M09-04 · AI + Digital Marketing & Agent Orchestration

SEO, Answer Engine, and Generative Engine Optimization

AI + Digital Marketing & Agent Orchestration →

Search isn't just Google anymore. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews are changing how people find answers — and what it takes to be the answer they find. This course covers traditional SEO (technical audits, keyword research, content optimization), answer engine optimization (AEO), and generative engine optimization (GEO): structuring content so AI systems cite you, not your competitors, and monitoring your brand's visibility in generative AI outputs. You learn to use AI tools for keyword research, content analysis, and GEO monitoring while building the strategic judgment to prioritize what actually drives traffic and revenue.

30 Hours

9 Learning objectives

Create Bloom's ceiling (?)

5 Competencies

What You'll Be Able To Do

Learning Objectives

Objectives

Depth

Conduct AI-assisted keyword research using Surfer SEO and Ahrefs: cluster keywords by intent, identify content gaps, and prioritize targets by traffic potential, difficulty, and business value Analyze
Create content optimized for answer engine visibility: structured data markup, concise authoritative answers, citation-worthy formatting, and entity-based content architecture that AI systems prefer to reference Create
Run a technical SEO audit using Screaming Frog and Google Search Console: crawl errors, indexation issues, Core Web Vitals, site architecture problems, and internal linking gaps Apply
Analyze competitor content strategies using Clearscope and Ahrefs: identify their top-performing content, backlink profiles, content gaps you can exploit, and keyword clusters they own vs. where they're vulnerable Analyze
Build a content optimization workflow using Surfer SEO or Clearscope: content briefs with target terms, content scoring against SERP competitors, and iterative optimization based on NLP analysis Create
Evaluate how Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT citations, and Perplexity source selection work, and adapt content strategy to maintain visibility as search behavior shifts from links to answers Evaluate
Design an automated technical SEO monitoring system: scheduled crawls, alert thresholds for indexation drops, Core Web Vitals regression detection, and broken link monitoring Create
Develop a 90-day SEO and AEO strategy document that prioritizes actions by impact, assigns resources, sets measurable targets, and accounts for the shifting balance between traditional search and AI answer engines Create
Evaluate brand visibility across generative AI platforms using Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit and Ahrefs Brand Radar, identifying citation gaps and developing a GEO action plan to improve presence in AI-generated responses Evaluate

Levels: Remember · Understand · Apply · Analyze · Evaluate · Create — highest demands most original thinking.

Core Competencies

What You'll Master

AI-Assisted Keyword Research

Using Surfer SEO and Ahrefs for intent-based keyword clustering, gap analysis, and prioritization that goes beyond search volume to actual business value.

Answer Engine Optimization

Structuring content for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews — the emerging discipline of being the source AI systems cite.

Technical SEO Automation

Automated crawling, indexation monitoring, Core Web Vitals tracking, and site architecture analysis using Screaming Frog and Search Console.

Content Optimization

NLP-powered content scoring, competitive content analysis, and iterative optimization workflows using Clearscope and Surfer SEO.

SEO Strategy Development

Building prioritized action plans that balance traditional SEO, answer engine optimization, and resource constraints into a coherent 90-day roadmap.

Portfolio Artifact

What You'll Build

SEO Audit & AEO Strategy Document — Conduct a comprehensive SEO audit of a real website: technical audit (Screaming Frog crawl, Core Web Vitals, indexation analysis), content audit (keyword gap analysis, competitive positioning, top-performing content identification), and answer engine assessment (how the site appears in ChatGPT/Perplexity responses, citation potential). Deliver a 90-day strategy document with prioritized actions, content briefs for the top 5 opportunities, an AEO optimization plan, a technical fix roadmap, and measurable success metrics.

Tools You'll Use

Industry Tools, Not Toy Projects

Surfer SEO

NLP-powered content optimization platform — content briefs, SERP analysis, content scoring, and keyword clustering.

Clearscope

Content optimization tool using natural language processing to score content against top-ranking competitors and identify term gaps.

Ahrefs

SEO intelligence platform for keyword research, backlink analysis, competitor monitoring, and content gap identification.

Screaming Frog

Technical SEO crawler for site audits — crawl errors, redirects, duplicate content, meta data analysis, and site architecture mapping.

Google Search Console

Google's direct interface for indexation status, search performance data, Core Web Vitals, and crawl diagnostics.