Glossary
Answer engine optimisation (AEO)
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is the practice of writing and structuring web content so that tools which answer questions directly, such as AI chatbots, AI summaries in search results and voice assistants, can understand it and use it in their answers. It overlaps heavily with SEO and with generative engine optimisation.
AEO, GEO and SEO
AEO and generative engine optimisation (GEO) describe largely the same work. GEO comes from academic research on AI-written answers. AEO is the label many marketing platforms use, and it also covers direct answers such as voice assistant replies.
Neither replaces SEO. A page still has to be found and indexed before any tool can use it. Google's documentation on AI features says no special optimisation is needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond being indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet.
What the work usually involves
- Putting the answer first, then the supporting detail.
- Clear headings and short sections that each cover one idea and still make sense on their own.
- Wording that matches how people ask questions.
- Structured data that matches the visible text on the page.
- Facts that can be checked, and a visible author with relevant experience.
Why it matters to a business website
A direct answer can be read without a visit to the website it came from. That makes it more important that the facts about a business are stated plainly on its own pages: what it does, where, and for whom.
Related
Stryx covers this under AI search optimisation and checks where a business stands with an AI visibility audit. The guide How to get recommended by ChatGPT goes into more detail.