SEO = Search Everywhere Optimisation
If people search it, you can optimise for it:
SEO Is Dead. Long Live SEO.
For years, SEO meant one thing: fighting for a blue link on Google.
Now? People search everywhere.
On TikTok. On Amazon. On ChatGPT. On Reddit.
↳ If they search it, you can optimise for it.
This is Search Everywhere Optimisation - SEO for the AI-first era.
Nine layers of discoverability. One goal: be the answer wherever the question is asked.
The Four Layers of AI Search (AEO)
Level 1 – Traditional SEO
Keywords, backlinks, on-page tweaks, and technical hygiene.
Still matters. But you’re just laying the foundation.
Level 2 – AI Search Optimisation
AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT search.
This isn’t about getting crawled anymore.
It’s about being chosen by the model.
Level 3 – Paid Search Visibility
Google Ads, YouTube Ads = Rented attention.
Great for speed, but gone when the budget dries up.
Level 4 – LLM Answer SEO
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude.
Create content that language models retrieve, cite, and summarise.
AI search traffic is exploding while traditional organic search is slipping.
1B+ daily queries on ChatGPT - already above Bing, catching TikTok.
82% of AI search traffic flows through ChatGPT.
Perplexity pulls 20M daily requests, Claude 19M.
But it’s not just the size of the traffic - it’s the quality.
14% of LLM users make a purchase.
B2C conversion ≈ 30× higher than Google.
B2B conversion ≈ 40× higher.
Most conversions happen within minutes, not days.
Google drives browsers.
AI drives buyers.
How to Optimise for AI Search (AEO)
The rules change when you optimise for AI.
1. Think AEO, not SEO
SEO: Keywords, EEAT, backlinks.
AEO: Structured answers, conversational prompts, credible citations.
2. Write Like ChatGPT Answers
Use FAQs, bullet lists, pros/cons tables, quotes.
Add JSON-LD schema so content is machine-readable.
3. Speak Like Your Users
You’re not writing headlines - you’re teaching the model how to match queries to you.
Bad: “Introducing our new marketing calendar tool.”
Good: “What’s the best way to auto-generate a GTM plan with AI?”
4. Get Mentioned Where AI Looks First
Wikipedia, Reddit, Forbes - these dominate model training data.
One great Reddit comment can beat ten guest posts.
5. Mirror Decision-Making Queries
“Compare [Brand A] vs [Brand B] for [use case].”
“Why is [Brand A] better than [Brand B]?”
“What’s the best [tool] for [persona]?”
The Five Layers of Everywhere SEO
After AI, the play expands:
Level 5 – Brand Authority SEO
Get others talking about you. Models trust third-party mentions.
Level 6 – Community SEO
Influence where people ask real questions - Reddit, Quora, Slack, Discord.
Level 7 – Parasite SEO
Use high-authority platforms (Medium, LinkedIn, Substack) to rank.
Level 8 – Platform-Specific SEO
Optimise for Amazon, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn’s internal search.
Level 9 – Topic Domination
Control the conversation across every surface where discovery happens.
When brands do this right, they don’t just grow traffic - they grow sales.
Month 1: 0.12% AI traffic → 2.2% of sales
Month 6: 0.19% AI traffic → 2.9% of sales
Month 12: 0.36% AI traffic → 5.8% of sales
The volume is smaller. The intent is higher. The cycle is faster.
SEO is no longer about gaming one search engine.
It’s about Search Everywhere Optimization.
And right now, ChatGPT is where the highest-intent buyers live.
If you’re not visible there, you’re invisible.
This newsletter is the product of two brilliant collaborations.
Thanks to Madhav Mistry and Adrien Thomas for sharing their insights and data.
If you want your brand to be the first name recommended by ChatGPT or any other AI platform, talk to Adrien. He’s the co-founder of Crescendo - the leading AEO agency helping businesses dominate AI results.
Something new is coming…
I’m teaming up with Fatima Khan - one of the top LinkedIn growth experts in the world - to run a 4-week live LinkedIn Bootcamp.
We’ll teach you how to:
Optimise your profile so it attracts the right people
Create content that gets seen and drives leads
Use AI to speed up your workflow without losing your voice
Build a network that brings you opportunities every week
But before Bootcamp starts…
We’re hosting a free LinkedIn Live next week:
👉 How to Get Your First 10k Followers
It’s your chance to get a preview of our teaching style, learn practical strategies you can apply immediately, and see if the Bootcamp is right for you.
Join the LinkedIn Live → https://www.linkedin.com/events/7362014778849992705/
Secure your Bootcamp spot → https://linkedin-bootcamp-landing-page-cqr1bten.sites.blink.new/
For sure seo has changed since the days of 2008. Thanks for sharing this 💥👍
🖤