Originally published on The Chartered Institute of Marketing: CIM.com
Search is becoming agentic. Beyond answers, assistants now complete tasks such as booking demos, reserving tables, starting trials and triaging support. “Task SEO” involves structuring content, schema, and workflows so that AI assistants can safely do things on a buyer’s behalf (with consent). This article defines Task SEO, shows how it sits with AEO/GEO, maps a 30–90-day rollout, and provides a KPI model you can take to the board. Governance is non-negotiable. You’ll need human-in-the-loop approvals, disclosure, step-level logging, and rollback plans.
Task SEO optimises for actions, not just answers. Where AEO/GEO earn inclusion and citations in summaries and LLM responses, Task SEO makes common buyer tasks safe and executable by AI: book a demo, schedule a consult, start a trial or request a quote. It blends content, schema, permissions, and human-in-the-loop (HITL) guardrails.
Getting your content included in AI assistants creates momentum — and the same goes for enabling actions. Brands that move early help define the standard workflows for common tasks, which makes assistants more likely to choose them and improves user experience. If you wait, you risk relying more on paid media and letting competitors control key user journeys. The good news? You can run low-risk pilots in just a few weeks, as long as governance is in place.
Focus first on low-risk, high-value actions that accelerate the path to revenue: book a demo, schedule a consult, start a trial, request pricing, download gated proof, or call me back. Pick one or two by cluster, and instrument every step from inclusion to completion with opt-in and logging.
Follow the AEO structure: use one H1 heading, a short intro answer (under 100 words), question-based H2s with concise answers, and bullet points or tables. Then add task cues: clear calls (“Book a demo”), actionable schema (FAQ/HowTo/Action/Offer where appropriate), and a consent path that an assistant can safely follow and log.
To enable Task SEO, you’ll need:
An API or form that AI assistants can access to complete tasks
A way to handle identity and consent
Tracking to log each interaction
For B2B companies, this means connecting your calendar system (for booking slots), CRM (to capture leads), and any enrichment tools. For governance, make sure anything sensitive such as brand messaging or legal claims goes through a human-in-the-loop (HITL) review process. You should log every outcome, including whether the task succeeded or failed, where it came from (such as an AI assistant), and what happened next.
CRM + ad logs → campaign/answer agents → HITL reviewer gates (brand, legal) → launched task surfaces + telemetry to GA4/BI.
Extend the Answer-Surface KPI stack with action metrics: time-to-task, task completion rate, drop-off by step, consent acceptance, assisted conversions, and downstream CAC/ROAS deltas. Present a lead→lag board story: inclusion & accuracy rise (weeks 1–4) → assisted actions/demos increase (weeks 5–8) → CAC improves on instrumented clusters (weeks 9–12).
| Dimension | AEO | GEO | Task SEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary goal | Be the answer (AIO/snippets/PAA/voice) | Be cited/selected inside LLM responses | Enable safe, consented actions (demo, trial, booking) |
| Page pattern | Question H2s + 40–60-word answers + FAQ | Highly structured facts, comparisons, sources | Answer-first + clear action affordance + actionable schema |
| Governance | Author creds, citations, updates | Claim provenance, evals, disclosure | HITL approvals, permissions, logs, rollback |
| Key KPIs | AIO/snippet/voice inclusion; answer impressions | LLM citations/mentions; inclusion rate | Time-to-task; completion; consent accept; assisted conversions |
| Decision | One operating model: Task SEO complements AEO/GEO; it does not replace them. | ||
Treat every task as something that requires clear user permission. If a task involves brand-sensitive or regulated content, it should go through human review (HITL). Make sure AI involvement is disclosed when needed, log every step of the process, and have a way to reverse changes if something goes wrong.
Build checks to regularly evaluate the accuracy of the output and detect any drift over time. Only launch tasks when they meet agreed standards for quality, safety, and cost. If something goes wrong, it should be easy to trace, report, and review.
Use AI-surface ads to support users as they search, not just to sell. Create ads that feel like helpful summaries, with a clear action and some form of proof, such as a stat or testimonial. Set spending limits, apply exclusions to protect your brand, and track assisted conversions alongside organic results and completed tasks.
The AEO lead is responsible for inclusion and accuracy. Content Operations manages the structure and publishing rhythm. RevOps handles attribution and tracks assisted conversions. Product and IT teams are in charge of task endpoints and logging. Governance is responsible for human review (HITL) and disclosure.
The CMO owns the overall narrative, connecting answers to actions and, ultimately, to customer acquisition cost (CAC). All of this should feed into a single, unified plan and board report.
No. CRO optimises on-site conversion; Task SEO optimises assistant-mediated actions upstream. They meet in the KPI deck: answer inclusion → assisted actions → CAC/ROAS deltas.
Book a demo, schedule a consult, start a trial, request a quote, or “call me back.” Each has clear value, low risk, and well-understood endpoints.
HITL approvals for claims and regulated steps, disclosure of AI assistance, permission-scoped APIs, step-level logs, evals for accuracy, plus rollback and incident review.
Lead→lag: inclusion & accuracy (weeks 1–4) → assisted actions/demos (weeks 5–8) → CAC/ROAS deltas on instrumented clusters (weeks 9–12). Use cohorts/controls and sales narratives.
No. Task SEO complements AEO/GEO. First earn inclusion and citations; then make the path to action safe, fast, and measurable.