Redoor
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) was ‘the thing’ in the age of stand-alone do-nothing websites.
But now it’s finally seeing a twilight as Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) comes into view as the real answer to getting online attention.
Let me explain.
SEO was always a bit of a myth. A whole industry of consultants, trainers and practitioners sprung up to explain how it worked to feed more traffic to your website using things like metadata and optimised websites. The trouble is that the way Google runs its search algorithms, changes constantly and is actually top secret.
The simple and obvious truth is that Google search rewards websites with traffic (Page Rank) if it thinks they’re worth it, in other words, interesting.
How do they know it’s interesting? It has to be dynamic – has regular posting of fresh content – and attracts lots of back-links.
Oddly enough, few websites achieve these ideals because as stand-alone islands, it’s always been easier to use social media and email to post dynamically, rather than bother with it in a website.
This also explains why most people treat their website as an unloved ‘must have’. Most of the concern is about cheap and easy set-up where self-styled drop-and-drag design creates little more than a digital business card…. optimised for SEO.
That all has to change with AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) because AI-driven platforms now prioritise direct, conversational answers over traditional search rankings. As users shift from search engines to chat interfaces, website must have up-to-date and relevant content, and that content must be optimised for natural language and semantic relevance – less about keywords and metadata.
Unlike SEO, which aims to drive clicks from search results, AEO focuses on being the final answer surfaced directly by AI engines - no click required.
As it happens, hyperconnected Flightdec websites are not isolated islands, but naturally encourage dynamic posting and automatic back-links, always without the possibility of broken links. While that happened to address the real needs of SEO, it is now even more relevant in the new age of AEO.
You can contact Fraser here.
Fraser Carson is the founding partner of Wellington-based Flightdec.com. Flightdec’s kaupapa is to challenge the status quo of the internet to give access to more reliable and valuable citizen generated content, and to improve connectivity and collaboration.
Flightdec websites include: KnowThis.nz, Issues.co.nz and Inhub.org.nz.
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