What is AEO? Answer Engine Optimization Explained
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing your content, website, and digital presence to appear in AI-powered search results and conversational assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
How AEO Differs from Traditional SEO
While traditional SEO focuses on ranking high in Google's search results pages, AEO focuses on:
- Appearing in AI responses: Your content needs to be cited directly in AI assistant answers
- AI crawlability: Ensuring AI bots can access and understand your content
- Citation-worthy content: Creating content that AI systems reference and quote
- Prompt optimization: Understanding what questions people ask AI assistants
Why AEO Matters Now
AI-powered search is growing rapidly. More users are turning to ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity for answers instead of traditional search engines. If your brand isn't optimized for AI search, you're missing out on a significant source of traffic and visibility.
Key AEO Strategies
- Structured Data: Use schema markup to help AI understand your content
- Comprehensive Answers: Create content that thoroughly answers specific questions
- Citation-Friendly Format: Format your content so AI can easily quote and cite it
- Technical Optimization: Ensure AI bots can crawl and index your site
Getting Started with AEO
Start with an AI visibility audit to understand your current presence across AI platforms. Then develop a strategic roadmap for improving your citations and visibility in AI responses.
Ready to optimize your brand for AI search? Get your free visibility audit.