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Guide for local businesses
How search is changing for local shops, and what AI answer engine optimisation (AEO) is
The short answer
More people now ask AI assistants and read AI-written summaries instead of only scanning a list of links. Answer engine optimisation (AEO) means making your business's information clear, accurate and easy to quote, so those AI answers describe you correctly. It builds on traditional search engine optimisation (SEO) rather than replacing it.
What has changed in how people search
For years, searching meant typing a few words into Google and choosing from a list of links. That still happens, but there are now more ways to get an answer:
- AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot answer full questions in conversation, and often name businesses and link to their sources.
- AI-written summaries in search results, such as Google's AI Overviews, answer the question at the top of the page.
- Questions are longer. Instead of "shoe shop Adeje", people ask "Where can I buy comfortable walking shoes in Adeje that are open on Sunday?"
The result is that a customer may form an opinion of your shop, or choose a competitor, before visiting any website.
Why SEO alone can leave local shops behind
Traditional SEO is still useful, but on its own it misses part of the picture.
Rankings are not the whole picture
SEO measures success by your position in a list of links. When an AI answer sits above that list, or replaces it in a chat, a good position may receive less attention than before.
AI answers combine several sources
An AI assistant may combine your website, your Google Business Profile, reviews and directory listings into one answer. If those sources disagree, for example on your opening hours, the answer may be wrong or may leave you out.
Vague content is hard to quote
Pages written to repeat keywords, or full of slogans, give an AI system little it can state with confidence. Specific facts, such as what you sell, where, when you open and what it costs, are much easier to use accurately.
What AEO is
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is the work of making your business's information clear, accurate, consistent and easy to quote, so that AI assistants and AI-generated search summaries can use it correctly when they answer people's questions. You may also see it called generative engine optimisation (GEO).
What AEO usually includes
- Writing pages that answer real customer questions directly, near the top.
- Keeping your name, address, phone number, hours and services identical across every listing.
- Adding structured data (schema markup) that states key facts in a machine-readable format.
- Allowing the search crawlers used by AI services to read your site.
- Earning reviews and mentions on trusted local sites.
- Checking regularly what AI assistants say about your business, and fixing the sources when they are wrong.
Traditional SEO and AEO compared
| Aspect | Traditional SEO | AEO |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Rank high in a list of search results | Be described accurately, and ideally mentioned, in AI-generated answers |
| Where it shows | Search results pages and maps | AI assistants and AI summaries in search results |
| Typical query | Short keywords, e.g. "shoe shop Adeje" | Full questions, e.g. "Which shoe shop in Adeje is open on Sunday?" |
| Content style | Pages built around target keywords | Clear, factual answers to specific questions |
| Key signals | Relevance, links from other sites, page experience | Clear facts, consistency across sources, reviews, mentions on trusted sites |
| Technical focus | Crawling, indexing, page speed, titles | The same, plus structured data and access for AI search crawlers |
| How success is measured | Rankings, clicks and traffic | Whether AI answers mention you correctly, and the enquiries that follow |
| Main limitation | Fewer clicks when answers appear above the links | Less predictable; no one controls which sources an AI uses |
The two overlap heavily. Most work that helps AEO also helps SEO.
Is SEO still worth doing?
Yes. Many AI assistants look up live web results before they answer, so a site that search engines cannot crawl, index or trust is also hard for AI assistants to use. Think of SEO as making your business findable, and AEO as making it understandable and quotable once found.
An AEO checklist for a local shop
- Check that your Google Business Profile is claimed, complete and correct.
- Make your name, address, phone number and opening hours identical everywhere.
- Start your website's main page with one or two sentences saying what you sell, where and for whom.
- Add a questions-and-answers section using the questions customers actually ask you.
- Publish prices or price ranges where you can.
- Add structured data for your business, and test it with Google's Rich Results Test.
- Check your
robots.txtfile and hosting settings so AI search crawlers are not blocked. - Ask for reviews regularly and reply to them.
- Get listed by your local business or tourism association and relevant directories.
- Repeat the AI check below every few months.
How to check what AI assistants say about you
- Ask two or three assistants the questions a customer would ask, for example "best bakery in Puerto de la Cruz" or "Is [your shop] open on Sundays?"
- Ask in each language your customers use.
- Note whether your business is mentioned and whether the details are correct.
- Where details are wrong, follow any sources the assistant links to, and correct the information at its source, such as your website or listing.
- Check again after a few weeks. Answers change over time and between questions.
What AEO cannot do
- It cannot guarantee that a particular AI assistant mentions your business.
- It cannot fix a poor product, slow service or bad reviews.
- It does not work overnight; changes take weeks to be picked up.
- It does not replace advertising when you need customers quickly.
Where Korvify fits
Korvify is a digital marketing and web development business in Tenerife. It doesn't sell standalone SEO or AEO packages. Its website projects can include the clear structure and structured data described here, its Google review replies service keeps responses to good reviews up to date, and its digital-marketing plans bring customers through ads while search changes take effect. The companion guide, How local businesses in Tenerife can get more customers using AI search and online ads, covers the full process.
Frequently asked questions
What is answer engine optimisation (AEO)?
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is the work of making your business's information clear, accurate, consistent and easy to quote, so that AI assistants and AI-generated search summaries can use it correctly when they answer people's questions.
Is AEO the same as GEO or LLMO?
They are overlapping names for similar work. Generative engine optimisation (GEO) and large language model optimisation (LLMO) are also used to describe making content easy for AI systems to find, understand and cite.
Does AEO replace SEO?
No. Many AI assistants look up live web results before they answer, so pages that search engines can crawl, index and trust remain the foundation. AEO builds on SEO rather than replacing it.
Can AEO guarantee that ChatGPT or Gemini recommends my shop?
No. Each AI service chooses its own sources and answers, and those answers can change from one question to the next. AEO makes accurate information about your business easier to find and use, which improves your chances, but it cannot guarantee a mention.
What should a small shop do first?
Make sure your Google Business Profile, website and other listings show the same correct name, address, phone number, opening hours and services, and that your website states plainly what you sell, where and for whom.
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