Answer engine optimization (AEO)
Also called AEO
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the work of making your content and brand the source that AI assistants, voice assistants and featured snippets quote when someone asks a question.
How AEO differs from SEO
SEO aims for a high position in a list of results. AEO aims to be inside the answer itself: the snippet at the top of Google, the reply from ChatGPT or the line read out by a voice assistant. The two share a foundation, but AEO adds a focus on clear, quotable answers and on how your brand is described across the web.
The core of an AEO program
- Find the questions your buyers ask, in search and in AI tools.
- Answer each one in the first two sentences of a page, then explain.
- Add schema markup and FAQ sections so machines can read the answers.
- Describe your brand consistently and earn mentions on trusted sites.
- Test the same questions every month and track who gets named.
Frequently asked questions
No. It covers any tool that answers instead of listing links: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Google AI Overviews, featured snippets and voice assistants.
Structural fixes can show in weeks when AI tools search the web live. Being named from wider reputation usually takes a few months.