AI in Search: How artificial intelligence is changing how customers find your business online

Search is evolving quickly. With the rise of AI-generated summaries and conversational search tools, users are no longer just scanning a list of links, they’re increasingly receiving direct answers generated by AI.

For businesses, this introduces a new question: Is your company showing up in those answers?

This is where a concept called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) comes in.

While traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search results, AEO focuses on helping your content become the answer; the information that AI systems reference, summarize, or cite.

In practice, this means ensuring your website clearly communicates expertise, authority, and relevance through well-structured content, strong technical foundations, and clear signals that search engines and AI platforms can easily interpret.

At RKD, we’re beginning to incorporate AEO strategies into our digital work with clients. This includes evaluating how websites are structured, identifying opportunities for answer-based content, and ensuring technical foundations support both traditional search engines and emerging AI-driven platforms.

It’s still early days, but one thing is clear: the way people discover information online is evolving, and businesses that adapt early will be better positioned for the future.

If you're curious about how your website performs in this new search landscape, we're starting to run AI visibility benchmarks for clients to better understand where opportunities exist. Contact us today to learn more.