Traditional SEO feels like a relic. We’ve been trained to chase rankings with keyword checklists, and it shows.
As executive coach and content marketing pro Kathryn Aragon explains in a recent interview with Encore360, “We have this very rigid way of thinking about SEO… it’s a checklist.” Today’s discovery landscape demands a new mindset: AI-Optimized SEO (AIO).
Defining AIO vs. SEO
Old-school SEO is about “learning the rules of Google … hack the system, game it,” Kathryn explains.
In contrast, AIO recognizes that “Google is no longer the only AI that’s visiting our websites.”
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and similar tools don’t just drop users on a page. That’s wishful thinking bases on clicks as a KPI. Instead, those tools “summarize that answer” directly. So, what’s a business to do?
Crafting AI-Ready Content
To win in AI search, your content must be answer-first:
Quick Wins to Get Started
- Repurpose Your Top Post: Turn your best-performing blog into an FAQ-style page. Add a “Key Takeaway” box at the top for easy AI extraction.
- Add Authority Signals: Embed two or three expert quotes and link to reputable sources.
- Monitor AI Referrals: Watch for traffic from platforms like Perplexity—those clicks are your new keyword reports.
Final Thought
SEO is no longer a checklist. It’s about being the best answer.
As Kathryn says, “We’re not optimizing for keywords, we’re optimizing for answers.”
Start reshaping your content today, and AI will do the rest.
