What is answer engine optimisation?
Search used to return links. AI returns answers.
When a buyer asks an AI assistant for a recommendation, it names a few companies and gives a reason for each. Companies that are not named are not compared, however good their website or their Google ranking.
AEO is the discipline of earning a place in those answers: making sure AI assistants can read your site, understand what you do, find others who confirm it, and describe you correctly.
Search engine
Ten links. The buyer compares and clicks.
- directory-listing.com
- yourcompany.com
- competitor-one.com
- industry-news.com
- review-site.com
- competitor-two.com
- forum-thread.com
- another-agency.com
- blog-roundup.com
- competitor-three.com
AI engine
One answer. Three names. The rest are never seen.
- Firm A Named first, with a reason.
- Firm B Strong reviews.
- Firm C Broad service.
Everyone else on page one of search is left out of the conversation.
How an AI assistant arrives at an answer
Someone asks a question
A buyer asks an AI assistant in plain language: which firm should I use for this, who is good at that, what does this cost. They expect an answer, not a list of links.
The AI gathers sources
It draws on what it learned in training and, increasingly, on a live search of the web: your site, directories, reviews, publications and lists that mention your category.
It decides whom to trust
It favours sources that are clear, consistent and backed by others. A company described the same way in several credible places is easier to recommend than one that is vague or contradicted.
It names a few companies
The answer usually names a handful of options, often with a reason for each. Being in that short list, and described accurately, is what AEO works towards.
How AEO differs from SEO
With search
- Searches
- Scans ten links
- Visits a few websites
- Builds a shortlist
- Gets in touch
With AI answers
- Asks an AI engine
- Gets a shortlist with reasons
- Gets in touch
| Aspect | SEO | AEO |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Rank well in a list of search results | Be named and described accurately in the answer |
| Where | Google and Bing results pages | ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI answers |
| What the buyer does | Compares results and clicks through | Reads a short answer, often without clicking |
| What matters most | Relevance, links, page experience | Clarity about who you are, consistent facts, trusted third-party sources |
| How progress is measured | Rankings, clicks and organic traffic | How often and how well AI assistants mention you for the questions that matter |
The work, in three layers
- Distribution
Accurate listings, reviews, articles and lists on the sites AI engines consult when they look up your category. Outside sources confirm what your site says.
- Answers
Pages that answer the questions buyers actually ask, directly and specifically, backed by named people, case studies and proof others can confirm.
- Foundation
A site AI can reach, read and understand, with your name, services and people described the same way everywhere.
Other names you may hear
- GEO (generative engine optimisation)
- Often used to mean the same thing as AEO. Some use it specifically for AI assistants that generate answers, such as ChatGPT and Claude.
- AI search optimisation
- Another name for the same work, used when the emphasis is on AI assistants that search the web as they answer.
- LLM optimisation
- A more technical name that refers to the large language models behind the AI engines.
- Search everywhere optimisation
- A wider idea: being visible across search engines, AI assistants, social platforms and marketplaces together.
Common questions about AEO.
Does AEO replace SEO?
No. Much of what AI assistants rely on, such as a crawlable, well-structured site and credible links, is also good SEO. AEO adds the questions buyers ask AI assistants, the sources those AI engines consult, and a way of measuring the answers.
How long does AEO take?
It depends on your category, how contested it is and what needs fixing. Technical fixes can be picked up as soon as AI assistants next read your pages; changes that depend on outside sources take longer. We set phased milestones against a measured baseline rather than promise a date.
Which AI engines matter?
The ones your buyers use. For most of our clients that means ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini and Google's AI answers. The same groundwork helps across all of them, though each has its own sources and habits.
Can AEO be guaranteed?
No. No one controls what an AI assistant says. What can be done is to remove the reasons it overlooks or misdescribes you, give it better sources, and measure the result honestly.
How is AEO measured?
By asking a fixed set of buyer questions on each AI engine at regular intervals and recording whether you are mentioned, where, how you are described, and which sources are cited.
Find out who AI recommends when your buyers ask.
On a first call we show you what ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity say about your market today, and what it would take for them to name you.