WHAT IS AI SEO/AIO AND WHY IS IT IMPORANT?

Search is changing. Fast.

And it’s up to marketers, content writers, SEO specialists, and web developers to keep up, through the many shapes and forms that it takes.

The latest and greatest update in search? AI SEO or AIO.

As some of you may have already guessed, this stands for Artificial Intelligence Search Engine Optimisation, and to put it simply, it the act of optimising your site and content to appear on AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.

For years, SEO has been solely about ranking on search engines like Google for the keywords and phrases that will drive traffic (and ultimately revenue) to your site and business, but users’ tools and intents have changed, and as with all areas of marketing, we must look where our audience is and develop our strategies from there.

This blog will help you understand what AI SEO is, why it’s important, how it differs from traditional SEO, and how you can prepare for it.

WHY IS AI SEO IMPORTANT?

Today ChatGPT alone handles a whopping 2.5 Billion searches every single day, that’s right, every single day.

That’s an enormous market of searches and opportunities that you’re missing out on if your website and content aren’t optimised for AI engines and LLMs (Language Learning Models).

And enquiries through AI platforms have more than doubled in the last year, so the statistics show that this will only continue to grow, making either more successful leads for your business or more missed opportunities.

Think about it, have you used Artificial Intelligence to search for anything ever? Where do you think it’s drawing its content and answers from, it doesn’t just pluck it from thin air; no, much like traditional search engines, it scours the web looking for the most useful and accurate answers to your question.

And where do you think it looks first?

That’s right, like a moth to a flame, it looks where it’s been told to look, where content has been made more accessible and understandable for it, where the site has been optimised for this specific reason.

And here’s the kicker: visitors coming through AI search results are often more ready to buy or take action because the AI is surfacing you as a trusted option. That means higher conversion potential than some traditional search traffic.

Google still blows all other competitors out of the water with a jaw-dropping 13+ Billion searches daily, indicating that by no means is ‘traditional SEO dead’ like some AI bro agencies will convince you, but they are both essential for driving higher and more intent-accurate users to your site.

AI VS TRADITIONAL SEO - WHAT’S MORE EFFECTIVE?

At their core, both AIO and SEO share the same foundation: search engines (and AI tools) use crawlers to scan, categorise, and understand your website. But here’s where things shift:

• Traditional SEO: Optimises for predictable search results (Google ranking pages, SERPs).

• AI SEO (AIO): Optimises for generative AI outputs, which can change depending on how someone phrases a question — and often cite different sources each time.

The good news?

If you’ve been doing SEO well, you’re already halfway there. The basics still apply: clear site structure, useful content, keywords, backlinks, and strong technical foundations. But AIO takes it further by focusing on visibility in conversational AI and ensuring your brand is a reliable source AI engines want to pull from.

The biggest difference comes when looking at effectiveness and the difference in results between AIO and SEO.

According to Ahrefs - AI search accounts for only 0.5% of site traffic but produces 12.1% (23x more than traditional channels) of signups.
Taken at face value, you’d be forgiven for thinking AIO isn’t even worth looking at if traditional SEO makes up more than 99.5% of site traffic, but when you consider the proportion of signups from this, it paints a bit of a clearer picture of the symbiotic relationship of optimising for both factors.

PRACTICAL WAYS TO IMPROVE AI VISIBILITY

Despite how often you hear the word AI thrown around whether in the office, at home, or in a discussion with your father in law on the imminent threat of world domination from robot warriors, we are still in the very early stages of AI adoption, and this is good, for you.

Becoming an early adopter and innovative optimiser for AI in the early stages, allows your website to get a head start in strategically climbing your way up the rungs of the ‘relatively small’ AI search ladder. So don’t wait until your barber’s friend’s dog is preaching on making your site accessible for artificial intelligence, start making practical, low-effort improvements today.

Here’s how businesses (yes, even small ones) can start making AIO part of their strategy:

• Strengthen SEO fundamentals
  Clear navigation, updated metadata, fast loading speeds, keyword-rich but natural copy, and a clean sitemap.

• Use structured data
  Product schema, FAQs, and rich snippets make it easier for AI engines to “understand” your site and surface it in responses.

• Build your brand signals
  Reviews, testimonials, and mentions on credible websites (local directories, news sites, forums like Reddit/Quora) increase your authority.

• Create valuable, unique content
  AI prioritises helpful, original information. Think guides, FAQs, and insights that go beyond generic answers.

• Keep product/service info updated
  AI tools are increasingly pulling live product data. Make sure your availability, pricing, and descriptions are always accurate.

• Use llms.txt to guide AI crawlers
  One of the newest tools in the AIO toolkit is a file called llms.txt. Think of it like robots.txt — but instead of telling Google’s search bots what they can or can’t crawl, it gives guidance to AI crawlers (the systems powering ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, etc.) about how they can use your content.

  Adding a simple llms.txt file to your site can help you:

  • Control access: Decide whether AI models can crawl or use specific parts of your site.

  • Protect sensitive or low-value pages: Stop AI engines from wasting crawl budget on things like login pages or duplicate content.

  • Increase clarity: Explicitly allow AI crawlers to access the high-quality, valuable pages you want surfaced in AI answers.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON AI SEO

AI might be changing how people find answers, but some things never change: brands that are clear, trustworthy, and memorable always win.

That means your digital presence matters more than ever, AI search engines love pulling from strong brands because they signal quality. And people still want to choose businesses they connect with — not just the ones listed at the top of an AI response.

By strengthening your fundamentals and adapting to how AI engines surface content, you’ll make sure your business stays visible, credible, and competitive.

Because here’s the truth: AI search is only going to grow. The earlier you adapt, the bigger your advantage.

And if you’re not sure where to start? That’s where Treefrog Marketing comes in. We’ll help you blend AI-powered optimisation with human creativity, so your brand doesn’t just keep up with the future of search — it leads.

ENGAGE TREEFROG TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR AI SEO STRATEGY

Don’t wait until your competitors have already taken the top spots in AI-powered search.

Reach out to the Treefrog team today to discover how we can help you optimise your online presence for AI search engines, boost your visibility in AI summaries, and ensure your brand is front and centre where your customers are looking.

Contact us now and let’s make sure your business is discoverable in the age of AI.