Lemon Tree Marketing, Author at Lemon Tree Marketing

Digital Marketing, Website

SEO, AEO, GEO. Call It What You Want. Your Content is Still King.

March 30, 2026

Written by Josh Bouwman, Head of Digital

In January 1996, Bill Gates published an essay called “Content is King.” At the time, Google didn’t exist and search engine optimisation as a discipline was barely a concept. And yet, what Gates was predicting wasn’t really about search at all. It was about something more fundamental: that the internet would reward the people and businesses willing to share genuine expertise, real information, and actual value.

“If people are to be expected to put up with turning on a computer to read a screen, they must be rewarded with deep and extremely up-to-date information that they can explore at will.” – Bill Gates, 1996

At the time, it was describing the standard that every version of search, from the earliest crawlers to today’s AI assistants, has been trying to apply ever since.

Nearly three decades later, the definition of what “being found online” looks like has changed substantially. The tools, the platforms, the acronyms – all different. But the underlying principle? It hasn’t moved an inch.

The shift you should understand, not fear

Have you caught yourself thinking, “I’ll just ask ChatGPT”?

The narrative for search is changing. The phrase “I’ll just Google it” is morphing, for what feels like the first time. The way we find information on the internet is evolving, led by the rise of AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and even Siri. The path from question to answer has shortened dramatically, and that compression is changing traffic patterns.

Research from PayPal Australia in mid-2025 found that 48% of Australians had already used an AI assistant to help them search for products online. Separately, Google and IPSOS research from early 2025 found that nearly half of Australians (49%) had used a generative AI tool in the past year. These aren’t fringe numbers. This is mainstream behaviour, and 12 months on, it’s accelerating.

But let me be clear: traffic changing is not the same as your audience disappearing. People are still looking for businesses like yours… They’re just finding answers in different places.

Before any business starts debating SEO vs AEO or worrying about which acronym to optimise for, the most valuable question is far simpler: where are my customers actually searching?

Not where you assume they are, but where the data confirms they are. That distinction matters more than you realise. And it’s something I work closely with clients on, to understand where their customers actually are, and how they can meet them there.

Let’s clear up the acronyms

AEO. GEO. AIO. LLMO. If you’ve been trying to keep up, you’re not alone; even agencies and industry experts working in this space don’t fully agree on what to call it. What we can agree on is that this is a meaningful shift, and the businesses that move thoughtfully and early will hold an advantage that’s genuinely hard to close later.

Here’s a plain-language breakdown.

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) focuses on ranking well in traditional search results; think of your standard Google or Bing listings.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) focuses on appearing in the AI-generated answer boxes that now sit above those results: position zero. If you’re not there, you’re already falling into second place.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) goes a step further; it’s about being cited inside AI-generated responses on platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity, where users often receive a synthesised answer with a small number of referenced sources rather than a list of links.

Are these completely separate disciplines? Not quite. And here’s where the data becomes genuinely useful. Research from Brainlabs in mid-2025 analysed how AI Overviews decide what to cite and found that 96% of the links appearing in AI-generated answers came from websites already ranking in the top ten organic search results.

That’s an important finding. The sites winning in AI search are, overwhelmingly, the same sites that have been winning in traditional search, all because they built the right foundations.

The most practical way to think about it is roughly 70% of what you need to perform across SEO, AEO and GEO is the same strong foundation: genuine authority, content that clearly answers real questions, solid technical website health, and a website architecture that both humans and search engines can navigate.

The remaining 30% is thinking specifically about how AI systems read and reference your content: structured data, clear entity signals, answers that are concise enough to be cited with confidence.

Most businesses aren’t struggling with the 30%. They’re struggling with the 70%. Getting the foundations genuinely right (not just ticked off a checklist) is still the most important thing any business can do to show up across every version of search that exists and every version that’s still coming.

The AI content problem

There’s a version of this conversation that goes: “Easy, I’ll just use AI to write all my content and solve this overnight.”

The logic is understandable, but the outcome, in most cases, doesn’t hold up.

AI has a genuine role in good content production, and there’s no hiding that it’s widely used (our agency included). When applied thoughtfully, it improves both the speed and quality of the work. But there is a meaningful difference between AI as a tool within a considered strategy and AI as a substitute for one.

Google has made its position increasingly clear. As part of its January 2025 update to the Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Google instructed its human quality raters to explicitly flag pages where the main content appears auto or AI-generated, and to rate them as lowest quality.

That’s a significant escalation. John Mueller, Google’s Search Relations lead, went further late last year, warning directly against using AI language models to create content clusters, describing the practice as building “liability” into your website and giving visitors “reasons not to visit any part of your site.”

Right now, a significant volume of content is being published that was generated without real expertise, a genuine point of view, or any meaningful understanding of the audience it’s meant to reach. It has become obvious. Readers can identify it. Search engines are increasingly able to flag it. And AI systems, when deciding which sources to cite, are not rewarding it. It’s what’s now referred to as “AI slop”.

Content that performs, that gets cited, that builds authority, that actually converts a reader into a customer, demonstrates that you genuinely know something. It shows real familiarity with the topic, the question, and the person asking it. That is a human standard. AI can accelerate how you meet it. But it can’t replace it.

So what content actually works for AI?

Content that performs across search, AI Overviews and generative responses in 2026 tends to share a few consistent qualities. It answers a specific question clearly, ideally in the opening paragraph. It’s structured so that both a human reader and an AI system can extract the point quickly. It demonstrates genuine knowledge; not a surface-level overview, but the depth that signals to any reader, human or machine, that the person writing it actually understands the subject.

And it lives on a website built to support it. This is where conversations about website development have shifted. A good website isn’t just one that looks credible but it’s one that’s technically sound, fast, clearly structured, and designed in a way that reinforces rather than undermines the quality of the content. Those decisions need to be made together, from the start of the project.

Bill Gates wrote that audiences would reward publishers who gave them something genuinely worth their time. That standard hasn’t lowered. The tools for finding and evaluating content have just become considerably more sophisticated.

Final thoughts

The businesses that will show up reliably across search, AEO and GEO aren’t the ones who produce the most content, or the ones who found the fastest AI shortcut. They’re the ones building strategies around genuine expertise with websites designed to carry that expertise effectively.

If you’re a marketing manager or business owner working out where to direct your digital marketing investment, the starting point is the same as it’s always been. Know your customer. Understand where they’re looking. Give them something worth finding.

And if you need help working out what that looks like? Let’s have a chat.

Website

The ROI of a Website Redesign: When to invest and why

March 2, 2026

For most businesses, a website redesign is always in the back of the mind – which is usually where it stays. The current site works, traffic is coming in, and leads are still flowing. Why spend time and money rebuilding something that’s working?

(more…)

Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy

2026 Digital Marketing Trends: What we’re seeing on the ground

February 10, 2026

Written by Head of Digital, Josh Bouwman

How people use the internet is undergoing a fundamental change.

We’re watching it happen in real time. Search is becoming conversational. Social platforms are becoming search engines. More and more, people aren’t browsing the internet, they’re asking questions and expecting instant, human-like answers.

(more…)

Uncategorised

Marketing with impact during a recession

July 3, 2023

As the business landscape shifts and consumer priorities change, it becomes crucial to adapt your approach to effectively connect with your audience and maintain a strong brand presence.

In this blog, we’ll explore various strategies that can help you market with impact during a recession and position your business for success, both now and in the future.

Understanding your customers

Before throwing all your resources at the wall, think about how you might rejig your strategy and messaging to ensure it’s both sensitive to the current situation and relevant to your audience.

What are they struggling with, or concerned about? What’s happening in their lives right now? Do some digging and aim to create messaging that shows you understand – and more importantly, that you care.

But beware – make sure you’re truly authentic about it; consumers are smart creatures and will spot a brand taking advantage of the situation from a mile away.

Present a solution with paid search campaigns

Paid search can be highly effective during an economic downturn, when people are actively searching for products and services that provide value for money. By strategically targeting relevant keywords and crafting compelling ad copy, you can position your business as exactly the solution they’re looking for.

Extend your reach with social media advertising

Social media platforms continue to be a powerful marketing tool, even during a recession. With people spending more time online, leveraging social media ads can help you reach a wider audience and engage with more potential customers.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & LinkedIn offer sophisticated targeting options, allowing you to connect with your ideal customers with the right message, at the right time.

Connect and engage with organic social media content

While paid advertising is a must for most, never overlook the power of organic!

Think about creating compelling and shareable content that aligns with your brand values and resonates with your target audience. Engage in meaningful conversations, respond to comments, and actively listen to your audience’s feedback.

Another great approach is to look for ways to entertain your audience. The current economic climate is stressful for so many, so finding ways to make people laugh might be just what the doctor ordered.

And as a bonus, continuing to engage your audience will keep your brand top of mind for when they are ready to purchase again (if they’re not already).

Give your brand some love

Maintaining a strong brand presence is critical at all times – not just during times of crisis.

People are more likely to stick with brands they know and trust, especially when times are tough, so make sure you’re nurturing your brand and ensuring you remain relevant during the changing landscape.

Focus on showcasing your authentic brand values, personality, and commitment to customer satisfaction to help stand out from the competition.

Be loyal to your loyal customers

Your existing customers are a valuable asset. Period.

Instead of focusing on growing your customer base, prioritise nurturing and retaining your loyal customers. Offer exclusive deals, personalised discounts, or loyalty programs to show your appreciation and keep them coming back for more.

Leverage personalised emails

Even now, email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective and highly targeted marketing tools in your arsenal. Use your email list to communicate directly with your audience, offering them valuable insights, special promotions, or helpful resources.

Personalise your email content by using audience segmentation to make each recipient feel seen and heard.

Work on your SEO

In uncertain times, consumers are more likely to research their purchase decisions thoroughly so mastering your SEO is key to success in the fight for Google’s coveted top spot.

Invest time and effort in optimising your website’s structure, metadata, and content to increase organic visibility and attract more qualified traffic.

While economic downturns can be challenging for any business, they also present very real opportunities for those willing to invest in marketing. By maintaining or growing your marketing spend, you can navigate economic uncertainty with confidence and even come out stronger on the other side.

Remember, the power of marketing can make all the difference between surviving and thriving in challenging times.

Brand

The power of marketing in an economic downturn

July 3, 2023

In times of economic uncertainty, it’s only natural to think about tightening the financial belt – and marketing budgets are often one of the first to hit the chopping block. Yet, this can actually be a major missed opportunity.

In fact, history has shown that maintaining or even *boosting* marketing spend during an economic downturn often means remaining more profitable in the short term, and expediting growth once the economy recovers.

With that in mind, we wanted to explore the power of marketing during a potential recession and why it is absolutely essential to continue investing in your marketing efforts.

**Money’s tight! Why focus on marketing?**

Leverage lower advertising costs

One of the key advantages of marketing during an economic downturn is that advertising costs tend to drop. This means reaching your audience at a lower cost-per-click or cost-per-impression. By taking advantage of reduced ad costs, you can stretch your marketing budget further and achieve a higher return on investment. Score!

Secure a greater share of voice

During a recession, many businesses are quick to drop their marketing spend or pull out altogether. This creates a unique opportunity for those in-the-know to slide in with powerful marketing messaging.

With less competition in the advertising space, you’ll likely secure a greater share of voice and ultimately capture more attention. And once you’ve got it? You can leverage this attention long into the future by building and nurturing relationships, and (if you get it right) ultimately achieve greater brand loyalty and advocacy.

Maintain momentum – vvvroom!

Keeping your advertising efforts consistent means you’ll avoid losing momentum in the market. When the economy begins to recover, having an established presence and ongoing campaigns already set up will see you better positioned to take advantage of the upswing.

On the flip side? It can be more challenging, time-consuming and costly to rebuild market share from scratch if you’ve completely paused your ad campaigns – so avoid it if at all possible.

Alright, alright – I’m convinced!
So where should I focus my marketing resources?

Learn more about where to invest your time and resources to create the biggest impact on part two of this blog series, marketing with impact during a recession.

Brand

Building a brand with purpose

June 2, 2023

If there’s one not-so-secret ingredient to building a powerhouse brand, it’s having a purpose. Something that fires you up, drives your business forward; the reason your brand exists. Without one, and if your sole “purpose” is to make money, you’ll likely struggle to get any real consumer buy-in.

There are loads of brands in various different industries that continue to impress us with their dedication to a purpose. Some brands have well and truly stood the test of time, and others are newer kids on the block, pioneering the way forward (think Who Gives a Crap, Koala, and Frank Green). And the one thing they all have in common?

Their purpose beyond revenue.

What is a brand’s purpose?

There’s a really interesting journal article by Colin Mitchell & John Shaw, for Ogilvy and Mather, that explains the evolution of an observation, now known as The Big IdeaLTM. It’s quite an extensive observation, so we’ll discuss it in simple terms.

The observation is that the brands people admire most are built on underpinning ideals that guide brand and company activity. This idea of a brand’s real purpose has been proven to influence business success, particularly in the long term.

The idea is that the ‘ideal’ is the brand’s best self. The Big IdeaLTM, then, is a statement that defines your brand’s point of view, expressing a higher purpose than making money. But it’s the strength and consistent execution of that purpose that gets people to buy in.

Let’s look at the framework for developing your brand’s purpose and examples.

Developing your brand’s purpose

Firstly, look inward. List what makes, or could make your brand great. What do you intrinsically value or stand for? What makes you unique from competitors?

You’ll then need to refine your list, into its simplest form, as a short sentence that defines your brand’s best self.

In our opinion, Dove is one of the frontrunners when it comes to embodying their purpose. Let’s look at how they’ve defined their best self.

For Dove, the brand’s best self is, ‘a gentle alternative to soap that delivers real care’.

Once you’ve determined your brand’s best self, the next step is to identify a wrong in the world that your brand can help make right. List all of the pain points within your industry.

For Dove, they looked to their biggest consumer – women. They uncovered the nasty pressures of advertising toward women, often with the intention to make them feel insecure about themselves enough to buy what it is they need to ‘fix’ it.

So, Dove defined the wrong they set out to right, ‘beauty anxiety in an age of Photoshop’.

Once you’ve defined your brand’s best self and the cultural tension your brand hopes to correct, combine the two, and, voila, you’ve developed your brand purpose. A deeply held conviction on how the world (or some particular part of it) should be, which then forms the foundation of your mission as a brand.

For Dove, ‘the world would be a better place if women were allowed to feel better about their bodies’.

Notice there is no mention of soap or any product, for that matter. This is because the brand strives for a much higher purpose than just the capabilities of its products. Powerful, right?

Now let’s see that brand purpose in action.

How to use a brand purpose

It’s been statistically proven that having a solid brand purpose is linked to greater brand consideration, positive opinions, and salience, which are then associated with business profitability and success. In simple terms, stick to your promise, and your brand will be rewarded.

In saying that, a strong brand purpose doesn’t eventuate in 10 minutes. It’s an exercise that should be well thought out and executed consistently, throughout everything you do, to give your brand the best shot at long-term success.

Your brand purpose should be built on real cultural truths that truly matter to you and to your audience. It should be emotional rather than functional, supported by in-depth research, and brought to life with texture and dimension in a well-executed brand strategy and identity.

It should feel authentic and aspirational – but achievable – and it should be referred to at every single decision-making stage in your company’s future.

Ready to build a brand for the future? Let’s chat.

Digital Marketing

The future of analytics: Transitioning to GA4

May 24, 2022

By Josh Bouwman, Lemon Tree Digital Lead

It’s no surprise that Google recently announced the sunset date for its widely used Universal Analytics (UA) platform.

The platform, which was originally launched in 2005, was recently superseded by Google Analytics 4 or commonly referred to as GA4. The new tracking and analytics program is an exciting new solution for businesses and marketers that brings with it more in-depth data and AI-powered analytics and modelling.

With the 1st of July 2023 marked as the end for Universal Analytics, now is the time to get set up on GA4 to ensure you’re able to run year on year data comparisons.

Another important reason for setting up sooner rather than later is allowing Google’s machine learning time to plugin and start building your data models.

What’s the difference between Universal Analytics and GA4?

Besides the visual differences, GA4 was completely rebuilt by Google on new architecture.

Google Analytics was originally built around the concept of sessions, which is essentially looking at a series of page views by a user. GA4, on the other hand, is built around the concept of events; that is, everything from pageviews to clicks, to form submissions, to checkouts, through to any custom event you define.

This significant change allows GA4 to collect a lot more data, give you more insights into what people are doing on your website or app, and have the ability to track just about anything online – not just web traffic.

What’s the benefit to your business?

GA4 is built for the future. It has a strong focus on data privacy and utilises intelligent, machine learning to unearth insights and provide data-driven attribution modelling (the ability to assign credit to a specific touchpoint in the customer journey).

Whether you’re an ecommerce or service business, GA4 delivers a host of benefits that will help you measure your often complex, multi-platform, multi-device customer journey. The platform will also provide more clarity on your marketing activities with data-driven attribution. GA4 assigns attribution credit to more than just the last click, this means you can understand how your marketing activities collectively influence your customer’s journey to conversion.

GA4 will also give you access to Google’s crystal ball. Predictive Metrics uses AI to understand and predict user behaviour across purchases and event metrics.

Preparing for Google Analytics 4

Now’s the time to start planning your transition to GA4.

Enlisting the help of a specialist to migrate your analytics to GA4 can ensure valuable data is not lost in the process.

The changes in data collection between Universal Analytics and GA4 will require many changes to be implemented and tested. This is particularly important as some standard metrics in UA don’t come as standard in GA4.

If your business uses multi-channel or 3rd party platforms, CRMs, dashboards or reporting interfaces, they will all need to be adjusted to the new GA4 view. That’s not to forget any set up in Tag Manager will need to be updated.

How Lemon Tree can help you migrate to GA4

Lemon Tree is ready to help you migrate your tracking and analytics and can look after your entire GA4 migration process as part of a wider digital partnership.

If you’re ready to take the leap and go beyond your basic Universal Analytics, setup we can help! Reach out to our team today.

Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy

What to look out for when working with an agency

April 4, 2022

When partnering with an agency, you come to the table expecting honesty, transparency, and above all, that they’ll have your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

From questionable practices to guaranteeing the unforeseeable, there are a few common red flags to look out for when deciding on (and working with) an agency. We’ve laid them out below to help you make the most informed decision about whether or not to continue with an agency.

Exclusive partnerships

We’ve heard some pretty wild stories about agencies telling prospective clients what they want to hear, and this one definitely takes the cake. If an agency tells you that they have exclusive partnerships with platforms like Facebook and Google, allowing them to get ahead of any changes before anyone else, this simply isn’t true. While most agencies have certifications with these platforms, this doesn’t give them access to any information that isn’t already available to everyone else.

‘Guaranteed’ results

If you’re considering an agency and they guarantee a certain number of leads or specific return on investment, you should take this with a grain of salt. While we can definitely learn from previous experience and aim to replicate the success of previous campaigns, there is no way to guarantee that the outcome will be the same. If there were, everyone would be doing it.

Each account is different, with different audiences, creative, messaging and the list goes on. Digital marketing is an ongoing evolution in which we’re constantly learning and optimising – but there’s no magic formula that can guarantee results.

Social ads set up under agency Business Manager, not your own

As a Facebook advertiser, it is your right to own and retain all data collected through advertising on the platform. However, this can only be achieved if you’re advertising through your own Business Manager. If you find that your agency is advertising for you through their account, this means that they essentially own your data – so if you decide to leave them, you’ll also be leaving behind every insight your advertising efforts have brought along the way.

Paying advertising costs to the agency, not the platform

If your agency requests that you pay your advertising budget to them, and not directly to the platform you’re advertising with, consider this a red flag. As an agency, it makes no difference to the process or performance if a client pays their ad spend directly to the channel. So if you’re being asked to direct funds to the agency, they’re likely taking a cut for themselves rather than utilising the full budget for your advertising costs.

Availability of specialists

Is it difficult for you to get in touch with the individual specialists working behind the scenes on your account? If this is the case, there’s a good chance your agency is actually outsourcing parts of your account to either domestic or offshore contractors. As a client, you should expect complete clarity over who is working for you and have the opportunity to connect with each of them (not just your Account Manager) if and when you want to learn more about how things are going.

Not considering brand as part of your digital approach

How much does your agency really know about your brand and how you’re different from everyone else out there? Even if you’re working with a ‘digital only’ agency, taking the time to really understand your brand is the key to ensuring a cohesive digital experience that builds on your brand equity and optimises your chance of success. If you approach an agency and they’re ready to ‘hit go’ without digging into who you are and what you do, consider whether they really have the tools needed to maximise results for your business.

Brand, Digital Marketing

The Metaverse and all things digital in 2022

March 8, 2022

By Josh Bouwman, Lemon Tree Digital Lead

Get ready to navigate the ever-changing digital world with our predictions for 2022 and the resources you need to navigate this vastly changing landscape.

The only constant is change

The past few years have seen a monumental shift in both how consumers interact online and the way businesses conduct themselves. There’s a lot more change ahead and consumption of digital media is changing quicker than ever. Now is the perfect time to be revisiting your digital strategy.

Your digital strategy needs to be robust, nimble and include multiple customer touchpoints. Be ready to pivot and test new ways to reach your customers.

Meta, more than just a name change

Facebook is so last year.

You might see it as the same old platform you know (and love), but Meta is proving to be more than just a name change.

Meta plans to open up an entirely new ‘metaverse’ for brands and consumers to interact in virtual and augmented realities. Although a few years away from reality, advertisers should see Meta’s continuous innovations and their focus on improving the end-user experience as their commitment to reign the social media landscape.

With 3 billion active users and growing, Meta’s suite of platforms is a safe haven for advertisers to reach their customers.

Content is king, still

It should come as no surprise that content has made our trending list. The rise of Tik Tok, Instagram Stories and YouTube has put even more pressure on businesses to feed consumers relevant, relatable, timely and authentic content.

As an advertiser, you need to be breaking into your audience’s already diminished attention span. But when you have their attention, how do you hold it?

Reach beyond well-manicured photos and perfectly crafted copy to include short, punchy videos and authentically raw photography that shows the true essence of your brand.

Emails are a rising priority

Despite customer acquisition costs rising sharply over the past two years, email marketing still offers one of the lowest conversion costs for B2C and B2B businesses.

Owing to ever-increasing automation and personalisation capabilities, email allows you to actively nurture your customers and engage with them meaningfully throughout their journey with your brand.

With the right strategy and personalised approach, email marketing should be ranked highly on your priority list (if it’s not already).

Influencers are here to stay

Sometimes it makes us cringe, but influencer marketing still drives results for many industries.

Growth is expected to continue into 2022 and beyond with influencers and brand ambassadors giving businesses an avenue to reach customers on an authentic and personal level. If influencers aren’t your thing, try reaching out to your existing customers and clients for user-generated content and testimonials.

The SEO game is changing

SEO was once a game of tricks and hacks to get your site ranking number one.

As Google’s search algorithms constantly change, what has become increasingly important is providing an outstanding and meaningful user experience. With this in mind, your SEO strategy should be shifting towards optimisations that will enhance your site’s load time, user experience and navigation, as well as ensure your content is readable and accessible.

The growing challenge of privacy

We’ve seen significant changes in how big tech handles privacy and this is set to continue well beyond 2022.

The majority of digital advertising platforms are heavily reliant on personal data to optimise and serve ads to the right audience at the right time. Privacy regulations (like those seen in iOS updates from Apple and the removal of third-party tracking from Google) have significantly reduced the amount of data once available.

Media platforms have worked tirelessly over the past twelve months to implement solutions that will assist advertisers in reaching their target audience. As advertisers, we need to be continuously assessing our targeting strategies with more changes predicted for later this year.

Marketing blogs with substance