Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
The practice of optimizing content to be surfaced and cited by AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is an emerging discipline that focuses on making your content discoverable and quotable by AI systems that provide direct answers to user queries.
How AEO Differs from SEO
While SEO focuses on ranking in traditional search engine results pages (SERPs), AEO focuses on being the source that AI systems reference when generating answers.
| Aspect | SEO | AEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in search results | Be cited by AI answers |
| Output | Link clicks | Direct mentions/citations |
| Optimization | Keywords, backlinks | Structure, authority, clarity |
Key AEO Strategies
- Clear, authoritative content - AI prefers well-structured, factual content
- Topic coverage - Comprehensive coverage signals expertise
- Structured data - Help AI understand your content’s context
- Regular updates - Fresh content maintains relevance
Why AEO Matters Now
As more users turn to AI assistants for information, content that isn’t optimized for answer engines risks becoming invisible to a growing segment of searchers.
Related Terms
AI Visibility
Answer Engine OptimizationThe measure of how often and prominently your content is referenced, cited, or mentioned by AI-powered systems and answer engines.
Large Language Model (LLM)
AIAn AI model trained on vast amounts of text data that can understand and generate human-like text, powering modern answer engines.
AI platforms are answering your customers' questions. Are they mentioning you?
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