The Short Version

• AI is reshaping how SEO and AEO influence shopper discovery and engagement.
• Zero-click searches and AI summaries mean fewer people click through, but SEO remains critical.
• Conversational and voice-activated queries require retail property marketing teams to adapt their content strategies.
• Search algorithms and policies are evolving quickly, making constant website updates essential.
• Local optimization and consistent messaging across platforms strengthen visibility and trust.

What AI Means for SEO and AEO in Retail Property Marketing

Artificial intelligence may not be the death knell for search engine optimization that some believe, but it is significantly changing the playbook that marketers have relied on for years.

SEO is still one of the most important tools in a marketer’s toolbox, especially for shopping centers. “When someone types in ‘shopping mall near me’ or ‘best restaurant in Dallas,’ they’re literally raising their hand with intent” said Angela Sweeney, executive director of performance marketing company Pylot/Imaginuity. “They want to engage, so if your shopping center isn’t showing up in that moment, you’ve really missed an opportunity.”

However, the way SEO works has evolved over time. One of the biggest current trends is the zero-click search, which pushes answers into search results through AI overviews, featured snippets and knowledge panels. According to research from Bain & Company, 80% of consumers rely on the zero-click results/AI summaries of search results — rather than clicking through to the websites returned in search results — at least 40% of the time.

Beyond Keywords: Why Accurate Answers Matter in SEO

SEO is no longer just about employing keywords. It’s about providing accurate, timely and helpful information. Although keywords are still important, the goal is to provide content that will be picked up and used by search engines that are scraping the web for the most accurate and relevant answers to the questions people ask the internet.

“While fewer people may actually click through to a specific website, that doesn’t mean that SEO is dead or that your website is dead,” said Sweeney. “It means that marketers have to adapt. It’s really about providing that content in a way that makes it easy for search engines to list your information and serve it up to your shoppers.” For shopping centers, that may mean adding or updating sections on their websites with FAQs like “Are pets allowed?” and “What restaurants are open later than the mall hours?”

From Voice Assistants to AI: Why SEO Must Be Conversational

Voice-activated searches are contributing to the SEO shift. Instead of typing “Gap near me,” people are asking Siri or Alexa, “Where is the closest Gap near me?” Regency Centers marketing director Robyn Marano noted: “It’s this very conversational type of search that is behind the transformation from SEO to AEO, answer engine optimization. So we’re optimizing our platforms to be the answer to these conversational searches.”

People are also having full-blown conversations with virtual assistants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini. “If your content isn’t phrased in a way that is mirroring these voice searches, you’re going to become invisible because the AI generators are not going to see you as that authentic, trustworthy expert,” said Marano. That goes beyond website content to include things like listings, reviews and social content, she added.

AI is pushing marketers to rethink the content they’re putting out across different digital channels. Because AI search is more conversational and more contextual, marketing teams need to rely less on a consumer’s willingness to click through on a link to get the information they need. Effectively, that means creating content that provides real answers to the questions people commonly ask.

“Someone recently asked me if websites are still relevant, and they are because that website is where all the searches are originating from,” said JLL senior vice president and director of property marketing Ashlyn Booth. As such, it’s critical to have accurate, up-to-date content and not a set-it-and-forget-it mindset for online content, she added.

Marketing teams are developing content to fit longer, natural language queries better. For example, Regency took a hard look at its FAQs and recognized that it offered clipped information on things like mall hours and where to park. “We had to go in and rewrite our FAQs to be conversational and to anticipate questions that people would ask,” said Marano. Instead of a “where to park” heading for the website at The Crossing Clarendon, a more conversational question might be: “Is it easy to find parking at The Crossing at Clarendon?”

Adapting to Algorithm and AI Changes

What search engines are looking for changes constantly, so practical marketing teams work with partners who understand the technical side of SEO, algorithms and how AI impacts the search for information. “We’re leaning into our consultants to tell us what needs to change and how we need to do things differently in how we present things,” said Booth.

Years ago, it was all about the hashtag and keywords and phrases like “Black Friday” and “back-to-school” when writing copy. Now, the focus is on descriptive explanations. For its shopping centers, JLL and local marketers are creating dedicated Black Friday webpages with customized content for local sales and promotions that search summaries can pull in more easily.

“What it really comes down to is that there are outside forces that are controlling what people see and how content is served up to them,” said Booth. Thus, one constantly must rethink “how what you put on the website and the way you say it is going to get served up to people that are searching for you,” she added.

Staying current is no easy task given the rapid pace of innovation and how algorithms are changing. A new policy rolled out in early September, for example, requires Google Business Profiles to link to webpages for specific business locations. A shopping center’s Google Business Profile therefore needs to link to a shopping center website, not the corporate entity that owns the property. For a retailer that has order button, a Google Business Profile needs to link directly to an order page. “Google is prioritizing user trust and making sure that the experiences online are seamless,” said Sweeney. “Anything that you can do to make sure your links are compliant and make sure that you have accurate information out there is going to be really important.”

SEO Best Practices for Shopping Center Marketing in the AI Era

SEO is still a foundational layer within marketing content from blogs and business listings to signage and event calendars. Some of the best SEO tips these days involve consistent updates to information across channels. Local optimization is especially critical for shopping centers because many searches come from mobile devices and include the phrase “near me.”

The best advice is to write for people first and the algorithm second, advised Sweeney. “Think about the questions that your shoppers are asking — whether hours, directions, events or amenities at the center — and answer them clearly and directly on your website,” she said. Make sure FAQ answers use short phrases and focused information so search engines can understand them easily.

Marketing teams also need to think about SEO across different platforms, including video, podcasts, images and signage. “All of those things are now searchable and findable through AI, and it’s super important that you have a consistent message out there across all of your channels,” said Sweeney. “If your website said one thing but your Business Profile said another and the ad that you’re running on social media said a third thing, it’s going to impact your ranking.”