What Are AIO, VSO, and SEO? Grab a BLT and Let’s Talk About It.

Ah, Settled in? Hope the bacon’s crispy. Let’s jump right to it. 

AIO = Artificial Intelligence Optimization

VSO = Voice Search Optimization

SEO = Search Engine Optimization

Maybe you first heard these terms from a marketing agent cold-calling with promises to “optimize your site for the future.” Maybe you’ve seen the buzz online and thought, Wait, do I need this? Am I behind? You’re not alone—and you’re not behind.

Here’s a little secret: AI pulls its answers from human-created content online. And who creates that content? That’s right. People. Like you. Like us.

AI doesn’t replace human intelligence—it borrows it. That means instead of panicking, we get to work with AI. SEO, VSO, and AIO don’t cancel each other out—they build on each other. They’re tools in the same toolbox. Let’s break it down.

What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is your foundation. It’s how your website shows up in search results—Google, Bing, etc.—when people type in what they’re looking for. It’s been evolving for decades and continues to matter a lot.

Here’s what great SEO includes:

1. Keyword Research: Figure out what your customers are typing (or saying!) when they’re looking for your product or service. Start with short keywords (e.g., "gutter cleaning") and build toward long-tail keywords (like “how much does gutter cleaning cost in Boise”). 
2. Smart Domain Names: Choose a domain name that includes a keyword—and if possible, your location. “boiseplumbingpros.com” is a leg up compared to “johnandjane123.com.” 
3. Solid Site Structure: Make your site easy to navigate so visitors stick around longer. Search engines love a logical layout. 
4. Optimized Headings & Metadata: Search bots scan headings, titles, and metadata for context. Use keywords naturally and put them where bots and humans both notice.
5. Useful, Ongoing Content: Your content should be current, organized, skimmable, and pain-point aware. Add value. Then keep adding more over time. 
6. Location Targeting: Want to show up in local searches? Use your city or service area consistently across your site. “Custom cabinetry in Boise” beats just “custom cabinetry.” 
7. Calls to Action (CTAs):  Give your clients every opportunity to “Buy Now,” “Schedule Here,” or “Get a Free Quote.” Make it easy to work with you and keep them clicking.
8. Responsive Design: Your site needs to look great and work well on any device. Mobile-first is no longer optional—it’s standard.
9. Technically Sound: Your site needs to work. Fast load times. No broken links. No clunky redirects. A sleek back-end keeps people on your site and search engines happy. 
10. Site Authority: Want to prove you’re trustworthy? Earn backlinks from other credible sites. The more people who reference your site, the more search engines trust you. 

What is VSO?

Voice Search Optimization is SEO’s chatty cousin. It’s all about getting found when people use voice assistants—think Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. 

Spoiler: it’s not that different from SEO. VSO builds on strong SEO foundations with a few added strategies:

Keys to Voice Search Optimization include:

• Voice-Friendly Content

People talk differently than they type. “Best pizza Boise” becomes “What’s the best pizza place near me?” Your site needs to answer spoken questions in a natural, concise way.

• Mobile Optimization

Most voice searches happen on mobile, often hands-free. Your site needs to be lightning fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate by thumb or voice.

• Local Search Power

Voice searches are local. Someone says, “Find a mechanic near me,” and Google pulls from local listings. Make sure your location, services, and hours are front and center.

• Google Business Profile (GBP)

Keep your GBP updated. Voice assistants pull directly from this info—hours, reviews, services, photos. It matters more than ever.

• FAQ Pages

People love to ask questions, and FAQs let you pre-answer them in ways that voice assistants can easily grab.

• Schema Markup

It’s like giving your website a label maker. Schema tells search engines what your content is about, making it eligible for rich snippets and AI usage.

What is AIO? 

Artificial Intelligence Optimization is the new frontier. You’ve probably noticed that AI summaries—“AI Overview” boxes—are now showing up at the top of Google results. These aren’t a passing trend. They’re sticking around. 

So what’s in them?

AI looks for the most helpful, most trustworthy, most accurate answers to questions, and pulls those into its summary.

And where does AI get those answers?

From well-structured, human-written websites. From SEO. From VSO. From you.

How Surge Is Adapting for AI Optimization

We’re already on it.

At Surge, we've always hung our hat on custom content that reflects your business. As search engines evolve and AI continues to shape how people find information, one principle remains the same—high-quality content always wins.

Because we've prioritized strong, strategic content from the beginning, we’re not scrambling to catch up. Instead, we're building on a solid SEO foundation that already works, for both humans and machines.

Here's how we're continuing to optimize for AI and voice search:

• Adding FAQ pages that answer real questions in plain, conversational language
• Implementing schema markup to help AI understand and rank your content
• Optimizing for local and mobile voice queries
• Structuring content with clear headings, skimmable sections, and location-rich keywords
• Updating older pages to keep them relevant, crawlable, and effective

We’re not waiting for AI to catch up—we’re building smarter content for the way people (and algorithms) search now.

So What’s the Takeaway?

If your SEO is solid, you’re already 75% of the way to AIO. By layering in VSO strategies and smart formatting, you give your business the best shot at being the answer that shows up,  whether it’s typed, spoken, or summarized by AI.

Have you noticed how this blog was written?

White space. Clear headings. Bullet points. Conversational tone. Local references. Questions and answers.

That’s no accident.

That’s optimization—of every kind.

What’s Next for AI Optimization?

The way people search is changing fast—but you’re not behind, and you’re not alone. At Surge Web Design, we’re already optimizing for what’s next: voice, AI, and whatever the internet throws at us next week. 

So keep doing what you do best—we’ll make sure your website keeps up (and leads the way).

And hey, if you made it to the end of this blog, you definitely earned another BLT.

Have questions or want to make sure your Boise website is optimized for all the latest search trends?

Call (208) 391-3413 or contact us online—we’re here to help you stay ahead.