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Managing Digital Visibility in AI-Mediated Discovery: The Technical-Semantic Readiness Gap in Event Marketing

In: Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2026

Author

Listed:
  • Heinonen Johanna

    (University of Eastern Finland)

  • Murto Maria

    (LAB University of Applied Sciences)

  • Pesonen Juho

    (University of Eastern Finland)

Abstract

Drawing on Flyverbom's (Flyverbom, 2022) framework of digital architectures of visibility, this research examines the transition from Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) in event marketing. While SEO focuses on technical accessibility, AEO requires semantic interpretability, which enables AI systems to extract and refract content. This research analyses how well event organisers’ websites in South Karelia, Finland, adhere to AEO standards compared to SEO standards. We assessed 36 websites and found they perform adequately in technical SEO but need significant improvement in AEO readiness. Key weaknesses include a lack of structured data, insufficient semantic and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) content, and the absence of explanatory multimodal content, such as videos and ALT text. These findings indicate a transitional stage in which basic SEO compliance is in place, but strategic readiness for AEO is lacking. This study contributes by operationalising visibility management theory in tourism contexts and demonstrating a systematic technical-semantic readiness gap. Findings suggest that managers should prioritise modular design, structured markup, and enhanced semantic content in their web development strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Heinonen Johanna & Murto Maria & Pesonen Juho, 2026. "Managing Digital Visibility in AI-Mediated Discovery: The Technical-Semantic Readiness Gap in Event Marketing," Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, in: Peter O'Connor & Mattia Rainoldi & Julia Neidhardt (ed.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2026, chapter 32, pages 473-486, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-23925-9_32
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-23925-9_32
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