The short answer
AEO is making sure AI search engines can find you, identify you correctly, and confidently recommend you. The work is mostly about clarity: clear identity, clear specialties, clear proof, and consistent information across every place you appear online.
What's different from SEO
- SEO ranks pages. AEO answers questions. You don't need to rank #1 — you need to be the source the AI cites.
- SEO rewards keywords. AEO rewards entities — clearly identified people, places, and businesses.
- SEO is one search engine. AEO is many: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews. Each pulls slightly different sources.
What to fix this month
1. Make your identity unmistakable
If there are five agents with your name, AI doesn't know which is you. Add city, brokerage, license number, and specialty to every bio — the same way, everywhere.
2. Add structured data to your website
JSON-LD schema for Person and LocalBusiness/RealEstateAgent. Most agent website builders support this; if yours doesn't, that's a signal to switch.
3. Build an FAQ page
Direct, clear answers to the questions your buyers actually ask. AI loves Q&A format because it maps cleanly to "what's the answer to X?"
4. Get cited on third-party sites
AI trusts sources. Brokerage profile, Zillow profile, local press, podcast appearances, guest posts. The more authoritative places confirm who you are, the higher your confidence score.
5. Use consistent NAP (name, address, phone)
The exact same formatting everywhere. AI penalizes inconsistency by lowering confidence.
6. Write content that answers questions
"Best neighborhoods for first-time buyers in {{city}}" beats "About Me" every time. Aim for one substantive answer-shaped article per month.
What hurts your AEO
- AI-generated content that sounds generic.
- Inconsistent name/title/phone across platforms.
- Empty "About" pages.
- Placeholder testimonials that look fake.
- Old websites with no schema.
FAQ
Do I need a developer to do this?
For schema, usually yes — or a website builder that supports it natively. The content work is on you.
How long until AEO results show up?
Faster than SEO. AI systems update frequently, so consistent identity work pays back within weeks, not months.
Will SEO still matter?
Yes — but it's increasingly a subset of AEO. The same fundamentals (clear content, trust signals, structured data) serve both.
David Colgan teaches AEO and AI workflows to real estate teams. See the AI training program →