AEO vs SEO: How Dancing Dragons Can Rank High on AI Answer Engines
In the world of online discovery, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been the go-to strategy for decades. But with the rise of AI-powered platforms like Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, there's a new player in town: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
For a coaching collective like Dancing Dragons, mastering AEO can be the difference between being buried in search results and becoming the top recommended choice when users ask an AI assistant for life coaching advice.
What's the Difference Between SEO and AEO?
Feature
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Primary Goal
Rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs) to drive traffic.
Be the direct, concise answer to a user's question within AI platforms.
User Interaction
Users click on a link to visit a website for information.
AI provides a synthesized answer, often without requiring a click.
AI answer engines are rapidly becoming the first stop for people seeking coaching:
A potential client might ask Claude: "Find me a leadership resilience coach with experience in executive transitions."
On ChatGPT, someone could type: "Best life coaching platforms for stress reduction and confidence building."
Gemini might be used on mobile to query: "Top-rated online counseling collectives for trauma and anxiety."
If your site isn't optimized for these platforms, you could miss out on high-intent leads—people already asking for exactly what you offer.
Client Queries for Coaching on AI Platforms
ChatGPT
40%
Gemini
30%
Claude
25%
Perplexity
5%
*Hypothetical data for illustration purposes
How to Optimize for AEO (and Still Benefit from SEO)
Here's how Dancing Dragons can position itself to rank high on AI answer engines:
1. Create Content That Directly Answers Questions
Write blog posts and pages that answer specific coaching queries (e.g., "How to choose the right life coach for overcoming social anxiety").
Include clear, concise summaries that AI can quote verbatim.
Use structured lists and FAQs—these are AI-friendly and often get pulled into answers.
2. Use Structured Data and Schema Markup
Implement schema for Person, Organization, and Service to help AI understand your coaches, specialties, and offerings. Add FAQPage schema to pages with common client questions.
3. Build Authority with Expertise Signals
Showcase coach certifications (e.g., HCI, EMCC) prominently. Get listed on trusted directories and coaching associations. Encourage reviews and testimonials—AI engines use these as trust signals.
AEO Trust Signals Distribution
Trust Signals
Coach Certifications (35%)
Reviews & Testimonials (30%)
Directory Listings (20%)
Citations & Mentions (15%)
*Hypothetical relative importance
4. Optimize for Conversational Search
Research how people phrase coaching questions to AI. Incorporate these phrases naturally into your content (e.g., "Who is the best executive coach in California?"). Create long-form, natural language guides instead of keyword-stuffed pages.
5. Leverage Multi-Platform Presence
Publish expert answers on Quora, LinkedIn, and forums where AI scrapes data. Submit your content to knowledge bases and directories that LLMs frequently reference.
6. Maintain Technical SEO
A fast, mobile-friendly site with clean navigation still matters. Good SEO boosts visibility, which AI crawlers use to evaluate authority.
The Future: From Search to Answers
SEO is not going away, but Answer Engine Optimization is becoming essential. As users shift from typing queries into Google to asking AI assistants directly, only the most structured, authoritative, and conversationally optimized content will surface.
For Dancing Dragons, this is a massive opportunity. By blending traditional SEO with modern AEO tactics, your coaching collective can:
Be recommended directly by Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT.
Capture high-intent clients before they even reach a search results page.
Establish itself as the go-to expert hub for life coaching and counseling services.
The Bottom Line: SEO gets you seen. AEO makes you the answer. Start optimizing for both, and Dancing Dragons can lead the next wave of client acquisition in the AI-driven future of search.
