Definition:
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the process of structuring your content so it can be understood and surfaced by AI-powered tools and search features — like Google’s AI Overviews or ChatGPT’s web-integrated results.
AEO focuses on providing clear, structured, and direct answers to user questions so that your content can be used in conversational or AI-generated responses.
Why It Matters:
Search is changing — fast. More users are getting answers from AI summaries or chat-style interfaces, not just traditional blue links.
AEO helps your content show up in those experiences by:
- Making your answers clear and concise
- Using structured data and strong internal linking
- Aligning with intent, not just keywords
It’s not about gaming AI, it’s about making your content more usable and accessible in new formats.
Where It Fits in Your Strategy:
Think of AEO as the next layer on top of traditional SEO.
If SEO gets you into search results… AEO gets you quoted by the machine.
It’s about answering questions your audience is already asking — and formatting your content so it can be found, interpreted, and delivered clearly in AI-powered results.
