The Rise of AEO and What It Means for Affiliate Marketers

For years, SEO — Search Engine Optimisation — has been the bread and butter of affiliate marketing. Get your content to rank on Google, bring in organic traffic, and let the conversions roll in. But in 2025, there’s a new acronym shaking things up: AEO.

Answer Engine Optimisation.

And it’s not just a gimmick. As platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and voice assistants become the go-to way for people to ask questions and get answers, traditional search behaviour is changing fast. People aren’t clicking through ten blue links anymore — they’re getting a direct answer, instantly.

That means affiliates who rely solely on traditional SEO tactics may soon find themselves left behind.

What is AEO, exactly?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. It’s the process of tailoring your content so that it appears directly within AI-powered answers — like Google’s featured snippets, ChatGPT responses, or Bing’s Copilot summaries.

The aim? To become the source that these AI tools quote or summarise.

It’s a shift from targeting search engines to targeting answer engines. And it means thinking differently about how content is structured, what kind of questions you answer, and how clearly you do it.

Why AEO matters now

AI search isn’t coming — it’s here. OpenAI has already integrated web browsing into ChatGPT. Google is rolling out its AI Overviews as part of standard search results. And Microsoft’s Bing is doubling down on AI-powered search through Copilot.

This means users are more likely to see a short summary answer generated by an AI — sometimes without clicking through to the source. For affiliates, that’s a potential threat to traffic.

But it’s also a huge opportunity. If you can be the source an AI tool pulls from, your content could be featured more prominently than ever.

How affiliates can adapt

To succeed in an AEO world, affiliate marketers need to shift from thinking like keyword miners to thinking like answer creators.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Write with clarity and structure
   AI models love well-structured content. Use clear subheadings, bulleted lists, and concise answers to common questions. Think: “What is the best air fryer under £100?” followed by a straight, fact-based response.
2. Use schema markup
   Structured data helps search engines and AI tools understand your content. Use FAQ, How-To, and Product schema where relevant to increase your chances of being selected as a source.
3. Cover intent, not just keywords
   Focus on what the user is actually trying to achieve — whether that’s comparing two products, finding a recommendation, or learning a quick fact. Your content should help them reach that goal in as few steps as possible.
4. Stay factual and up-to-date
   AI models prioritise trusted sources. Keep your content accurate, current, and well-referenced. This boosts your credibility — and your chances of being cited.
5. Optimise for voice and conversational search
   AEO is closely tied to how people speak. Structure your answers to match the tone and pace of natural conversation. “Which mattress is best for back pain?” deserves an answer that’s clear, helpful, and human.

What about the click?

A common concern among affiliates is: if users get answers from AI directly in the search results, will they still click through?

The answer is: not always — but the clicks you do get will be more valuable.

AEO doesn’t just boost visibility. It builds trust. If your brand becomes the go-to source for answers, users are more likely to engage when they’re ready to compare options, make a purchase, or sign up.

And as affiliate models shift more toward high-value conversions — especially in regulated industries like finance or iGaming — those engaged clicks are worth more than thousands of low-intent visits.

New tools are already appearing

A wave of startups is rushing into the AEO space, offering tools to analyse how your content performs in answer engines, identify questions to target, and structure responses for AI discovery.

Some work like classic SEO tools, offering keyword data and optimisation tips. Others focus specifically on voice search, ChatGPT prompts, or AI training signals.

If you’re still relying on last year’s SEO tools, it might be time to look again.

Final thoughts

The rise of AEO doesn’t mean SEO is dead. But it does mean the affiliate playbook is changing.

To stay competitive in 2025 and beyond, affiliate marketers need to evolve their content strategies — not just to chase rankings, but to become the trusted voice AI turns to for answers.

That means writing better content. Structuring it smarter. And thinking like a source, not just a seller.

In a world where answers matter more than clicks, AEO might just be your new best friend.