Ai Search
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the practice of structuring and writing content so it gets selected as the source for AI-generated answers — in Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other answer engines. It extends traditional SEO into the AI answer ecosystem.
Why Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) Matters for SEO
Answer engines are where a growing share of queries get resolved without a click to a website. Brands that appear in AI answers build trust and authority at scale, even in zero-click searches. AEO is not a replacement for SEO — it builds on the same signals of authority, relevance, and technical health.
How Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) Works
AI systems extract answers from pages that clearly and directly address specific questions. Content formatted as Q&A with H2/H3 questions and immediate answers performs better. E-E-A-T signals and schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, DefinedTerm) make content more trustworthy and machine-readable.
Common Mistakes
- Writing for human readers only — AI systems extract content differently to how people read it
- Burying the answer — the direct response should come in the first 1-2 sentences of each section
- Treating AEO as a separate strategy — it's the same content, structured better
Want to go deeper?
Read the full guide: What Is AI SEO? →