How to be chosen by today's customers
There are at least 9.5 million searches (2025) every minute on Google alone, but here's the thing: users aren't just searching anymore—they're asking. And AI is answering before they even click a link.
We help you attract qualified leads using proven SEO and developing AEO tactics while your content to be the answer AI tools choose.
You may hear other terms like SGE (Search Generative Experience) or GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). While some claim clear differentiators, they fall within the same broader framework. thunder::tech uses AEO as the umbrella term to cover these nuances.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic your website receives from search engines. It's about attracting more people, but it’s also about attracting and converting the right people into leads for your business.
SEO is comprised of two integrated components:
AEO focuses on structuring your content so search engines can pull information directly to answer user questions. In addition to searches directly on LLMs, think Google's AI overviews, featured snippets, “People Also Ask” results or responses from voice search.
Content gets featured through a few different avenues including:
Owned visibility focuses on what we directly control (a website, content structure and messaging). It’s about creating answer-centric content that mirrors how users naturally ask questions in AI-driven search tools.
Earned visibility expands our reach beyond owned assets through creator partnerships, UGC seeding, digital PR and affiliate placements. It’s where all the communications services intersect; earned media and authentic creator mentions now directly influence how AI models evaluate and surface credible information.
Technical optimization ensures the digital infrastructure supports both traditional search engines and AI crawlers. This includes agent crawlability, rendering, structured data, llms/robots.txt files, etc., all designed to make content more machine-readable.
Great question—and we get it all the time. SEO and AEO are teammates, not competitors.
SEO gets you found. It helps your website rank in search results so users can discover you when they're actively looking.
AEO gets you chosen. It positions your content as the authoritative answer that AI tools cite, recommend and surface in conversational responses.
Optimizing for both increases your chances of being found and being chosen. It's about reaching users wherever they are in their journey—whether they're browsing traditional search results, asking a voice assistant or prompting an AI chatbot for recommendations.
The best part? Much of what makes great SEO (clear structure, quality content, user intent matching) also fuels strong AEO. They build on each other.
Even though we know our team is full of geniuses, there is no magic potion when it comes to SEO or AEO. Anyone who guarantees they have the exact formula for success is selling snake oil. But that doesn't mean SEO or AEO should be left out of your marketing strategy.
For these to be most effective, we must evaluate every aspect of your online presence, from content and design to structure and code. We then work to keep this information evolving as your business and industry grow, so your online presence remains a strong resource for both the customers you have and the ones you want.
Our goal is to thoroughly understand your company’s products and services, enabling us to select the most valuable keywords and techniques to effectively meet them. As your agency partner, we aim to be an extension of your current team, with a vested interest in expanding your online presence.
We've been internet-native since 1999 (just one year after Google's launch), so digital strategy is deeply ingrained in who we are. Our approach combines decades of proven SEO expertise with evolving AEO techniques to help middle-market companies dominate search and get chosen by AI.
We have the support of in-house developers, designers, copywriters and social media experts ready to assist once a strategy for your website has been determined. This enables us to implement all optimization recommendations quickly and provide you with faster results. We can also advise your in-house team on fixes and updates that will improve the overall optimization of your site if you prefer.
We start by understanding your business, audience and goals. Through comprehensive keyword and question research, we identify what your customers are searching for and asking; then build a strategy around it.
From site speed and mobile responsiveness to structured data and AI-crawler accessibility, we ensure your website's foundation is rock-solid for both traditional search engines and AI tools.
We create and optimize content that ranks AND answers. This means writing for humans while structuring information so AI can easily extract, understand and cite it. Think FAQ schema, clear headings, concise answers and question-focused copy.
We handle everything from title tags, meta descriptions and internal linking to backlink building and local SEO. If it impacts your rankings, we've got it covered.
This includes optimizing for featured snippets, creating FAQ sections, implementing schema markup and structuring content for AI readability. We also monitor how AI tools are citing (or not citing) your brand and adjust accordingly.
SEO and AEO aren't one-and-done. We provide ongoing monitoring, monthly reporting and continuous optimization to keep you ahead of algorithm updates and industry shifts.
With a solid strategy, you can start seeing noticeable improvements in 3-6 months. More competitive industries or ambitious goals may take 6-12 months. The good news? SEO and AEO compound over time—the longer you invest, the better your results.
We get this question all the time. SEO and AEO go hand in hand. In fact, optimizing for both not only increases your chances of being found but also of being chosen. It’s about reaching users wherever they are in their journey, whether they’re browsing search results or asking a voice assistant.
Short answer: yes. AEO is an evolution of SEO. Users aren’t searching or consuming information the same way anymore. While these services work together, there are some clear differences that need to be accounted for in order to rank.
We're your partner in this. AI has quickly outpaced processes that have taken years to build, and we get it—it's a lot. But we're right there with you. As we learn, so will you. We'll stay on top of all the new updates, algorithm changes, and emerging AI platforms to help guide you through the storm. You're not navigating this alone.
Perfect! We can audit your current efforts and layer in AEO optimization without starting from scratch. Think of it as upgrading your existing foundation to meet the demands of AI-driven search.
The way people find and choose businesses has fundamentally changed. Consumers are asking AI tools for recommendations, using voice search for quick answers and expecting instant, accurate information at every turn. You might be ranking, but if you aren’t being featured or cited, you’re losing potential users.
The good news? You don't have to figure this out alone.
At thunder::tech, we've spent over two decades helping middle-market businesses adapt to the changing digital landscape. From the early days of Google to today's AI-powered search revolution, we've been there every step of the way—and we're here to help you succeed in this next chapter.
Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to level up your existing strategy, our team of SEO and AEO experts is ready to help you get found, get chosen and get results. Ready to future-proof your search strategy? Talk to an expert!