Exploring the Impact of Answer Engine Optimization on User Experience vs. Traditional SEO

Over the past few months, we’ve been tracking a new kind of user. One that doesn’t come from Google. Doesn’t click ads. It actually scrolls through our blog posts and browses other parts of the site. These users are coming from answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai, and Bing Copilot. And the way they interact with our site is wildly different from any organic traffic we’ve seen before.

The User Experience: AEO vs. Traditional SEO

One of the biggest marketing shifts in 2025 has been the rise of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)—and its results speak for themselves.

AI-sourced visitors from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity.ai, and Bing Copilot behave differently from traditional search users. They're not just skimming pages. They scroll. They click. They read. They explore.

A recent analysis of 7 million sessions revealed that users arriving from AI chatbots spend an average of 10.4 minutes per session, compared to 8.1 minutes from Google search—a 28% increase in dwell time. That’s not a small lift. It’s a signal that AI traffic is not only more relevant but also more intentional.

These users come in warm. Their queries have already been partially answered by the AI, so by the time they land on your site, they’re not browsing—they’re investigating. This leads to lower bounce rates, more time on page, and higher engagement with niche and long-form content.

At Enaks Marketing Intelligence, we saw this shift firsthand. In late 2024, general search terms like digital marketing services stopped converting. Instead, we started seeing traffic from highly specific AI-driven queries like:

• Which agency can help grow a B2B SaaS brand with a focus on inbound marketing under $1,000?

• What’s the best marketing strategy for a startup working with a limited budget?

We rebuilt our content to match. Short, clear, answer-first formatting. Pages designed to be picked up by answer engines. And it worked:

• +92% increase in SERP visibility

• +84% growth in organic traffic

• +345% increase in AI Answer traffic

• +240% more impressions for informational queries

• +40% improvement in on-page engagement and conversions

Answer engine optimization isn’t about manipulating algorithms with backlinks and keyword density. It’s about understanding user intent and serving each specific query with a tailored response—meeting users exactly where their needs lie.

In short, traditional SEO brought traffic, while AEO drives action.

Differences in User Experience Impact

The shift from traditional SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) has resulted in significant changes in user engagement and interaction on websites. AI-driven users, coming from platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity.ai, tend to engage more deeply with content. They are more likely to spend extended time on pages, have lower bounce rates, and show higher conversion rates compared to users arriving through traditional SEO tactics like Google search.

This contrast in user experience can be broken down into several key metrics:

Metric	AEO (AI-driven traffic)	Traditional SEO (Google search traffic)	Difference (%)
Time on Page	10.4 minutes on average	8.1 minutes on average	+28% longer
Bounce Rate	Lower – visitors are pre-qualified, with specific intent	Higher – visitors may jump between pages in search of answers	Lower by ~20%
Engagement with Niche Content	Up to 35% more time spent on specialized pages	Lower engagement on niche content	+35%
Session Duration	10.4 minutes on average	8.1 minutes on average	+28% longer
Conversion Rates	40% boost in conversions	Lower conversion rates without clear intent	+40%
Exit Rate	Lower – visitors stay longer to take action	Higher – users leave without engaging further	Lower by ~15-20%

Assessing User Experience Effects

When comparing AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and traditional SEO, it’s crucial to assess how these strategies influence the overall user experience on your website. The rise of AI-driven traffic, particularly from sources like ChatGPT and Perplexity.ai, has reshaped how users engage with content, and understanding these shifts can help businesses refine their strategies.

1. Longer Engagement and Time on Page

AI-driven traffic tends to spend more time on your site. As mentioned earlier, users coming from AI sources average 10.4 minutes per session—28% longer than the 8.1 minutes spent by those arriving from traditional Google search. This longer engagement reflects users’ stronger intent, as they are arriving with more specific queries and a clearer understanding of what they’re looking for. With AEO, users are often pre-qualified by AI-generated responses, meaning they are more likely to dive deeper into your content rather than skim through it.

2. Higher Conversion Rates

With AEO, visitors arrive with a defined purpose, making them more likely to convert. Studies show that AEO can increase conversion rates by up to 40%. This is a result of the directness of the AI-curated content that leads users to action more efficiently compared to the often indirect or vague answers found through traditional SEO methods.

3. Lower Bounce Rates

Bounce rates, a key indicator of user engagement, are typically lower for AI-driven traffic. Since the AI recommendations provide highly relevant results based on user intent, visitors are less likely to abandon the site quickly. In fact, AI-driven visitors are less likely to leave immediately, with exit rates 15-20% lower than those of traditional SEO visitors.

4. Enhanced User Satisfaction

The tailored, intent-driven nature of AEO leads to higher user satisfaction. When users find exactly what they are looking for quickly and efficiently, they’re more likely to have a positive experience. The satisfaction is reflected in their deeper engagement with your content, as they often spend more time on specialized pages, leading to a better overall perception of your site.

5. AI-Driven Content Discovery

AEO also impacts the way users discover content. Traditional SEO often relies on broad keywords and general content to attract traffic, but AEO enables a more nuanced approach by addressing very specific user queries. This leads to a more personalized browsing experience, which is crucial in maintaining high-quality user interactions and reducing frustration from irrelevant search results.

Answer Engine optimization dramatically shifts the user experience compared to traditional SEO. By prioritizing user intent and delivering content that aligns with specific queries, AEO ensures longer sessions, reduced bounce rates, and higher conversions. These metrics not only enhance the user's experience but also contribute to better business outcomes, making AEO a vital strategy in modern digital marketing.

Conclusion

SEO is not dead and it won’t perish, but it now dominates mainly in the transactional phase. We covered this in our previous article titled "What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and how is it different from SEO?" While SEO continues to drive action at the decision-making stage, AEO is taking over the discovery and consideration phases; a massive opportunity for businesses and marketers.

Keyword density, domain authority, and backlinks still help increase your chances of getting visibility, both in search results and AI answers. But they are no longer the key factors. What truly matters now is the quality of your content and how well it aligns with user intent. That’s what shapes visibility in AI-driven platforms today.

If you have any questions about AI answers or want to boost your content to get featured in answer engines, drop us an email at contact@enaks.io,  we’d love to help.