What is the difference between SEO and AEO?

SEO focuses on optimizing for traditional search engine rankings, while Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) prepares content for AI-generated responses from tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews. While SEO targets a blue link on a page, AEO aims to provide direct, structured answers that AI can easily extract. This shift requires brands to move from simple keyword matching to establishing true entity authority.