.

Just like SEO helped businesses get found by Google, AEO is about getting found by AI. Tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT now crawl the open web to synthesize responses. If your content isn’t surfacing in that layer, you’re invisible to the next generation of search.

It’s not perfect—yet. For something like a recipe, the AI might not cite you at all. But for anything involving a recommendation or purchase decision, it matters a lot.

Take this example: I was recently looking for alternatives to QuickBooks. In the past, I’d Google it and skim through some SEO-packed roundup articles. Now? I start with Perplexity or ChatGPT. Both gave me actual product suggestions, citing sources from review sites, Reddit threads, and open web content. The experience felt more tailored. More direct.

If you sell anything—whether it’s a SaaS product, a service, or a physical item this is the new front door. It’s not just about ranking on Google anymore. It’s about being visible to the large language models that shape what users see when they ask.

So, you’re probably asking. How do you optimize for an answer engine? The truth is, the rules are still emerging. But here’s what we know so far:
• Perplexity leans on Bing. It uses Microsoft’s search infrastructure in the background. So your Bing SEO might matter more than you think.
• Sources are visible. Perplexity shows where it pulled info from—Reddit, Clutch, Bench, review sites, etc. If your product is listed or mentioned there, you’ve got a shot.
• Wikipedia still rules. Most AI models treat it as a trusted source. If your business isn’t listed—or your page is thin—you’re missing an easy credibility signal.

But the biggest move you can make?
Start asking AI tools what they know about you.

Try it. Ask ChatGPT or Perplexity: “What are the top alternatives to [your product]?” or “What is [your business] known for?” See what surfaces. That answer tells you what the AI thinks is true. And just like with Google, you can shape that reality by shaping the sources it learns from.

This shift won’t happen overnight. But it’s already happening.
Don’t just optimize for search. Optimize for answers.