My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Transition from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Timeframe: Already happening, will accelerate over next 2-3 years
What's Changing
Search behavior is shifting from Google's '10 blue links' to AI tools that provide direct answers. Organic traffic from traditional SEO is declining 20-40% as people get answers from ChatGPT instead of clicking through to websites.
Driving Forces
ChatGPT reaching 800 million weekly active users
AI answers being more convenient than reading multiple articles
Younger users preferring conversational interfaces
AI tools improving answer quality
Winners
- Content creators who adapt to Q&A formats
- Companies that optimize for AI citations
- Businesses with strong community presence (Reddit, etc.)
- Tools that help with AEO optimization
Losers
- Pure SEO agencies that don't adapt
- Content farms with low-quality articles
- Businesses dependent on high-volume organic traffic
- Traditional search-focused strategies
How to Position Yourself
Learn AEO optimization tactics
Reformat content for AI consumption
Build authority in community discussions
Diversify traffic sources beyond search
Early Signals to Watch
Example Implementation
“A marketing agency pivots from traditional SEO services to offering AEO optimization, helping clients structure content for AI tools while maintaining search visibility.”