In 2026, 45% of informational search queries are answered directly by AI assistants — ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot — without the user ever clicking through to a website. That number was 12% in 2023. It's accelerating.
If you're only optimising for Google's blue links, you're competing for the other 55%. And even there, AI Overviews now take up the top third of the page on most informational queries. Your SEO strategy needs an AEO layer.
Step 1: Identify your answer opportunities. Use UVORA's GSC integration to find queries where you rank positions 1–5 but get low CTR. These are queries AI is likely answering directly — you need to provide a better-structured answer.
Step 2: Lead with direct answers. AI assistants extract the most direct, factual statement at the top of a section. Don't bury the answer after three paragraphs of context. Lead with the answer, then explain.
Step 3: Use FAQ schema markup. Every piece of content should have FAQ schema with the 5–10 most common questions about the topic. This is how Gemini pulls "People Also Ask" answers directly from your site.
Step 4: Build entity authority. Create a content cluster of 10–20 interconnected articles on your core topic. Internal linking signals topical authority to both AI systems and Google.
Step 5: Claim your Knowledge Panel. Verify your business on Google, claim your Wikidata entity, and ensure your brand information is consistent across Wikipedia, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and industry directories.
All the tactics in this article are built into UVORA. Start generating in 60 seconds.
Start Free — No Credit Card →