Search has fundamentally changed. With Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot now answering questions directly, ranking on the first page of Google is no longer enough. Brands need to become the answer — not just a result. That’s where Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) comes in.
AEO is the discipline of structuring content so that AI-powered platforms select your brand as the authoritative source when users ask conversational questions. It combines technical SEO fundamentals with structured data, E-E-A-T signals, and answer-first content strategy.
But you don’t always need a full agency to get results. Experienced freelance consultants can deliver highly personalised, expert-led AEO campaigns — often with faster communication, lower overhead, and deeper strategic ownership than a large team.
Here are seven UK freelance consultants who are leading the way in AEO in 2026.
1. Luca Tagliaferro
Overview:
Luca Tagliaferro is a London-based SEO and AEO consultant with 14 years of experience and a reputation for blending technical depth with strategic clarity. Recognised as a Top 20 Marketing Influencer by Yahoo Finance, he has spoken at BrightonSEO — one of the world’s largest search marketing conferences — and has spent recent years at the forefront of how AI is reshaping organic search. A former language teacher turned SEO strategist, Luca brings an unusually clear communicator’s mindset to highly technical work: he doesn’t just optimise for AI, he explains exactly why each tactic matters to the businesses he works with.
Learn more from Luca Tagliaferro: How to solve SEO problems using Claude
Operating through Luca Tagliaferro SEO Agency, he has driven over £10M in revenue for clients across fitness, wellness, transportation, and professional services. In 2026, his AEO practice centres on making brands citation-ready across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini.
Key Services:
- AEO strategy and implementation
- Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
- Digital PR and authority building
- Technical SEO audits
- Schema and structured data implementation
- Content strategy for AI citation
Why Choose Luca:
✅ 14 years of SEO experience with a documented revenue impact of £10M+
✅ Recognised industry speaker and Top 20 UK Marketing Influencer
✅ Boutique, hands-on approach — you deal directly with the expert
✅ Strong Digital PR offering to build the off-site citation signals AI engines trust
✅ Deep expertise in AI’s economic impact on search, not just its mechanics
2. Itamar Blauer
Overview:
Itamar Blauer is a London-based AI SEO consultant who has been in the industry since 2008, helping brands of all sizes grow through data-driven, entity-first strategies built for the age of AI search. He works personally on every project — nothing is outsourced — and has built a reputation for straight-talking advice that cuts through the noise around generative AI and search. His client roster spans startups to global enterprises, including Reebok, Wix, Semrush, Ahrefs, Brunel University, and Northumbria University.
Beyond client work, Itamar is a published author (Keywords for SEO), hosts the SEO Unplugged podcast, and is an active SEO speaker — making him one of the more publicly prominent independent AI SEO voices in the UK. His AI SEO methodology goes beyond surface-level optimisation: he focuses on how AI systems interpret entities, semantics, and structured knowledge graphs, which is exactly the layer where AEO is won or lost.
Key Services:
- AI-focused AEO and Google AI Overviews optimisation
- Entity-first technical SEO
- Semantic content optimisation
- Digital PR for entity authority and AI citation signals
- eCommerce and multilingual AI SEO
- AI SEO audits and strategy development
- YouTube SEO for AI surfaces
Why Choose Itamar:
✅ 17+ years of SEO experience with a clear AI-first methodology
✅ Trusted by major brands including Reebok, Wix, and Semrush
✅ Published author and podcast host — a genuine thought leader in AI search
✅ Fully hands-on: no outsourcing, no junior handoffs
✅ Entity and semantic SEO expertise directly relevant to how AI engines
3. Barry (Alchemy SEO)
Overview:
Barry founded Alchemy SEO in 2017 and has since built a reputation as one of London’s most trusted independent AEO and SEO consultants. He works across a notably diverse range of industries — healthcare, wellbeing, law, trades, charities, and non-profits — which gives him a strong instinct for how different audiences phrase their questions. That nuance is increasingly important in AEO, where understanding conversational intent is the difference between being cited and being ignored.
Key Services:
- AEO and featured snippet optimisation
- Schema markup and structured data
- Technical SEO audits
- Content optimisation for voice and AI search
- Local SEO
Why Choose Barry:
✅ Specialist in high-trust sectors where E-E-A-T really matters (healthcare, legal)
✅ Strong schema and structured data expertise
✅ Flexible hourly rate and bespoke packages — no rigid retainers
✅ Proven track record since 2017 across SMEs of all sizes
4. Tom Riley
Overview:
Tom Riley is a UK based AI SEO consultant with around 10 years of experience in search, specialising in highly competitive sectors such as fintech, insurance and nationwide trade businesses, including roofing, cladding, construction and other high-value services.
His approach combines traditional SEO with AI search optimisation, helping businesses increase visibility across Google, ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and other answer engines. Rather than treating SEO, AEO and GEO as separate disciplines, Tom builds search strategies designed to improve visibility across both traditional and AI-driven search.
A particular focus is high-competition trade sectors where businesses need to rank nationally or across multiple locations. Strategies typically combine semantic topical mapping, NLP-led content optimisation, entity-first content, technical SEO, internal linking, digital PR and authoritative link building to build visibility for commercially valuable searches.
Tom also builds and ranks his own lead-generation websites in competitive trade niches, giving him hands-on experience of generating rankings and enquiries in markets where SEO performance directly affects revenue.
Key Services:
- AI SEO consulting
- AEO and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)
- ChatGPT and AI search visibility
- Nationwide SEO for roofing, cladding and trade businesses
- Semantic SEO and NLP-led optimisation
- Entity-first topical authority
- Technical SEO and internal linking
- Digital PR and link building
- AI citation and brand visibility analysis
Why Choose Tom:
- Around 10 years of SEO experience
- Specialist experience in highly competitive search markets
- Strong focus on nationwide roofing, cladding, construction and trade businesses
- Combines Google SEO with ChatGPT, AI Overviews and wider AI-search visibility
- Uses semantic SEO, entities, NLP and topical authority rather than relying on basic content optimisation
- Hands-on consultant rather than a traditional agency model
- Builds and ranks his own trade lead-generation websites, testing strategies against real commercial results
5. Rob May
Overview:
Rob May is a freelance organic SEO specialist based in Leeds, Yorkshire, with over 15 years of agency and independent experience. He is one of the more technically complete AEO practitioners on this list, explicitly combining GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), AEO, and LLM optimisation into a single, unified strategy. His client base spans the UK, US, and Europe, making him a strong choice for brands with international ambitions alongside their AI visibility goals.
Key Services:
- AEO and GEO strategy
- LLM optimisation for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot
- Local and geo-targeted SEO
- Technical audits
- Content and intent mapping
Why Choose Rob:
✅ One of the few UK freelancers combining AEO, GEO, and LLM optimisation explicitly
✅ 15+ years experience across multiple sectors and markets
✅ Strong international client base — suited to brands with cross-border ambitions
✅ Prioritised roadmap approach makes complex AEO work actionable
6. Steph Andrusjak
Overview:
Steph Andrusjak is a freelance SEO consultant based in Greater Manchester with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry.
Having previously led SEO at a digital agency before going independent, she brings strong content strategy instincts alongside technical depth — a combination that positions her well for AEO work, where content structure and crawlability must work in tandem. She has worked across a wide range of sectors, from fashion and healthcare to trades and legal services.
Key Services:
- AEO-aligned content strategy
- Technical SEO and site audits
- Keyword research and intent analysis
- On-page SEO optimisation
- White-label consultancy for agencies
Why Choose Steph:
✅ Nearly 20 years experience including agency leadership roles
✅ Particularly strong in content-heavy sectors (healthcare, legal, fashion)
✅ Available for direct client work and white-label agency partnerships
✅ Known for clear, practical communication
7. Andy Frobisher
Overview:
Andy Frobisher is a Lancashire-based freelance SEO consultant with a decade of industry experience, including time managing a team of 12 SEO specialists before going independent. His full-service approach covers everything from technical audits to Digital PR — which is particularly valuable for AEO, since off-site authority signals (brand mentions, citations in publications, industry recognition) are a key factor in whether AI engines trust your content enough to cite it.
Key Services:
- AEO and AI search optimisation
- Technical SEO audits
- Content strategy
- Digital PR consultation
- Local and national SEO
Why Choose Andy:
✅ Full-service SEO — no need to hire multiple specialists
✅ Digital PR expertise supports the off-site authority signals AEO relies on
✅ Experience managing teams brings agency-level thinking at freelance cost
✅ Award category judge for UK, US, and Global Search Awards
What to Look for in a Freelance AEO Consultant
Choosing a freelance AEO consultant is different from hiring a traditional SEO agency. Here’s what matters most in 2026.
- AEO-specific expertise: Look for someone who understands how AI platforms source and cite content — not just how to rank on Google. Ask whether they track AI citations, not just keyword positions.
- Technical and content breadth: AEO requires both clean structured data (schema markup, crawlability, entity clarity) and answer-first content. A consultant who can only do one of these will leave gaps.
- E-E-A-T and authority building: AI engines trust the same signals Google does — expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Consultants who understand Digital PR and off-site authority building are better positioned for AEO than those focused purely on on-page work.
- Direct access: One of the core advantages of a freelancer is that the expert who pitches you is the expert who does the work. Confirm this upfront.
- Transparent measurement: AEO success looks different to traditional SEO — it means tracking AI citations, brand mentions in LLM responses, and featured snippet ownership, not just traffic and rankings.
FAQs
What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?
AEO is the process of structuring your content so that AI-powered platforms — including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot — select your brand as a cited source when users ask questions. It goes beyond traditional SEO to focus on content clarity, authority signals, and structured data.
How is AEO different from traditional SEO?
Traditional SEO aims to rank in the ten blue links. AEO targets the answer itself — the featured snippet, the AI overview, or the response read aloud by a voice assistant. It requires optimising for extraction, not just discovery.
Why hire a freelance AEO consultant rather than an agency?
Freelancers offer direct access to senior expertise, lower overhead costs, and highly personalised strategies. For AEO in particular — where nuanced content decisions and entity-level authority building matter — having a single expert with full ownership of your strategy can be a significant advantage.
How long does AEO take to show results?
Results vary, but brands with strong existing SEO foundations often see early citation appearances within four to eight weeks of implementing AEO strategies. Building consistent AI visibility across multiple platforms typically takes three to six months.
Do I still need traditional SEO if I’m doing AEO?
Yes. AEO builds on SEO — you need strong technical foundations, quality backlinks, and authoritative content for AI engines to trust and cite you. The two disciplines are complementary, not competing.