What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)?

Why Traditional SEO Isn't Enough Anymore

 

 

The "10 blue links" on Google are disappearing. In their place are AI-powered Overviews and conversational answers that summarise information directly for users.

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The "Zero-Click" Problem

 

 

If an AI chatbot answers the user's question directly—"The best approach for international removals to France is to work with a BAR-certified company that handles customs documentation..."—they have no reason to click through to your website.

 

You lose the lead before you even have a chance to engage them.   Unless the AI cites YOUR company as the authority.

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Authority Over Keywords

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AI models value E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) above all else. This means demonstrating you have real-world experience, industry credentials, verifiable expertise, and a trustworthy brand presence.

 

They don't just look for keywords like "London removals company" anymore. They look for proof that you are a genuine expert who can be trusted to give accurate advice. This means:

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• Detailed case studies and real project examples

• Industry certifications and memberships

• Consistent, expert-level content across multiple platforms

• Clear specialisation (not trying to be everything to everyone)

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The "Identity Confusion" Penalty

 

 

 AI models actively penalise unclear positioning. If your site says "We're removals experts" on one page and "We offer AI consulting" on another, the AI literally cannot categorise you. Result? You're cited for neither industry. 

 

We've seen established removal firms lose 40% of their AI visibility from this single issue. The AI needs crystal-clear signals about who you are, what you do, and who you serve. Mixed messaging isn't just confusing to humans—it's fatal to your AI visibility.

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The Opportunity Window Is Closing

 

 

Right now, most removals companies are still optimising for 2023-era Google SEO. That gives you a 12-18 month window to establish yourself as THE authority before your competitors catch on. Early movers in AEO are seeing 3-5x the ROI of late adopters.  The question isn't whether to invest in AEO. It's whether you'll be the authority AI recommends, or the company watching your competitors get cited instead.

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The 3 Pillars of a Winning AEO Strategy

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At Relo AI, we build your AEO strategy on three comprehensive pillars. We don't just give you advice; we execute the strategy with you, handling the technical complexity while you focus on running your business.

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Pillar 1: AI-Powered Content & Keyword Strategy

 

 

You can't be the answer if you don't have content that answers the questions your customers are actually asking.

What You Get:

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• AI Question Mining Report: We identify 50-100 specific questions your customers are asking ChatGPT and Perplexity about removals, relocation, and moving services. These aren't guesses—they're data-driven insights into real search behaviour. 

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• Monthly Topic Cluster Content: We produce 4-6 authoritative articles (1,500-2,500 words each) that establish your expertise on core topics. These articles are structured specifically for AI citation, not just Google ranking. 

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• Quarterly Anonymous Case Studies: We work with you to develop detailed, data-driven case studies that prove your effectiveness and build the trust signals that AI models prioritise. We can anonymise client details while maintaining the credibility. 

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•  Visual Content Strategy: AI models increasingly prioritise content with relevant images, infographics, and diagrams. We create a visual content brief showing exactly what concepts the AI "wants to see" for your topics.

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Example in Action:

 

Instead of targeting "London removals company" (saturated, 10,000+ competitors), we'll position you for high-intent questions like:

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• "How to choose a removals company for antique furniture"

• "What certifications should an international removals company have?"

• "Office relocation checklist for businesses with 50+ employees"

 

These are queries where AI is actively looking for expert answers, and where your expertise can shine through clearly.

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Pillar 2: Social Media & Visual Content Amplification

 

AEO isn't just about your website. It's about your entire digital footprint. Your social media presence is a massive signal of authority and trustworthiness to AI models.

 

What You Get: 

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• Social Media Management: We manage your professional social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Businees Profile and Youtube) to build a consistent, authoritative voice for your brand. This includes 12-20 posts per month, engagement with industry content, and community building. 

• Image & Video Production: We create and optimise engaging images, infographics, and short-form videos (30-90 seconds) that are essential for social media and for making your website content more compelling to both users and AI. 

• Cross-Platform Consistency: We ensure your brand message, service descriptions, and expertise signals are perfectly aligned across all platforms—from your website to Google Business Profile to LinkedIn to Facebook. 

• Engagement & Authority Building: We help you engage with industry discussions, comment on relevant topics, and build the kind of active presence that signals "this is a real, engaged expert" to AI models.

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Why This Matters:

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AI models don't just read your website. They evaluate your entire digital footprint. A removals company with an active LinkedIn presence, regular blog updates, and engaged social followers is seen as more authoritative than one with just a static website—even if the websites are identical.

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Pillar 3: Advanced Technical AEO (Schema & Signals)

 

This is the "invisible" technical layer that makes your content easy for AI to read, understand, trust, and cite. Think of schema markup as "translation tags" that tell ChatGPT "This company specialises in international removals with 15 years of EU customs expertise"—instead of making the AI guess from your text.

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What You Get: 

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• Full Schema Markup Implementation: We handle the complex JSON-LD coding, implementing the right schema types across your site: 

  • Service schema (for each service you offer)

  • FAQ schema (for common questions)

  • Article schema (for blog content)

  • Organization schema (establishing your business entity)

  • LocalBusiness schema (for location-based authority)

  • HowTo and VideoObject schema (for instructional content) 

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• Authority & Backlink Strategy: We help you earn 3-5 high-quality links per month from reputable sites in the logistics, business, and tech industries. These aren't spam links—they're genuine citations that validate your expertise to both Google and AI models. 

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• Brand Signal Optimisation: We ensure your branding, messaging, NAP (Name, Address, Phone), and service details are perfectly consistent across your entire online presence: 

  • Your website

  • Google Business Profile

  • Industry directories (BAR, FIDI, IAM)

  • Social media profiles

  • Citation sources 

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• E-E-A-T Signal Enhancement: We identify and implement the specific trust signals AI models look for: 

  • Author credentials and bios

  • Industry certifications prominently displayed

  • Client testimonials with verifiable details

  • Awards and recognition

  • Years in business and project counts

  • Insurance and licensing information

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Why This Matters:

 

Without proper schema markup, an AI reading your page sees a wall of text. With schema, it sees structured, categorised information that it can confidently cite. Companies with proper schema implementation see 3-4x higher citation rates in AI answers.​​