AEO vs SEO for Sydney CMOs: How to Get Mentioned by LLMs and in Google AI Overviews

AEO vs SEO for Sydney CMOs is the decision that now separates brands that get surfaced by LLMs from those buried under zero-click results.
You’re competing in two arenas at once: classic blue links and AI-generated answers.
In this guide, I’ll show you how I approach both, the budgets I recommend, the KPIs I track, and the exact playbook I use to earn LLM mentions and Google AI Overview placements.

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1) AEO vs SEO in one minute

SEO gets you ranked pages.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) gets you quoted answers.
I optimize pages to rank and answer at the same time.
My rule: every asset must be a page for humans and an answer for machines.

Why this matters.
LLMs and Google AI Overview pull compact, source-trustworthy chunks.
They reward structured, verified, and up-to-date facts.
They downrank vague, salesy fluff.

2) The Sydney angle: why local context changes the game

Sydney buyers search with location intent and compliance constraints.
Boards care about AU data residency, privacy, and industry codes.
I include geo modifiers and local proof so LLMs see you as the Sydney authority.

Do this.
Add “Sydney”, “Australia”, and suburb entities to your hubs.
Cite AU stats, regulators, and case studies.
Standardize your NAP and organization schema for every office location.

3) How LLMs decide who to mention

LLMs don’t “rank”; they aggregate entities with strong, consistent signals.
They look for who said it, where it’s corroborated, and how consistent it is across the web.

Signals I strengthen.

• Entity clarity: Same org name, address, founders, and products everywhere.
• Author identity: Real people with credentials and consistent topical footprints.
• Reference graph: Third-party mentions, citations, and data sources linking back.

4) The GEO framework I use (Generative Engine Optimization)

GEO is how I make your content legible to LLMs.
I package facts, definitions, and datasets into machine-readable “Answer Packs.”

An Answer Pack includes.

• A concise definition in plain English.
• A numbered procedure or checklist.
• A small table with variables and ranges.
• JSON-LD with organization/author/product/service markup.
• Source references and last-updated date.

5) Getting into Google AI Overviews (practical checklist)

AI Overviews pick precise, well-structured, multi-source snippets.
I build pages that are pre-chunked for extraction.

My checklist.

• One short definition per concept above the fold.
• One step-by-step section with 5–9 steps.
• One bulleted pro/con list.
• One FAQ block with 5–10 tight Q&As.
• One table with metrics or thresholds.
• Citations to credible, Australia-relevant sources.
• Last updated timestamp and author bio.

6) Content formats that win AEO today

LLMs love compact, canonical formats.
I publish these as dedicated assets, not buried sub-sections.

Formats I ship.

• Glossaries for your niche terms.
• Pricing calculators with transparent formulas.
• Decision trees (If X, then Y).
• Implementation SOPs with roles and timelines.
• Benchmark tables with AU context.

7) Schema, metadata, and the boring work that wins

AEO is unforgiving about structure.
I treat schema as non-negotiable.

Minimum viable schema.
Organization, Website, WebPage, Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList.
Add Person for authors, Service/Product for offers, and LocalBusiness for Sydney addresses.
Use sameAs to bind your entity to LinkedIn, Crunchbase, and authoritative profiles.

8) E-E-A-T for machines and boards

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust are now data points.
I attach credentials to people and evidence to claims.

Proof I add.

• Author bios with certifications and AU experience.
• Methodology notes and data provenance.
• Editorial policy and correction log.
• Customer safeguards: privacy, accessibility, and bias testing.

9) Build your brand knowledge graph on purpose

Don’t let the internet guess who you are.
I publish a public facts page that canonicalizes your entity.

What I include.

• Legal entity, ABN, and registered addresses.
• Leadership, key dates, and product taxonomy.
• Official definitions, metrics, and naming conventions.
• A compact JSON-LD block mirroring the page.

10) Topic clusters that align AEO + SEO

Clusters help pages rank, and they also help answers cohere.
I design clusters around jobs-to-be-done, not just keywords.

Example Sydney CMO cluster.

• “AEO vs SEO for Sydney CMOs” (hub).
• “How to brief an agency for AI Overviews” (spoke).
• “Sydney B2B content benchmarks 2025” (spoke).
• “Entity SEO checklist for AU compliance” (spoke).
• “LLM-ready pricing calculator for mid-market CMOs” (spoke).

11) External citations LLMs trust

LLMs cross-verify with credible sources.
I seed citations where AU relevance is strong.

Sources I like.

• Government and regulator sites.
• University research and industry bodies.
• Reputable AU media and standards orgs.
• Vendor docs for tools you actually use.

12) Technical SEO that still moves AEO

If your site is slow or unstable, snippets won’t be crawled often.
I treat Core Web Vitals, sitemaps, and crawl budgets as AEO prerequisites.

Baseline targets.

• Sub-2s LCP on mobile.
• Clean XML sitemaps for web, images, and videos.
• No orphan pages, thin tags, or duplicate hubs.
• Stable URLs and canonical tags.

13) Make your answers multimodal

AI Overviews and LLMs read tables, lists, and even image captions.
I add data tables, single-chart visuals, and alt text that restates facts.

Quick wins.

• Replace paragraphs with a 5-row table.
• Add a timeline graphic for process steps.
• Caption images with the takeaway, not fluff.

14) Local SEO x AEO: the hybrid play

Local signals are entity signals in disguise.
I unify Sydney local SEO with AEO so your brand is the default local answer.

What I standardize.

• GMB categories, services, and service areas.
• Location pages with unique proof (photos, staff, clients).
• LocalBusiness schema with areaServed: Sydney.

15) Distribute proofs where LLMs forage

LLMs graze across PDFs, docs, and profiles.
I publish the same canonical facts on multiple authoritative surfaces.

Surfaces I use.

• Your site (of course).
• LinkedIn company and author pages.
• Medium/Dev/Research hubs if relevant.
• Slide decks and one-pagers as indexed PDFs.
• Public data files (CSV/JSON) with clear licenses.

16) KPIs I track for AEO vs SEO

You can’t optimize what you can’t measure.
I keep SEO and AEO metrics side by side.

SEO KPIs.

• Non-brand organic clicks and impressions.
• Rankings across cluster terms.
• Conversions and assisted revenue.

AEO KPIs (proxies).

• Featured snippets and “People also ask” wins.
• AI Overview surfacing checks and SERP screenshots.
• LLM brand-mention audits on priority questions.
• Answer Pack reuse across your own assets.

17) The agentic workflow that ships this weekly

I run this with AI agents so your team doesn’t drown.
Humans own taste and compliance.
Agents do the grind.

My roster.

• Topic Miner: demand, entities, and gaps.
• Brief Builder: Answer Pack structure and schema plan.
• Writer/Editor: draft, fact-check, tone guardrails.
• Table/Chart Maker: formats data for extraction.
• Schema Bot: injects JSON-LD and validates.
• Distributor: publishes to web, PDF, and profiles.
• Monitor: logs snippets, AI Overviews, and LLM mentions.

18) Budgets and timelines for Sydney mid-market

For $10M–$100M revenue CMOs, here’s what I recommend.
Start with a 90-day pilot, then scale.

Pilot (90 days).

• Budget: AUD $25k–$60k depending on scope and volume.
• Output: 6–12 Answer Packs + 1 cluster hub + schema and dashboards.

Scale (quarterly).

• Budget: AUD $20k–$40k/month for ongoing clusters, audits, and monitoring.
• Output: 4–8 new Answer Packs/month + refreshes + distribution.

19) Risks and red flags I avoid

AEO is sensitive to accuracy and trust.
I refuse shortcuts that backfire.

Hard no’s.

• Hallucinated “stats” with no sources.
• Over-optimized FAQs stuffed with keywords.
• Inconsistent org facts across surfaces.
• Hidden authors or ghost credentials.

20) Your 30-60-90 day AEO + SEO roadmap

Days 1–30.
Inventory entities, authors, and facts.
Ship the Public Facts page + JSON-LD.
Build the first cluster hub and 3 Answer Packs.
Fix critical CWV and sitemap issues.

Days 31–60.
Publish 3–5 more Answer Packs.
Add tables, calculators, and FAQs to every hub.
Standardize author bios and sourcing.
Start LLM mention audits and AI Overview tracking.

Days 61–90.
Expand to a second cluster.
Publish PDFs with the same canonical facts.
Secure 5–10 AU-relevant citations.
Present KPI movement and scale plan to the board.

A quick story: how a Sydney B2B brand earned AI Overview slots

A mid-market SaaS brand in North Sydney had great blogs but zero structured answers.
We built a Pricing Answer Pack with a simple table, a calculator, and 7 FAQs.
We mirrored the facts on a public PDF and updated LinkedIn and schema.
Within two refresh cycles, the calculator page started surfacing inside AI Overviews for “Sydney [category] pricing” queries.
Sales started hearing “I saw your price model in Google’s AI bit,” which we logged as a new assisted-influence KPI.

FAQs

What’s the difference between AEO and SEO in practice?
SEO optimizes pages to rank.
AEO optimizes answers to be cited.
I do both on the same asset.

How do I get mentioned by LLMs?
Publish consistent, cited facts tied to a clear organization and author entity.
Distribute those facts across multiple authoritative surfaces.

How do I appear in Google AI Overviews?
Pre-chunk answers with definitions, steps, tables, and FAQs.
Use clean schema and cite AU-relevant sources.

How long does this take?
Expect signals in 4–8 weeks and compounding wins by 90 days.
Updates and consistency matter more than volume spikes.

What content format works best?
Glossaries, calculators, checklists, and small tables.
They’re highly extractable by LLMs.

Do I need separate pages for AEO?
No.
I design each page to be both a rankable article and an extractable answer.

Which schema types are must-have?
Organization, Article/WebPage, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, Person, LocalBusiness, and Service/Product if you sell something.

What KPIs should I report to the board?
Organic growth, assisted revenue, CAC movement, featured snippets, AI Overview surfacing, and LLM brand mentions.

Is this risky from a compliance standpoint?
It’s safer than winging it.
Cite sources, version your facts, and publish an editorial policy.

Do backlinks still matter?
Yes, but trusted citations and entity consistency matter more for AEO.
I prefer a few AU-relevant links over many weak ones.

Will this replace my content team?
It will replace most of the production grind.
You’ll still need strategy, taste, and governance.

Conclusion

AEO vs SEO for Sydney CMOs is no longer a choice between two tactics.
It’s a single operating system where every asset ranks for humans and answers for machines.
If you standardize your facts, structure your pages, and distribute proofs where LLMs forage, you’ll earn mentions, trigger AI Overviews, and compound organic growth in Sydney’s most competitive categories.
Book a demo at https://hoook.io to see how our customers getting up to 100% traffic growth and up to 20% revenue increase.

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