Search Engine Optimization
- Optimizes for ranking position
- Measured in rankings and clicks
- One page answers one query
Resources
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Answer engine optimization is the practice of building content, structure and authority so AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude cite your business when they answer a question. It runs alongside SEO rather than replacing it, aimed at being quoted inside an answer instead of only ranked on a results page.
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Definitions
How Does Answer Engine Optimization Differ From SEO?
SEO earns a position on a search results page. Answer engine optimization earns a place inside the answer an AI assistant gives, whether or not the person ever clicks through. Both draw on the same foundations - clear content, sound technical structure and real authority - so treating them as separate disciplines wastes the overlap.
Answer Engine Optimization
- Optimizes for being the cited source
- Measured in citations and mentions
- One answer can cite several sources at once
Generative engine optimization (GEO), AI SEO and LLM optimization all describe close variations of the same practice. The terminology is still settling; the underlying work - clear, structured, well-sourced content - does not change much between them.
Measurement
How Do We Measure Answer Engine Optimization?
We check whether you are cited by running the questions that matter to your business through four AI engines every month, and record who gets cited and how that changes over time. Every priority page is also scored against our AI readability scorecard, which looks at how easily an engine can parse, trust and quote it - part of how we run every engagement, covered onhow we work.
ChatGPT
The largest consumer AI assistant, and the one most buyers open first when they have a question.
Perplexity
Built as an answer engine from the ground up, with sources shown openly on every response.
Gemini
Google's assistant, and increasingly surfaced directly inside standard search results.
Claude
Anthropic's assistant, growing fast inside research and technical buying workflows.
Scope
What Does an Answer Engine Optimization Engagement Cover?
An AEO engagement runs on four pillars: content, technical structure, authority and measurement - the same four we track across every AI engine each month. Delivery runs through our search & AI visibility program.
Content
Question-led pages that answer what buyers actually type in the first sentences, then get refreshed on a set cycle so answers stay current.
Technical
Schema markup, clean semantic structure and a machine-readable site, so engines can parse and trust what they find.
Authority
Bylines tied to real author entities, plus a citation plan that earns mentions on the sites engines already trust.
Measurement
Monthly citation checks across four AI engines, rankings and AI-referred sessions, landing together in one report.
Common QuestionsFrequently Asked
Frequently Asked
Questions
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of building content, structure and authority so AI assistants cite your business inside the answer they give, rather than only ranking a page on a results page. It runs alongside SEO, not instead of it.
They describe the same practice under different names. Generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI SEO are both used for the same underlying work: building content and structure so AI assistants cite you. We use "answer engine optimization" because it best matches what buyers search for and what the work actually optimizes for - being the answer.
No. Search engines and AI assistants are two different discovery surfaces buyers use, and both send meaningful traffic. We run AEO and SEO as one connected program rather than one replacing the other, because the same technical and content foundations feed both.
It starts with the questions your buyers actually ask, then builds pages, schema and authority signals around answering them clearly and quickly. We track the result every month by checking whether you are actually cited across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude, and adjust the plan based on what we find.