SEO vs AIO: What Course Creators, Membership Owners, and Coaches Need to Know to Stay Visible in 2025

Jul 24

I'm getting ready to go on a trip (if you know me or have read my blogs, you know how much I love to travel), and I was thinking about how much air travel has changed. There's always that person in the TSA line frantically digging through their bag for their boarding pass while everyone else has theirs loaded on their phone. This is exactly what's happening with online visibility right now.

Traditional paper boarding pass vs mobile boarding pass showing old SEO vs new AIO approaches

Some coaches are still digging around with old-school SEO tactics while others are adapting to the new AIO world.

If you're a coach or course creator trying to grow your audience, you've probably heard about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). But there's a new acronym in town you need to know: AIO — AI Optimization.

Just like travel has evolved (give me a mobile boarding pass, TSA pre-check, my beloved packing cubes, and the kind of carry-on that says "yes, I am a wizard of compact living"), the way people find and connect with businesses online has shifted too. Traditional SEO isn't going away, but if you're not also optimizing for AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews, you're leaving visibility on the table.

And honestly? Your ideal clients are already using these tools to find answers. They're asking ChatGPT about confidence coaching techniques and getting recommendations from Perplexity about the best online courses for their goals. If your content isn't optimized for these conversations, you're missing out on connecting with people who are ready to invest in exactly what you offer.

What is SEO?

SEO is the practice of making your website and content easy for search engines to find and rank. You probably know the drill: use keywords, write helpful blog posts, and make sure your site loads quickly.

For example, a post titled "Confidence Coaching for New Managers" might help you show up when someone Googles that phrase.

I've been in marketing for 30 years, and SEO has always been part of that foundation for good online visibility. But it's not the whole story anymore.

What is AIO?

AIO stands for AI Optimization. It's the process of making your content useful and structured in a way that helps AI tools understand and feature your insights in AI-generated responses.

Think of it like this: instead of just trying to rank in search results, you're now trying to get your content pulled directly into answers AI gives.

Last week, a client in my Shell, Yes! Membership asked, "Can you talk about how to optimize SEO? I need it in context of my website." Here's my answer: SEO is still important, but now we also need to think about AIO. AI tools are answering more questions that people used to search for. If your content isn't structured in a way these tools can easily understand and quote, you're getting passed over.

These tools prioritize (kind of like how I prioritize extra snacks in my carry-on):

Helpful, conversational content that actually answers questions
Clear, specific information instead of fluffy marketing speak
Fresh and credible information from real experts
Content that's structured with clear headings and sections

Why AIO Matters for Coaches and Course Creators

Here's the thing: your ideal clients are already having conversations with AI. They're asking ChatGPT things like "How do I attract more coaching clients without relying on social media?" or "What should I look for in a mindset coach?"

Wooden beach signpost with directional arrows pointing to SEO and AIO paths for online visibility

If you've written content that answers those exact questions in clear, helpful language, you've got a much better shot at being quoted or recommended by the tool. And here's the best part: you're building trust with future clients who discover you in context, not just from a list of links they have to wade through.

I recently worked with a VIP Day client to rework her website with both SEO and AIO in mind. When she saw how we structured her content to work for both traditional search and AI tools, she said it was a complete game changer for how she thinks about her online visibility.

That's the kind of visibility that actually converts.

The Questions I Hear All the Time

Before we dive into the how-to, let me tackle the questions I've been getting from coaches, membership owners, and course creators:

"Is SEO dead now?" Not even close. SEO is still essential for long-term visibility, but it's not the only game in town anymore. AIO simply adds another layer to help your content show up in AI-driven conversations too. Think of it as expanding your reach, not replacing what already works.

"How do I know what content to update first?" Start with your top-performing posts from the last year or two. These are already getting traffic and visibility, so optimizing them for AIO gives you the biggest bang for your time investment. Think of it like renovating the rooms in your house that guests see first. After you've optimized your winners, then tackle the underperformers: old blog posts with outdated examples, broken links, or information that's no longer relevant but covers topics your audience still cares about.

"Is this just for websites?" It starts with your blog, but don't stop there. Your podcast descriptions, YouTube captions, LinkedIn posts, and even your email newsletters can benefit from AIO thinking. The more consistent and clear your message is across platforms, the more AI tools will recognize you as a credible source worth recommending.

"What if I can only do one small thing each week?" Perfect. Pick one blog post and make it more helpful. Add clearer headings, rewrite the intro to better answer a specific question, or include a short FAQ at the bottom. One small improvement a week adds up to major visibility gains over months.

"Can I use AI to help with this optimization?" Absolutely! I use AI all the time to help refine content. Give it clear prompts like: "Help me improve this blog post for course creators who want to grow their email list" or "What questions are confidence coaches asking about client attraction?" Just remember: AI is your research assistant, not your replacement. Your expertise and voice still need to shine through.

How to Optimize for Both SEO and AIO

Here's where the magic happens. These strategies work double-duty for both traditional search engines and AI tools:

Answer the Real Questions Your Clients Are Asking

Stop writing generic blog posts and start answering the specific questions you hear in discovery calls, Facebook groups, and client conversations.

Instead of: "Email Marketing Tips for Entrepreneurs" Try: "What should I include in a membership onboarding sequence?" or "How do I write welcome emails that get course students excited?"

I keep a running list of questions my VIP Day clients ask during our sessions. Those questions become blog posts that consistently get found and referenced.

Be Ridiculously Specific About Who You Help

Generic phrases like "I help entrepreneurs succeed" don't cut it anymore. AI tools need clarity to make good recommendations.

Instead of: "I help business owners grow" Try: "I help membership owners create courses that keep people engaged" or "I help confidence coaches build their first group program without feeling like a fraud"

This specificity helps both search engines and AI tools connect you with the right people at the right time.

Structure Your Content Like You're Having a Conversation

Break your content into skimmable sections that flow naturally. Use headings that sound like questions your clients would actually ask.

Good headings look like:

"Why Group Coaching Feels Scary (And How to Push Through)"
"What to Say When Someone Objects to Your Course Price"
"The Three Things Every Membership Welcome Email Should Include"

I learned this from 30 years of watching what actually gets read versus what gets skipped. People want answers, not academic papers.

Give Your Old Content Some Love

Don't ignore the blog posts you wrote two years ago. Check your analytics for posts with decent traffic but outdated information. These are gold mines for AIO optimization.

Update them with:

Fresh examples from recent client work
Current tools and resources
Clear takeaways that answer today's questions
Your evolved thinking on the topic

Add Trust Signals That Actually Matter

Make sure your expertise is clear throughout your content. Mention your location, years of experience, and specific results you've helped clients achieve.

Instead of: "This strategy works well" Try: "In my 30 years of marketing experience, I've seen this approach help coaches, membership owners, and course creators in my Shell, Yes! Membership increase their email open rates by an average of 23%"

AI tools love specificity and credibility markers.

A Quick Framework You Can Use Today

7-step framework for optimizing content for both SEO and AIO

Here's the simple process I walk my VIP Day clients through:

Pick one blog post that covers a topic your audience still asks about (start with your top performers)
Rewrite the headline as a specific question your ideal client would ask
Add 3-4 clear section headings that break down the answer
Ask AI to help you identify related questions your audience might have
Include a short FAQ at the bottom with those related questions
Add one specific example from your experience or client work
End with a clear next step for readers who want more help

This takes about an hour per post and makes a huge difference in how both search engines and AI tools view your content.

The Shell, Yes! Reality Check

You don't need to throw your SEO knowledge overboard and start from scratch. But if you want to stay visible in a world where AI is answering more and more of your ideal clients' questions, it's time to start thinking about AIO too.

The coaches who adapt now will be the ones getting recommended in AI conversations six months from now. The ones who wait? They'll be playing catch-up while their competitors build relationships with ideal clients they never would have reached otherwise.

If reading this made you realize your content is stuck in 2019 while your ideal clients moved to 2025, my Growth Audit is your fast-track to catching up. I'll peek behind the curtain of your website and content, then give you a roadmap that works for both search engines AND the AI tools that are answering your clients' questions right now.

Get your Growth Audit here

FAQ: AIO for Course Creators, Membership Owners, and Coaches

Q: Is SEO really not dead? SEO is very much alive, just evolving. It's still the foundation for long-term visibility, but the landscape now includes AI tools that can quote and recommend your content directly. AIO builds on your SEO foundation by making your content more useful in conversational contexts.

Q: How do I decide what content needs updating first? Start with posts that get some traffic but have outdated examples or information. Look for content about topics people still ask about, but that could use a fresh perspective or current examples. These give you the biggest return on your optimization time.

Q: Should I optimize content on platforms other than my website? Yes, but start with your blog since that's your content home base. Once you have that optimized, apply the same principles to your podcast descriptions, YouTube videos, and LinkedIn posts. Consistency across platforms helps AI tools recognize you as a reliable source.

Q: I'm overwhelmed. What's the one thing I should focus on first? Pick your most popular blog post from the last year and spend an hour making it more helpful. Add clearer headings, update any outdated information, and include a simple FAQ section at the bottom. Small improvements compound over time.

Q: How do I know if my AIO optimization is working? Watch for mentions in AI-generated responses (clients will often tell you when they found you through ChatGPT or similar tools), track increases in organic traffic to optimized posts, and pay attention to the quality of inquiries you receive. People who find you through AI recommendations tend to be more qualified leads.

Q: What should I tell AI tools when I ask for help with this? Be specific about your audience and goals. Try prompts like: "Help me identify 10 questions confidence coaches are asking about client attraction" or "Suggest ways to improve this blog post for course creators who want to price their programs strategically." The clearer your prompt, the better help you'll get.