🎄 Advent Calendar: Day 7 — Uncovering AEO, SEO and Chernihiv Region with Halyna Kudlak

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🎄 Advent Calendar: Day 7 — Uncovering AEO, SEO and Chernihiv Region with Halyna Kudlak 

Welcome to Day 7 of our Advent Calendar series! Today, we’re journeying to the historical Chernihiv Region, guided by none other than Halyna Kudlak, Head of the Marketing Team in SaaSJet. We’ll explore some essential AEO and SEO tips to boost your online presence and celebrate the unique cultural heritage of Chernihiv. Let’s dive into this blend of marketing insights and holiday magic! 🎁✨

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Today’s Highlight: The Power of AEO and SEO
For many years, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has been the foundation of digital marketing. SEO focuses on optimising content to rank higher in search engine results by using keywords and other SEO techniques. But as AI technology, like voice search and virtual assistants, takes over the search landscape, we now need to focus on Ask Engine Optimisation (AEO) – a more modern approach that prioritises direct, conversational answers.

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of enhancing your website and content to appear higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). The core of SEO lies in making sure that search engines understand and index your content by using relevant keywords, building backlinks, and ensuring your website’s technical health.

The main focus in SEO has traditionally been on keywords: identifying the right terms and phrases, and incorporating them into content to improve rankings. It's a strategy that has worked well for years, but the landscape is changing.

                             

What is AEO?

Ask Engine Optimisation (AEO) is a new and evolving strategy that’s directly influenced by the rise of conversational search. With AEO, content is optimised not just for search engines but for AI-driven tools like voice assistants (Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa) and chatbots. The focus here is on answering specific questions people ask and providing clear, direct answers.

Unlike SEO, which relies on keywords, AEO takes it a step further by emphasising user intent. It’s about understanding how people phrase their queries and structuring content to deliver the answers that AI tools are looking for—whether that's in the form of voice search, chatbots, or featured snippets.

                                  

Key Differences Between SEO and AEO

Halyna Kudlak outlines several key differences between SEO and AEO. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Focus on Keywords vs. User Intent:
   • SEO: Traditionally, SEO focuses on ranking for specific keywords.
   • AEO: AEO, on the other hand, focuses on answering questions and understanding the intent behind those questions. AI-powered tools prioritise relevance and context rather than just keywords.
2. Optimisation for Search Engines vs. AI-Driven Tools:
   • SEO: SEO optimises content to be easily found and ranked by traditional search engines like Google.
   • AEO: AEO ensures that content is optimised for AI systems, helping it appear in voice search results, featured snippets, and other AI-driven responses.
3. Content Structure:
   • SEO: With SEO, you structure content for keyword optimisation, long-form articles, and blogs.
   • AEO: With AEO, content is structured to be direct and conversational, answering real user questions in a concise and natural way. Think FAQs, how-to guides, and specific answers to common questions.
4. User Interaction:
   • SEO: SEO strategies are built around text-based queries, where users type keywords into a search engine.
   • AEO: AEO is focused on voice search and natural language queries. It’s about anticipating the questions users are asking and providing them with the best, most relevant answers.

Getting Started with AEO

Here are Halyna Kudlak’s top tips for getting started with AEO:

• Audit Your Existing Content: Go through your existing content and make sure it provides clear answers to likely questions. Focus on answering user queries rather than just ranking for specific keywords.
• Create FAQs and How-To Guides: These types of content naturally fit into an AEO strategy. By providing direct answers to common questions, you’re already aligning your content with AI-powered search.
• Add Structured Data to Your Content: Schema markup is essential for AEO. It helps search engines and voice assistants pull your content into search results more easily.
• Use AI Tools for Insights: Use AI tools to gain insights into customer behaviour and find out what questions users are asking. This can help you refine your content strategy and ensure that your content aligns with the most relevant queries. 

                                             

How AEO Can Transform Your Marketing Strategy

As AI continues to transform the way we search, AEO is becoming a key strategy for marketers. Here’s how Halyna Kudlak suggests embracing AEO and making it work for your content strategy:

• Develop Content with Conversational Clarity: Start writing content that’s easy to read and feels natural. Users are now searching in a more conversational way, so your content should be structured to answer those questions directly and in a way that flows naturally.
• Optimise for Voice and Conversational Search: Voice search is becoming more prevalent, so it’s important to optimise for voice-based queries. Think about how people speak when asking for information and tailor your content to answer those types of questions.
• Use Structured Data and Schema Markup: Structured data helps AI understand the context of your content. Adding schema markup makes it easier for search engines and virtual assistants to pick up your content for voice responses, featured snippets, and other rich search results.
• Leverage AI for Strategy Insights: AI tools can help you understand customer behaviour and identify patterns in the types of questions your audience is asking. Use AI-powered tools to guide your content planning, ensuring your strategy aligns with user intent and conversational search trends.

                   

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Chernihiv Region: A Land of History and Heritage

Nestled in northern Ukraine, Chernihiv is one of the country’s oldest cities, boasting a history that dates back over a thousand years. 🏛️ The region is dotted with architectural marvels, like the Transfiguration Cathedral, which stands as a testament to Chernihiv's rich spiritual and cultural past.

                 

Nature lovers will be enchanted by the picturesque landscapes, including the serene Desna River. In winter, the snow-covered fields and forests of Chernihiv offer a breathtakingly peaceful scene, perfect for a holiday escape. 🌲

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Thank you for joining us on Day 7 of our Advent journey as we explored the world of Ask Engine Optimisation and how it’s changing the game. We hope these insights from Halyna Kudlak help you rethink your content strategy and stay ahead of the competition in the AI-powered era. Until tomorrow! 😊

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