In this conversation, Julien Lopez breaks down the rapid evolution of AI and its growing impact on digital marketing, focusing on the widening gap between traditional SEO and AEO (AI-Enhanced Optimization). He explains why agency owners are being forced to adapt quickly, how AI is reshaping search rankings, and why legacy SEO tactics are losing effectiveness in an AI-driven landscape.

The discussion explores the role of data analysis in understanding how AI evaluates brands, why link building is becoming less relevant, and how topical relevance and brand consensus are now central to visibility. Julien also highlights the strategic importance of collaboration among competitors, reverse-engineering AI queries, and building high-quality content ecosystems that AI can recognize, trust, and recommend.

Takeaways:

AI is evolving rapidly, outpacing traditional decoding methods.

Agency owners must adapt to survive in the changing landscape.

AEO represents a significant shift from traditional SEO practices.

Data analysis is crucial for understanding AI’s impact on search rankings.

Brands need to focus on building consensus to be recognized by AI.

Link building is becoming less relevant in the age of AI.

AI tools prioritize topical relevance over traditional SEO tactics.

Collaborative efforts among competitors can enhance brand visibility.

Brands should reverse engineer queries to understand AI preferences.

Creating high-quality content is essential for brand recognition in AI.

Sound bites:

"Agency owners have been eaten alive."

"AEO is the call."

"This isn't SEO at all."

Chapters

00:00 Podcast Production Strategies

04:07 AI's Impact on Search Engines

11:40 SEO vs AEO: Understanding the Differences

18:18 Building Brand Consensus in the AI Era

24:35 Collaborative Strategies for Brand Growth

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast.com

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at https://paretotalent.com

#AI #AEO #SEO #DigitalMarketing

#AgencyOwners #SearchRankings

#BrandStrategy #DataAnalysis

#MarketingTrends #TopicalAuthority

#AIOptimization #FutureOfMarketing

#Collaboration #AEOPodcast

In this conversation, Kasim and Julian explore the emerging field of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and why it is fundamentally different from traditional SEO. They discuss the rapid shift from search engines to answer engines, the growing influence of AI in digital marketing, and how these changes are redefining online visibility.

The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding user behavior, the role of natural language processing in bridging users and machines, and why authority and expertise are critical for success in AEO. They also highlight the rise of zero-click searches, the impact of AI-driven recommendations, and why content must be optimized for deeper understanding rather than simple keyword matching. Ultimately, they frame AEO as a paradigm shift that businesses must embrace to stay competitive in an AI-driven future.

Takeaways:

AEO is fundamentally different from SEO.

The shift from search to answer engines is significant.

User behavior is changing with AI-driven tools.

Businesses must adapt to remain relevant in AEO.

Natural language processing bridges the gap between users and machines.

Authority and expertise are crucial in AEO.

Zero-click searches are becoming more prevalent.

AI recommendations rely on data analysis and user preferences.

Content must be optimized for deeper understanding, not just keywords.

The future of search will be driven by AI agents.

Sound bites:

"AEO is not SEO."

"AEO is a race right now."

"This is a paradigm shift."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:22 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

00:22 The Role of Natural Language in AI Search

23:16 NEWCHAPTER

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast

. com

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at https://paretotalent.com/

Hashtags

#AEO #AnswerEngineOptimization #SEO #AI

#DigitalMarketing #ContentStrategy

#UserBehavior #NaturalLanguageProcessing

#OnlineVisibility #DataAnalysis

#ZeroClickSearch #FutureOfSearch

#AIRecommendations #AEOPodcast

In this conversation, Kasim and Julian explore the evolving landscape of AI search and its impact on optimization, introducing Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) as a new paradigm that goes beyond traditional SEO. They explain how AI now acts as an intermediary in the search process and why understanding this shift is critical for anyone working in digital marketing.

The discussion dives into prompting as a mechanism of focus rather than discovery, the long-term relationship between time and trust in AI-driven results, and the growing reality of zero-click SEO. They also emphasize the importance of topical authority, the unpredictability of AI behavior, and why impressions in AI environments don’t translate to clicks the same way they do in classic search. Ultimately, they highlight the need for businesses to adapt their content optimization strategies to thrive in an AI-first digital landscape.

Takeaways:

AEO is the new frontier in digital marketing.

AI acts as an intermediary in search processes.

Prompting in AI is about focusing rather than digging.

Trust in AI is built over time and experience.

Zero-click SEO represents a paradigm shift in measurement.

Topical authority is crucial for visibility in AI results.

AI behavior can be unpredictable and requires adaptation.

Impressions in AI do not equate to clicks as in traditional SEO.

Businesses must evolve to remain relevant in AI-driven environments.

No-click content optimization is a strategy for future engagement.

Sound bites:

"Prompting is a limit."

"Time equals trust."

"The money's in the list."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:22 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

01:08 The Evolution of Search and AI Interaction

10:57 Understanding Generative Engine Optimization

20:10 Search Generative Experience: A New Paradigm

24:41 Zero Click SEO: The Changing Landscape

28:43 The Importance of Topical Authority

33:23 The Philosophical Implications of AI

37:28 The Future of Search: Google vs. AI

41:01 The Need for AEO in Modern Marketing

44:42 No Click Content Optimization: A New Strategy

49:33 The Role of Natural Language in AI Search

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast.com

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at paretotalent.com

#AEO #AI #AISearch #AnswerEngineOptimization

#SEO #GenerativeAI #DigitalMarketing

#TopicalAuthority #ContentOptimization

#ZeroClickSEO #SearchEvolution #FutureOfSearch

#AITrust #MarketingStrategy #AEOPodcast

In this conversation, Kasim and Julian dive into the complexities of AI, AEO, and SEO, exploring the current limitations of AI in understanding user context and how that impacts search results. They discuss why schema remains essential for visibility, how citations help track user engagement, and why reporting in the AEO ecosystem continues to be one of the biggest challenges in digital marketing.

The conversation also breaks down the role of crawling and fetching in AI content sourcing, the importance of focusing on a single clear KPI, and why branded searches are becoming a powerful metric for measuring impact. As the landscape of digital marketing evolves, they emphasize the need for businesses to understand user behavior, adjust their strategies, and communicate progress effectively in an environment where traditional metrics no longer apply.

Takeaways:

AI has limitations in understanding user context.

Schema plays a crucial role in SEO and AEO visibility.

Reporting on AEO results is challenging and often flawed.

Branded searches can serve as a key performance indicator.

User engagement can be tracked through citation clicks.

Crawling and fetching are essential for AI content sourcing.

Businesses need to focus on one key performance indicator.

The landscape of digital marketing is constantly evolving.

Understanding user behavior is critical for success.

Effective communication of progress is essential in marketing.

Sound bites:

"Schema is what allows for visibility."

"You can't report on this shit at all."

"Branded search might be the KPI."

Chapters

00:00 Understanding AI's Limitations and Potential

02:08 The Challenge of Reverse Engineering AI Responses

04:09 The Importance of Schema in SEO and AEO

06:33 Navigating Reporting Challenges in AEO

09:57 Tracking User Engagement and Citation Clicks

12:40 The Role of Crawling and Fetching in AI

16:11 Exploring Reporting Options and Brand Metrics

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast

. com

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at paretotalent .com

#AI #AEO #SEO #Schema #DigitalMarketing

#Citations #UserEngagement #BrandMetrics

#Reporting #SearchVisibility #TechSEO

#AIContent #SearchEcosystem #MarketingStrategy

#FutureOfSEO #AEOPodcast

In this conversation, Kasim and Julian dive deep into the world of voice schema, breaking down why it’s becoming essential in the era of AI-driven search and digital marketing. They explore the importance of schema markup as the common language that allows AI and search engines to understand content, and explain how the SameAs tag helps establish clear online identity across platforms.

The discussion also introduces the emerging concept of speakable schema, highlighting its growing relevance as voice-first interfaces become the norm. They unpack the technical requirements for implementing schema correctly—especially the need for static HTML—and outline why quality schema is now directly tied to visibility, citations, and long-term AI compliance. With only a small percentage of websites currently using voice schema, they stress the urgency of adopting these standards early and leveraging community resources to learn and stay ahead.

Takeaways:

Voice schema is crucial for AI visibility.

Schema markup is a common language for search engines.

The SameAs tag helps disambiguate identities online.

Speakable schema is essential for voice-first interfaces.

Schema must be implemented in static HTML for effectiveness.

Quality of schema directly affects search engine citations.

Only a small percentage of websites utilize voice schema.

AI relies on schema to understand content relationships.

Future interfaces will prioritize voice interactions.

Community resources are available for learning about schema.

Sound bites:

"Schema is the program for your content."

"85% of sites have valid schema."

"Only 12% of websites have valid schema."

"Join the community for free resources."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AEO and Voice Schema

03:01 Understanding Schema Markup

06:00 The Importance of SameAs Tag

09:12 Exploring Speakable Schema

11:46 Technical Implementation of Schema

14:54 The Future of Schema and AI Compliance

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast

. com

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at paretotalent .com

Hashtags

#AEO #SchemaMarkup #VoiceSchema #SpeakableSchema

#SEO #DigitalMarketing #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

#SameAsTag #Citations #TechSEO #SearchVisibility

#AICompliance #FutureOfSEO #CommunityLearning

In this conversation, Julian Lopez and Kasim discuss the evolution of SEO into AEO, the importance of schema markup, and how AI is transforming the future of decision-making and digital marketing. They explore how AI enhances user experience, reduces decision fatigue, and why trust in AI is becoming a key factor in modern online behavior.

The discussion also dives into e-commerce, robotics, and the increasing need for businesses to adapt to these changes now. They highlight how AI will soon understand our preferences better than we do, how English has become the most important language for prompting AI, and why community learning is essential as new technologies emerge.

Takeaways:

Start now with answer engine optimization; education is free.

You don't need to know code, just how to prompt AI.

English is the most important language for prompting AI.

AI can provide better schema strategies than humans.

Trust in AI builds over time with positive experiences.

Decision fatigue is a real issue; AI can help mitigate it.

AI will know our preferences better than we do.

The future will see AI-powered recommendations becoming the norm.

Robotics will enhance AI capabilities in everyday tasks.

Businesses must adapt to AI and robotics to stay competitive.

Sound bites:

"Start now, you have no excuse."

"Trusting AI is a big unlock."

"We're going to help you."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Workshop Experience

02:48 Book Success and Community Engagement

05:29 The Importance of SEO and AEO

08:06 AI and Prompt Engineering Insights

10:45 Decision Fatigue and AI Recommendations

13:16 The Future of Robotics and AI Integration

21:30 Community Growth and Learning Opportunities

24:56 NEWCHAPTER

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast. com

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at paretotalent .com

#SEO #AEO #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SchemaMarkup

#DigitalMarketing #Ecommerce #Robotics #DecisionFatigue

#AITrust #PromptEngineering #AnswerEngineOptimization

#MarketingStrategy #FutureOfAI #TechTrends #CommunityLearning

In this episode of The AEO Show (AEOPodcast.com), Kasim Aslam and Julian López break down what it really takes to stay visible in the AI era. As ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and other answer engines reshape digital discovery, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is becoming essential for anyone who wants to stay visible online.

They explore the rapid growth of the AEO community, the importance of open-source collaboration, the creation of the AEO Blueprint, and a major industry shift: the sudden drop in Reddit citations across AI platforms. The episode also dives deep into how AI evolves—from invention, to engineering, to ubiquity—and what this means for businesses, creators, and marketers.

If you want to understand where digital visibility is actually going, this episode gives you the roadmap.

🔗 Join the free AEO community

📘 Get the AEO Blueprint ebook inside the community

🎙️ More episodes: https://AEOPodcast. com

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 — Introduction to AEO Community Growth

03:01 — The Value of Open Source Collaboration

05:57 — The AEO Blueprint and Its Importance

09:02 — The Impact of Reddit's Changes

11:50 — Perplexity vs. Other AI Platforms

15:07 — Branding and User Experience in AI

17:59 — The Innovation Process Explained

19:45 — The Evolution of AI: A Historical Perspective

21:28 — Understanding AI: Limits and Accessibility

22:26 — The Phases of Innovation: From Invention to Engineering

24:49 — The Implementer Phase: Bridging the Gap

27:17 — The Commodity Stage: Making Technology Accessible

29:49 — Standardization: The New Norm in Technology

30:39 — Ubiquity: The Future of AI and Technology

36:25 — The Call to Action: Embracing the Engineering Stage

Produced by a Pareto Talent Executive Assistant

This clip was produced by an Executive Assistant from Pareto Talent.

Hire your own world-class EA at paretotalent .com

keywords

search engines, answer engines, zero click searches, AI, digital marketing, semantic indexing, content creation, community building, commerce, user experience

summary

In this conversation, Kasim and Julian explore the evolution of search engines into answer engines, emphasizing the shift towards zero-click searches and the implications for businesses. They discuss the importance of adapting to new technologies, understanding user behavior, and leveraging platforms like YouTube for content creation. The conversation highlights the need for businesses to become sources of answers and to build communities for mutual growth in the changing digital landscape.

takeaways

• Search engines are evolving into answer engines that provide direct responses.
• Zero-click searches are becoming the norm, requiring businesses to adapt.
• AI can process complex queries faster than traditional search methods.
• Understanding technology is crucial for businesses to thrive in the new landscape.
• Creating content that answers specific questions can enhance visibility.
• YouTube is a powerful platform for reaching audiences and being cited.
• Businesses must focus on bottom-of-funnel content for better conversion rates.
• Building a community can foster collaboration and shared learning.
• The future of commerce will involve AI integrating shopping experiences.
• Adapting to changes in user behavior is essential for success.

titles

• Navigating the Universe of Information
• The Shift from Search Engines to Answer Engines

Sound Bites

• "An answer engine is an Android."
• "You will become the source for that."
• "The shift is going beyond AI chatbots."

Chapters

00:00

Navigating the Universe of Information

07:58

The Shift from Search Engines to Answer Engines

12:50

Adapting to Zero Click Searches

21:23

The Future of Commerce and AI

28:54

Building a Community for Success