The short answer

Both matter, but for different reasons. SEO captures buyers who search and click. AEO captures buyers who ask and act. Choosing one over the other means being invisible to half your market.

The longer answer requires understanding where they overlap, where they diverge, and how the buyer’s journey has split into two parallel paths.

What SEO does that AEO cannot

SEO remains essential for:

Transactional searches. When someone searches “buy running shoes size 10”, they want to click through to a product page and purchase. AI engines are not well-suited to transactional intent; Google’s shopping results and ranked links are.

Local pack visibility. The Google Map Pack (the three businesses that appear with a map at the top of local search results) is driven by Google Business Profile optimisation and local SEO signals. AI engines do not replicate this format.

Product listings and comparison shopping. Google Shopping, product rich results, and structured comparison pages are SEO-driven. AI engines summarise rather than list products with prices and reviews.

Brand navigation. When someone searches your business name, they expect to find your website in position one. This is a basic SEO function that AEO does not address.

What AEO does that SEO cannot

AEO captures a category of buyer behaviour that traditional search does not surface:

Recommendation queries. “Who is the best SEO agency in London?” generates a shortlist from an AI engine, not a page of blue links. The businesses named in that answer receive consideration. The businesses not named do not exist in the buyer’s evaluation.

Advisory shortlisting. “Should I redesign my website or just update the content?” is a question buyers ask AI engines for guidance. The businesses referenced in the answer gain authority. Traditional search returns articles; AI search returns advice that names specific providers.

“Who should I hire?” queries. This is the fastest-growing category of AI search. The buyer has already decided they need help. They are asking the engine to narrow the field. If your business is not cited, you are not in the consideration set.

Where they overlap

The good news: approximately 70% of the work that improves SEO also improves AEO. The foundations are the same:

Structured data. Schema markup helps Google understand your pages and helps AI engines recognise your business as a distinct entity. The same implementation serves both.

Authoritative content. Comprehensive, specific, well-structured content ranks better in Google and gets cited more frequently by AI engines. Thin content fails both.

Entity recognition. Consistent naming, descriptions, and categorisation across your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, and industry directories strengthens both your Google rankings and your AI citation rate.

Technical performance. A fast, accessible, well-structured website is easier for both Google’s crawler and AI engine crawlers to read and index.

This overlap is why the best approach is a single methodology that addresses both, not two separate workstreams.

The budget split question

For most UK businesses in 2026, the right allocation is approximately:

70% shared foundations. Technical SEO, structured data, content depth, and authority building. This work benefits both channels simultaneously.

20% SEO-specific. Keyword-targeted content, internal linking optimisation, Google Business Profile management, and local SEO signals.

10% AEO-specific. AI engine auditing, llms.txt implementation, citation accuracy monitoring, and structured content specifically designed for AI consumption (clear entity descriptions, FAQ schemas, correction statements).

This ratio shifts toward AEO as AI search adoption grows. By the end of 2026, a 60/25/15 split may be more appropriate for businesses in advisory and professional services sectors where recommendation queries dominate.

Why “AEO instead of SEO” is the wrong framing

The common question, “should I do AEO or SEO?”, misunderstands both. They are not competing approaches. They are two views of the same problem: how do you become visible to buyers when they are deciding who to contact?

Some buyers search Google. Some ask ChatGPT. Many do both. A business optimised only for Google is invisible to the growing segment that asks AI engines first. A business optimised only for AI engines misses the majority of search traffic that still flows through traditional results.

The Qyliq methodology measures both because both matter. The quarterly evidence cycle reports on Google ranking positions and AI citation rates, giving you a complete picture of your visibility.

A practical timeline if you have done neither

If your business has no SEO or AEO work in place, here is the recommended sequence:

Month 1: Foundations. Technical audit, structured data implementation, Google Business Profile optimisation, and a baseline AI citation audit. This is what a Tell us about your business produces.

Months 2 to 3: Content and structure. Service pages rewritten with search intent, FAQ sections added, internal linking built out. This work serves both SEO and AEO.

Months 4 to 6: Authority and measurement. Content marketing, third-party profile consistency, and the first quarterly re-measurement. By now you have enough data to see what is moving.

Months 7 to 12: Refinement. Double down on what is working. Shift budget toward whichever channel (Google or AI) is producing more enquiries for your business. The data, not theory, should drive allocation.

For a full breakdown of what AEO is and how it works, see What is Answer Engine Optimisation?. For Generative Engine Optimisation specifically, see our GEO guide.

To see both channels measured together in a real engagement, read our case study on a UK executive-reputation advisory.