AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Definition
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), also known as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), is optimizing content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews cite or use it correctly in their answers. It's a complement to classic SEO, which focuses on rankings in search results.
Not just being found, but being cited
Classic SEO optimizes for a position in a list of search results. AEO goes a step further: it makes sure an AI tool can find the right, up-to-date information about a company and use it in a generated answer.
What this concretely requires
Clear, factual content, structured data such as schema markup, and machine-readable files such as llms.txt help AI tools interpret information correctly, instead of relying on outdated or incorrect data.
Practical example
A company publishes its current pricing and packages as structured data on its own website. When a prospect asks ChatGPT what the company costs, the AI tool gives the correct answer, instead of outdated information from a third party.
Related terms
Start with the basics.
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