Example of AEO with a prompt on Perplexity displaying a shopping image of shoes to choose from.

AEO vs SEO for Retail and Shopping: FAQs

Defining AEO vs SEO, and why product content optimization is the gift that keeps on giving in retail.

By Purva Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Lily AI

If you ask 10 CMOs whether they should be concerned about AEO, you’ll receive 10 different answers.

  • Pragmatists are concerned about zero-click search and 15-25% drops in organic traffic from Google.
  • Optimists see the opportunity to organically reach new customers in more channels.
  • Skeptics want to first agree on the same definition and ensure you’re not confusing AEO with SEO.

The skeptics aren’t wrong, either! Even the right acronym to use isn’t settled yet among marketers. A Digiday WTF are GEO and AEO explained:  “This is such a new area that currently there is no common taxonomy. So agencies, publishers, marketers and SEO specialists have adopted a bunch of different acronyms to describe the same trend – AEO, GEO and GSO for starters – and they all mean the same thing. (Not to be confused with AIO, which is Google’s AI Overviews.)”

Demystifying AEO: FAQs

“Answer Engine Optimization” is certainly a hot topic in retail, so let’s unpack some common questions: 

  1. What is AEO?
  2. Are consumers using AEO for shopping?
  3. How is AEO different than SEO?
  4. How should brands and retailers best approach AEO?

What is AEO?

First, let’s define AEO: AEO is a content strategy that optimizes digital content to provide direct, concise answers to user queries across AI-powered platforms like voice assistants, chatbots, and search engines. Unlike traditional SEO, AEO focuses on structuring content to deliver precise, zero-click answers that can be immediately extracted by AI technologies, prioritizing user intent and conversational language.

As mentioned above, another term often related to AEO is the idea of “zero-click” answers or search. Similar to featured snippets on Google, zero-click is when a satisfying answer doesn’t require clicking to a website for further information.

In the context of retail and shopping, the AEO experience feels similar to Google in many ways. When someone searches for “Best breathable, slim-fit pullover with pockets for all-day hikes?” or “Recommended durable, pet and kid friendly sectional for playroom,” those searches return product image carousels and listings with helpful, natural language explanations behind each recommendation.

With OpenAI launching a shopping experience inside of ChatGPT in April 2025, and Perplexity launching a similar shopping experience with “Buy with Pro” in November 2024, not only are these AEO experiences providing product recommendations, but purchases can actually be made directly within the platform.

Are Consumers Using AEO for Shopping?

On average, about 4/10 U.S. consumers are using Generative AI and Answer Engines for Shopping, or are relying on those results:

  • 41% have considered AI-powered search when shopping (eMarketer)
  • 4/10 U.S. consumers used AI-powered search for shopping, (Lily AI)

Lily AI 2025 Consumer Shopping Survey

What does this mean for retailers? Answer Engines open up a new channel to potentially reach more new customers, but it’s also a missed opportunity if you’re not optimizing to gain share of voice and missing out on brand and product mentions.

How is AEO different than SEO?

Fortunately, many of the same strategies that are the lifeblood of SEO are also universally beneficial for AEO. 

Let’s start with SEO. As any digital marketer or agency will tell you, SEO is dynamic as Google algorithms continuously evolve. To stay one step ahead, holistic SEO traditional strategies are built upon three core pillars:

  1. Content SEO: This includes both consumer-facing product copy and non-consumer-facing metadata and schema markup for products.
  2. Off-page SEO: Think backlink strategies, online reviews, and brand and social media mentions.
  3. Technical SEO: Core web vitals, page speed, mobile-friendliness, and site architecture, etc

In AEO, the factors are simplified. The denominator changes from three to two core pillars: Content and Off-site.

While all of these areas are important, the content aspect, particularly the “machine speak” of non-consumer-facing data on your landing pages and Product Display Pages (PDPs), is an area that brands and retailers have immediate control and can see impact quickly. 

How should brands and retailers best approach AEO?

Put simply, investing in product content has tremendous value for both AEO and SEO. Specifically, product content should be optimized for “machine speak,” including enhanced schema markup for products and meta titles and descriptions.

Mind you, content enrichment is not simply adding in a few extra keywords, or overdoing it with irrelevant keyword stuffing. Rather, Gen AI and LLMs prefer content and metadata that demonstrates a much higher bar of both quality and completeness that is both purposeful and contextual.

For example:

  • Maximum Attribute Coverage: Go beyond the basics, such as detail nuanced fit (e.g., “relaxed sleeve fit”), specific design elements (“ruched detailing at waist,” “vamp coverage” for shoes), or color families (cool vs warm or neutral tones). The more attributes, the better, as long as they are accurate and helpful (a YKK zipper is not a selling point). 
  • Description Precision: Clarify ambiguities. Eliminate misleading hypernym and hyponym traps. Is it a “sweatshirt” or a “pullover”? A “face lotion with SPF” or a “Face sunscreen”? This precision prevents misinterpretation by both users and machines. 
  • Natural Language Relevance: Think about how people ask conversational questions. Use words and phrases that reflect natural language, including more subjective descriptors, such as room setting, style, occasion, trend, etc. 

The Universal Language of Product

By investing in this level of detail for the product content on your landing pages and PDPs, you’re not just ticking boxes for algorithms. You are:

  • Enhancing SEO: Improving your chances of ranking for a wider range of specific, high-intent keywords.
  • Future-proofing for AEO: Positioning your products to be the direct answers in AI-powered search and discovery experiences.
  • Improving User Experience: Helping customers find exactly what they’re looking for, leading to higher satisfaction and conversion rates. 
  • Streamlining Operations: Well-structured data can often be repurposed for internal analytics, merchandising strategies, and even feed management for advertising platforms. 

Investing in comprehensive, structured product content for your online catalog (aka your website!) isn’t just beneficial—it’s a universally winning strategy for both traditional search engines and the AI-powered answer engines.

In other words, investing in Product Content Optimization for SEO and AEO is the gift that keeps on giving!

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