First, let’s start with some background on the differences between SEO and AEO.

‍What Is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) improves your shop’s visibility in traditional Google search results. It helps your business show up when customers search things like:

• “tire shops near me”
• “brake repair near me”
• “best tire prices”

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To be SEO-friendly, your website needs:

• Clear, mobile-friendly service pages
• Fast page load speeds
• Structured, well-organized content
• Accurate information about your business, services, and inventory

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These elements help search engines understand your business and increase the likelihood that your website appears in traditional search results.

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‍And what’s different about Answer Engine Optimization?

AEO prepares your business to be discovered and recommended by AI-powered answer engines, such as: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Claude. Increasingly, customers are using agentic search as the first step in their shopping process.

In shopping for tires, customers often phrase their search terms differently and as a question, such as:

• “Where can I get tires installed today?”
• “Who carries Michelin tires near me?”
• “What’s the best shop for an oil change?”

Unlike Google, which returns a plethora of results, agentic engines return a curated set of recommended businesses, not just a list of links. To be found in agentic search and included in the answers, you need to ensure your site has and does a few things.

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What does my site need in order for customers to find me via agentic search?

To be found through AEO, any website needs to provide structured, accurate, trusted, and machine-readable information so AI systems can confidently include it in their recommended answers. Here’s what we do at TireTutor to ensure customers can find you:

• Structured data (Schema mark-up): This is the #1 technical requirement. Structured data gives answer engines a machine-readable source of truth so they can confidently include your business.
• High-quality, up-to-date content: Your site should clearly explain what you do, what you sell, who you help and why you’re trustworthy. AI systems “read” your entire site and use it to generate summaries and recommendations.
• Clear Navigation & Strong Site Architecture: AI can map your site more easily if your pages follow a logical structure.

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Search Behavior Is Changing

Consumers are shifting from keyword search to conversational queries. By investing in AEO + SEO, your shop remains visible across all modern search experiences. Missing from AI answers = missed revenue. If your shop isn’t included in answer engine recommendations, you lose high-intent buyers who are ready to book or buy.

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AEO + SEO Together Maximize Visibility

This dual optimization ensures your shop:

• Appears in Google searches
• Appears in AI recommendations
• Is easier for customers to compare and choose
• Converts more online traffic into appointments and purchases

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What a Modern Vendor Should Provide

Your website vendor should ensure you can be easily found no matter how customers are starting their tire search. At TireTutor, you can expect your website to have:

• Structured data (schema mark-up) that delivers information to Google and AI systems in a digestible way
• Localized metadata in the code of the site adapted for a specific region so that searchers in your area find you faster.
• LLM text: These SEO sitemaps for AI help AI provide searchers with the right answers
• Local SEO / AEO keywords optimizing for primary city, nearby cities, neighborhoods, and regions

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About the Author

Jason Abrahams

Founder & CEO, TireTutor

Before founding TireTutor, Jason ran his own tire shops. He's worked for Bridgestone Tire, Hankook Tire, and was the Founding Head of Sales at CarGurus.