If you’ve been reading headlines like “AI Is Changing Google” or “How to Rank in ChatGPT,” you’re not alone — and if you’re not quite sure what any of it means, you’re definitely not alone.
This guide is for you if:
- You rely on your website to attract and convert customers
- You’ve heard of SEO, AI, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), or even GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), but aren’t sure what to actually do about it
- You run a business in furniture, design, interiors, or home improvement (we’ll give you industry-specific tips at the end)
Let’s break it all down into information you can actually use, and cut out all the speculation.
What Is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is the process of structuring your content in a way that helps AI tools and answer engines pull your website into featured answers, voice assistants, and AI summaries — not just blue links.
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is similar, but for traditional search engines like Google or Bing. When someone types a phrase into a search bar, SEO is what determines which websites show up as the top results.
It might sound like a brand new strategy, but here’s the truth: SEO vs AEO isn’t about choosing one over the other.
SEO gets users to your website through search.
AEO helps your content appear inside AI-generated answers — which may become the first stop for customers asking questions online.
The future of optimizing is about integrating both strategies to future-proof your content. What works for SEO — writing helpful content, organizing it clearly, and building authority — is exactly what works for AI-driven tools.
And here’s the real kicker: which one works best for you likely depends on who your customer base is and their search preferences.
How AI Tools Decide What to Show In Search
Tools like Google’s AI Overview or ChatGPT pull content from across the web. But they don’t pull from just anywhere.
They’re trained to:
- Pull content from trusted, well-ranked pages
- Look for clear, structured information
- Prefer reputable websites with helpful content
That means if your site already follows best practices for SEO, you’re ahead of the game when it comes to AEO.
Tip: If you want a deeper dive on SEO, check out our guide on How To Get Your Website To Show Up On Google.
How AI Overviews Are Changing Website Traffic
AI generated responses to search queries have already created a large decrease in organic traffic for many websites.
Why? Because AI Overviews are designed to answer questions directly in the search results, rather than requiring users to click on a link to find one. The types of content impacted the most tend to be:
- Informational blog posts
- Educational or top-of-funnel content
- Glossaries and listicles
- Standalone frequently asked questions (FAQs)
This isn’t to say you should abandon informational content altogether. On the contrary, understanding these new search behaviors can work to your advantage.
How to Overcome Decreased Traffic From AI Overviews
There are a few things you can do to ensure your content still gets people to your website, even if it’s showing up in an AI Overview.
One shift you’ll need to consider is how to change your informational content into content that converts. Rather than relying simply on a blog format, for example, you might try:
- Adding more clear CTAs within your content
- Linking to more product pages throughout
- Inserting interactive components that helps keep readers engaged
Additionally, you’ll want to look at how you can add more content that has a commercial search intent. This includes content such as:
- “Best of” product roundups
- Comparison guides
- Product-integrated design inspiration
- Seasonal and promotional content
These topics can boost traffic to your website because people looking for these queries want to see product pricing and value propositions in order to make a decision. On top of that, they have to navigate to an actual website in order to purchase something, which means they have to leave the search results page.
The key here is to really understand user intent and ensure your content gives people what they want. Which, funny enough, has always been fundamental to a solid SEO strategy — but a more commercial focus will help take traffic away from AI Overviews and to your website.
How to Integrate AEO with SEO Strategies
The latest AEO trends in 2025 suggest that answer engines will become the default for mobile, voice, and AI-assisted browsing. Google’s SGE is already reshaping the way product searches appear — putting reviews, comparisons, and buying guides directly in the search results.
If you’re a furniture hardware brand, your audience might never reach your product page unless you’ve structured your content to be answer-ready. That means using:
- Clear, specific questions and answers (FAQs)
- Structured data (like schema markup)
- Simple, concise copy that’s easy for AI to parse
For example, a customer might search “what size drawer slide do I need for a 20 inch cabinet?” — if your product page has a direct answer to that query, you’re more likely to appear in voice assistants or AI summaries.
AEO Question Optimization Best Practices
One key difference between AEO and SEO to point out here is the difference in their users’ behaviors. Specifically, how they ask questions.
A 2024 study found that users prefer search engines for straightforward product info — like “best white shaker cabinets” — but turn to AI for more nuanced tasks, such as design advice or help comparing furniture styles. This shift in behavior highlights how brands in the furniture and home finishes space can benefit from optimizing for both SEO and AEO.
To appear in AI-generated answers, use these SEO best practices:
- Use clear subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make content easy to digest and summarize.
- Go beyond surface-level explanations — respond to specific, real-world questions your customers are likely to ask.
- Add schema markup when possible to help search engines and AI tools better interpret your content’s intent and hierarchy.
- Don’t forget about backlinks. Earning links from trusted sites signals authority, for both traditional SEO and AI-driven platforms.
And combine them with these techniques to make them more AEO-friendly:
- Answer questions in full, self-contained responses that can stand alone when pulled into an AI summary (think: a Quora or Reddit reply, but branded and accurate)
- Use semantic context and synonyms so AI models can understand the broader meaning of your content rather than focusing on exact-match keywords
- Write with conversational AI in mind by mirroring how users actually phrase questions, such as “What drawer hardware styles work in a modern kitchen?”
These techniques help ensure your content get picked up not just in blue links, but also in AI-generated overviews, sidebars, and voice assistant responses — especially as AEO and SEO continue to overlap.
The Future of Search for Furniture and Hardware Businesses
Staying visible online means adapting your SEO strategy for today’s AI-powered tools. Especially for businesses in the home design space, such as cabinet manufacturers, hardware retailers, and home renovators.
This is due to the shift in search queries. Users are turning to AI for advice rather than concise answers, which means content creators should consider offering more in-depth and conversational information on their products than in the past.
For example, people are more likely to ask AI chatbots questions like:
- What’s the difference between soft-close and self-close slides?
- How do I measure for under-mount drawer slides?
- Which drawer pulls go with white shaker cabinets?
Include these kinds of questions — and answers — directly on your product pages or in blog content. This improves your visibility not only in traditional search but also in AI-generated overviews.
Is Optimizing for AEO Worth It?
As with everything in SEO — and now AEO — the answer is: it depends. Your business priorities, budget, and customer base (among other things) are all factors to consider.
But also consider this: in July 2025, traffic from ChatGPT to websites was down 52%. And the sites it does send traffic to are often big hitters like Reddit and Wikipedia. It’s a hard field to compete in, especially since AI and answer engines are still changing so frequently. It can feel like chasing a moving target.
Are we telling you not to optimize for AEO? No.
But we know that every budget has priorities, and you should put your efforts in places that will get results.
Our advice? Stick with traditional SEO practices, build up authoritative content across your website, and manage your online presence. SEO and AEO will continue to overlap enough that if you have to choose one or the other, SEO is the best bang for your buck.
What’s the Next Step for Your Website?
Whether you want help reviewing your current SEO setup or need to create a content strategy designed for today’s AI-driven search, we’re happy to talk.
Let’s chat about your goals and put together a plan that works for your business.