Just when you were starting to feel comfortable with SEO, here comes AEO—Answer Engine Optimization. If you’ve heard that people are getting found through ChatGPT and started wondering if this is yet another marketing trend you need to master, take a deep breath. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what AEO is, how it connects to what you’re already doing with SEO, and why it’s not as overwhelming as it sounds.

You’ll learn how therapists are already getting discovered through AI tools (even without doing anything “fancy”), why specificity in your copy matters more than ever, and what small updates you can make to your website to stay ahead. The good news? If you’ve been following the guidance I’ve shared on this podcast or inside my programs, you’re likely already in great shape.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

1️⃣ Why AEO isn’t a brand-new marketing mountain to climb—and how it builds on your existing SEO efforts

2️⃣ The kind of therapist website copy AI tools are actually looking for (and why general, vague content just won’t cut it)

3️⃣ Five simple, no-overwhelm steps to make your site more findable on tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Confident Copy: walkerstrategyco.com/confident-copy
• The Walker Strategy Co website: walkerstrategyco.com

Connect + Subscribe

Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe so you never miss an episode—and feel free to share it with a fellow therapist who’s building their private practice.

Explore more marketing support for therapists: The Walker Strategy Co website

About Marketing Therapy

Marketing Therapy is the podcast where therapists learn how to market their private practices without burnout, self-doubt, or sleazy tactics. Hosted by marketing coach, strategist, and founder of Walker Strategy Co, each episode brings you clear, grounded advice to help you attract the right-fit, full-fee clients and grow a practice you feel proud of.

Hey there.

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Welcome back to Marketing Therapy.

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Just when you thought you were finally

wrapping your head around this whole

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marketing thing around SEO and websites,

here comes AEO Answer engine optimization.

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You're hearing people are getting

found on Chat GPT, and all of

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a sudden you're like, awesome.

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Another marketing acronym.

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I have to learn another thing on

my plate that I didn't really sign

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up for, but now have to deal with.

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Here's what I want you to know,

and here's what we're gonna

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dive into in this episode.

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AEO is not some brand new

big thing you have to master.

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You don't have to go out

and get a certification.

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You don't have to learn a

whole separate skillset.

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Okay?

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Interestingly enough, AEO answer

engine optimization is really just a

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natural extension of SEO search engine

optimization, the thing you have

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probably already heard about for years.

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Clinicians have been talking about

getting found on Google since I

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began serving therapists six years

ago, and certainly far before that.

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This is something that has

been on therapist radar for

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years and years and years.

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I think of AEO answer engine optimization

has SEO's kind of conversational

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cousin or maybe an older brother

who's just a little more talkative,

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not an entirely different family.

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Okay.

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This is good news for you.

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It means that you don't need to go

throwing out everything you've learned

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or totally overhaul your strategy

to your website or your marketing.

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You simply have to keep building

on what we already know works.

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So in this episode, I wanna kind of pull

back the curtain and show you what AEO

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actually is, how it relates to SEO, how

it's different, what you can be doing too.

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Ultimately rank, not just on Google,

but on Chat GPT, Gemini, perplexity,

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all of those AI tools as well.

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We've actually seen signs that Chat

GPT might pull from Google results.

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Okay?

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That tells us that SEO still matters.

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And if your copy was already written

with clarity and specificity and client

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friendliness in mind, then you are

probably further ahead than you think.

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Okay, so I hope if nothing

else, this episode is actually

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rather encouraging for you.

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So today we're gonna talk about what

AEO actually is, how it works when

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people are using AI tools to ultimately

find a therapist and some simple

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steps you can be taking to make sure

your website is optimized for this

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new kind, this new era of search.

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Like I said, my hope is that by

the end of this episode, you feel

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encouraged because this shift

does not have to be intimidating.

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It can actually open up even

more opportunities for the

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right clients to find you.

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So what exactly is AEO?

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Let's start there.

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AEO stands for answer engine optimization.

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It's the idea of being findable

when someone goes to an AI tool

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like Chat, GPT, or Gemini or

perplexity, and asks a question.

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Now, before we get too far here, let

me clear up one really important thing.

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AEO is not a formalized system, okay?

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Unlike SEO, it doesn't have decades

of history or well-documented

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ranking factors like SEO does.

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We know a lot about SEO, not

all of it, but a lot of it.

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AEO, on the other hand, is still emerging.

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So when people are saying optimize

for AEO, what they're really talking

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about is how do we make it more likely

that an AI tool will pull from our

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website when it's generating answers?

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That's what we're ultimately looking for.

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Here.

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I,

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this is an important distinction

because these tools, Gemini, perplexity,

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whatever your favorite AI tool is.

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They aren't inventing

everything from scratch, okay?

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They are pulling heavily from

sources that already exist, okay?

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Google, Bing.

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Professional directories.

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Webpages that are already indexed, which

means SEO is still the foundation here,

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because if your site doesn't show up

well in Google or in Bing, it's not going

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to be very visible to AI tools either.

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So let's step back a little bit and

also talk about SEO because it's

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really where AEO starts to connect.

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So, SEO, the traditional getting

found on Google search engine

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optimization has two primary sides.

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On one side, it's technical, the

kind of behind the scenes stuff that

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makes your website function well.

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Things like, is your website fast enough?

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Does it load quickly?

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Does it look and load properly on a phone?

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Can Google's bots crawl

it and understand it?

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Is your content tagged correctly so

it knows what each page is about?

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Okay.

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Those are the technical elements,

and all of those things matter

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because without them, your site might

not even show up in search at all.

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Google cares that those pieces

are in place because at the end

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of the day, Google wants to give

its users results that are not

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just accurate, but functional.

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The website loads, it loads

properly, it loads quickly,

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all of those kinds of things.

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But on the other side, we've got content.

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SEO.

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This is where your actual words come in.

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It's about whether your copy is clear

and specific and credible and helpful.

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You may have heard of Google's

EEAT framework, which is incredibly

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important, especially for therapists

who are providing a health service.

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EEAT stands for experience, expertise,

authority, and trustworthiness.

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So Google is actually reading your

site and deciding, are you experienced?

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Do you have expertise?

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Do you have authority?

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Can we trust you?

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It's what helps a search engine ultimately

decide, is this a site we should put in

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front of someone who's searching for help?

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Now, here's where AEO

enters the conversation.

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Answer engines like Chat GPT lean much

more heavily on that content side.

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They care less about your site

speed or your schema markup, or

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any of those technical things.

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And a lot more about, is the

language here conversational?

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Does it match the way people

ask questions in real life?

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Is it specific enough that the model, the

AI tool, can confidently quote from it?

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Does it sound authoritative

and trustworthy?

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Are there signals proving that

authorit and trustworthiness?

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Now this doesn't mean that the technical

stuff doesn't matter because again,

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these tools are still pulling from

search engines, but it does mean that

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your copy, the words on the page, carry

even more weight in this new landscape.

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So if we boil it down, SEO is

both technical and content.

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AEO is primarily content driven and the

two are connected because AEO depends

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on the visibility that SEO provides.

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Is this making sense?

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So, like I said, if your website is

already clear and specific and written

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in that natural client friendly

language, you are probably already

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further ahead than you think you are.

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That's why so many of our students in

Confident Copy and clients who have gone

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through our Done For You program are

already being found on Chat GPT, even

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though they didn't explicitly do anything

for ai, they haven't done anything

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special, but their copy is specific.

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It is conversational, and that's

what these tools are looking for.

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So now that we've defined what

AEO is, let's talk about why it

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matters and also again, why you

don't need to feel intimidated here.

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Because I know that when new

marketing terms start floating around,

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it's easy to feel that sense of.

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Oh no.

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Another thing, another

trend I'm already behind on.

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I feel that way about reels still.

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I don't know how to make it reel, but

with AEO, the truth is you aren't behind.

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If you have been abiding by the

best practices and listening to

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podcasts like this one and guidance

like mine, you probably are already

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doing a lot of what matters most

because remember, answer engines.

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Like Chat GPT and Perplexity and Gemini

are not building a whole new internet.

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They're pulling from the same places

you have already been optimizing for.

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So if you've invested in your website,

worked on clear copy, been specific

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about who you help and how you're

probably already ahead of the curve,

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and here's the even better news.

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I think a EI is actually a

massive and exciting opportunity

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for therapists in particular.

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Why?

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Because the way people ask

questions in AI tools is so much

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more specific and human than the

way they usually search on Google.

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So on Google, someone might type

in therapist near me for anxiety.

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In Chachi, bt, they might

ask something like, what's a

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good therapist in Nashville?

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If I just found out my husband has

been having an emotional affair?

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Do you feel the difference there?

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That second question is loaded with

detail and context and emotion,

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and if your website has content

that speaks directly to situations

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like that, you are in a much better

position to show up in those answers.

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It is why I don't want you

to view AEO as a threat.

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It's actually a chance to be found

more easily by the exact clients

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you love, love, love to work with.

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We've already seen this

happen with our students.

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I actually heard just last week that

a former student of ours, a graduate

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of Confident Copy, Kara, if you're

listening, she mentioned that she's

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had three clients come to her recently,

all having found her on Chat GPT.

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Another found for someone

searching for a therapist with

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a spiritual approach for moms.

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Pretty specific.

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Another one for infertility work in

the Bay Area, which is very saturated.

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Historically, these are not

vague or generic searches, right?

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Those people, although we don't know

exactly what they typed into Chat

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GPT, to find those clinicians for, of

course we're likely asking some very

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specific and very human questions.

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And because those therapists had clear

niche specific copy, their sites were

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the ones pulled into chat, gb t's answer.

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And there's something so

incredibly satisfying about

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the thought of that, right?

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That you were just busy writing your

copy, making your website, and then

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doing your thing and Chat GPT is

realizing, oh my goodness, this is

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the therapist I should recommend here.

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So again, the big takeaway here,

AEO is not a replacement of SEO.

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It's not a brand new

thing you need to learn.

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It's just an evolution of it.

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And if you've been focusing on the

clear, specific, trustworthy copy we

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talk about around here all the time,

this shift is actually in your favor.

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So let's get really practical here.

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I gave that example of someone who might

be looking for, support after finding out

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their husband had an emotional affair.

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We need to think about what it actually

looks like when a potential client

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uses an AI tool to find a therapist.

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Because if you use an ai, you know this,

the way you ask questions in AI is a

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whole lot different than in Google, right?

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On Google, you might see

some short clipped searches.

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Something like therapist near me for

anxiety, like I mentioned, or DBT

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therapist, Nashville, something like that.

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But when someone comes to Chat GPT or

Gemini, whatever their favorite tool is,

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they tend to type in a full sentence,

sometimes even a full paragraph, right?

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It's more like a conversation.

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They might say, what's a

good therapist in Nashville?

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If my kid keeps having emotional outbursts

and I feel like a terrible parent.

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Or who are the best therapists in Denver

who work with teens with OCD and use ERP?

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I heard it's really good for OCD,

or I'm looking for a therapist

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in the Bay Area who can support

me through perimenopause and also

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understands my cultural background.

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These are richer, more layered,

more context heavy queries.

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And so this is where therapists

who have clear and specific copy

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have such an advantage because if

your website says something like,

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I work with women navigating the

hormonal and emotional challenges of

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perimenopause, or I help teens with

OCD using evidence-based ERP therapy,

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you've just given an AI tool Exactly.

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The kind of language it

can match to that question.

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That is why specificity

matters so much right now.

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And it's funny, as I was preparing

this episode, I was reflecting on how

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often specificity has come up as a

theme in what I'm seeing work in the

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marketplace and so beyond AI specificity

is serving clinicians so well in

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every area of their marketing, and

here is just another example of that.

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Now, please know this doesn't mean

you have to predict every single query

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anyone's ever gonna have word for word.

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Of course not that would be

unrealistic, but it is making sure

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that your website mirrors the natural

real world ways people are talking

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about what they're going through.

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It's also a reason why having those

niche focused specialty pages is going

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to be so incredibly powerful for you.

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Because when someone asks a question

that's layered with detail, location,

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and life situation, modality,

maybe, or identity, your page can

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be the one that gets pulled in.

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If it is the most specific

and the most relevant.

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It is really cool 'cause

this is something we've been

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teaching for a long time, right?

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Right.

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In the language your clients are

actually using, not in clinical jargon,

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not in abstract concepts, not in vague

generalities, and now all of a sudden

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that same skill, the one that helps

you connect with clients directly on

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your website is also what's helping get

you pulled into AI answers right now.

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So let's talk about what you can actually

do to make your website more AI friendly.

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Okay.

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The first big principle, like I

mentioned earlier, is specificity.

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The more specific your copy is,

the more likely it is to be pulled

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into an AI generated answer.

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It's why I have always emphasized

really laser-focused specialty pages.

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If your anxiety page, for instance,

there are thousands of anxiety

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pages in every city right now.

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If your anxiety page is just a

generic description of symptoms,

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you are not going to stand out.

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But if your anxiety page is written for

moms primarily, for example, then you

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should be talking about how does anxiety

show up when I'm caring for a newborn?

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Or why do I feel more anxious

now that I've gone back to

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work after maternity leave?

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That level of detail is what makes your

copy useful for an AI tool, because the

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other one, what does anxiety feel like?

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Something general like that

is a dime a dozen right?

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Now,

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here's the second thing,

conversational answers.

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This is not the place to be

stiff or overly clinical.

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It never is, but especially

when you're answering questions

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in places like your FAQ.

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Write like you would explain it to a real

person sitting in your office right now.

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For example, instead of perinatal anxiety

is often characterized by intrusive

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thoughts and heightened arousal states.

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You might say.

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Many new moms find themselves lying awake

at night worrying about their baby's

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safety, despite being exhausted, even when

everything is fine, that constant worry

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can feel exhausting and overwhelming.

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See the difference.

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It's human, right?

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It sounds like the way your client

would ask and you would want to answer.

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The third principle here is credibility.

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AI tools are not going to give just

anyone's website in their answers.

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They are looking for trustworthy sources.

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That means it's worth highlighting

your training, your modalities,

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your professional expertise.

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But always in plain language, your

clients can actually understand.

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And when possible, don't just answer the

question, guide the reader to a next step.

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So if we're keeping this perinatal

example, if you are answering that

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question on your website, maybe

you end that answer with, if you

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are noticing these patterns and

want support in breaking out of

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them, I'd love to talk with you.

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Schedule a free consult here

and link to your contact page.

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One other just kind of practical thing.

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Make sure your site is

well optimized for Bing.

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Now, who uses Bing?

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I sure don't, and I don't actually

know anyone that does, but we do know

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that Chat GPT in particular pulls

directly from Bing search results.

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So make sure your indexed there.

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It's pretty straightforward

and very similar to Google,

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but just an extra tip for you.

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Alright, so suggestions on

how to adjust your copy.

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Get incredibly specific with it.

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Build out robust FAQ sections

on each of your specialty pages.

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Really, really niche specific.

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Keep your answers conversational and

authoritative, and as always, write in the

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language your clients are actually using.

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If you do these things, you're gonna

be in a strong position, not just for

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Google, because these are all SEO best

practices, but also for those AI tools.

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All right, so if you're listening

to all of this and wondering, okay,

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Anna, you've given me a lot here.

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Where do I start?

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Here's what I recommend.

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Step one, take a deep breath.

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You are not behind right now.

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If you have been following even the basics

of what I teach around Walker Strategy Co.

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Whether that is the podcast

or free trainings one of our

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programs, you are already in good

position for both SEO and AEO.

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Okay?

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Take a deep breath.

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You're doing good.

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Step two, start with your specialty pages.

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These are the heart of your website when

it comes to how conversion friendly it is.

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So go back and make sure each

one is crystal clear about

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who it's for and what specific

struggles you can help with there.

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Okay?

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Remember, specificity is the name

of the game, and then step three, I

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want you to add or refresh your FAQs.

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We always add FAQs to the

bottom of specialty pages.

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We've been doing that ever since I started

writing copy for clinicians six years

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ago, and today it's honestly the lowest

hanging fruit when it comes to AEO.

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So I want you to think about the actual

questions your clients might type into

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an AI tool about that specialty, and

then answer those in that conversational

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authoritative language offering

that next step when appropriate.

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So if your specialty page is about OCD.

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Don't just have a general

FAQ, like what is OCD?

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I want you to go deeper.

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Why do I feel like I have to check

the locks on my door over and over?

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Can OCD get worse after having a baby?

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Okay.

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Those are the kinds of things AI engines

are going to recognize as useful are.

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Step four, make sure your site

is technically healthy, okay?

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Remember that AI tools are still

pulling from Google and Bing,

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so things like indexing and

site performance still matter.

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And then step five, keep it simple, okay?

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Mm-hmm.

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You don't need to overhaul

your whole site overnight.

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Start by adding those one or two

specific, really juicy FAQs to

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each specialty page, and that alone

can serve you really, really well.

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Deep breath, specialty pages,

FAQs, technical basics, and

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then keep building from there.

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You can do this.

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AEO isn't something to fear.

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It's not another marketing

burden you have to carry.

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It is simply an evolution of

the same fundamentals that

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already matter and always have

clear, specific, credible copy.

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If your website right now is already

speaking directly to your ideal clients

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in the language they actually use, then

you are already on the right track.

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You are already.

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Answer engine optimized, or

at least on your way there.

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Again, it's why so many of

our students are already being

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found in Chat GPT searches.

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So instead of looking at AEO as one more

thing to learn, or intimidating or bad

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for you, I want you to see it as a huge

opportunity and also as encouragement.

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Encouragement to keep writing

in a way that's human.

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And it is grounded in what your clients

are truly searching for when they

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go looking for a therapist like you.

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Of course, if you're ready for support

with that, this is exactly what we do in

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Confident Copy, which is open year round.

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You can get all the details,

walkerstrategyco.com/confident-copy.

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It's that program where

we're gonna take your niche.

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We're gonna take your expertise, your

vision for your practice, and we're

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gonna turn it into website copy.

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That helps you get found and helps you

get on those consult calls where people

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said, I found you on Chat GPT, and then

I read your website and I know you're

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the therapist I want to work with.

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Because your words matter more

than they ever have, and with the

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right strategy behind them, they

can carry you further than ever.

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Thanks for being here today.

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I'll see you in the next episode.