Introducing AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
SEO Has Evolved. Are You the Answer AI Is Looking For? There’s a lot of talk about Answer Engine Optimisation – or AEO – but what exactly is it, and why does it matter now more than ever?
What is AEO?
AEO isn’t a separate SEO tactic; rather, it’s the natural outcome of doing SEO properly in today’s AI-driven search environment. It means creating high-quality, technically sound, and user-focused content that AI-powered platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity can easily understand, trust, and cite as authoritative answers.
Rather than chasing rankings for blue links, AEO is about being the chosen source when AI platforms provide direct answers. When a user searches for something, AI no longer just displays 10 links; it tries to answer the question. This means that your content must be clear, trustworthy and structured well enough for AI to understand, interpret and cite.
Why AEO Matters Now
Search behaviour is shifting dramatically, people are turning to AI for instant, concise answers, not just lists of websites. Whether it’s through Google’s new AI-powered overviews or chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity, the way we utilise SEO has changed. Your visibility can now depend on being selected by these systems as a reliable source.
Precision is Key
AI platforms excel at answering specific questions. Today’s users aren’t searching generic search terms, they’re asking niche questions to benefit from AI fully. For example:
- “What are the benefits of a plant-based diet?”
- “How do electric cars impact the environment compared to petrol vehicles?”
- “What’s the average time it takes to learn a new language?”
These are specific questions that require accurate, well-structured responses rather than broad or vague content. This is where AEO becomes critical.
How to Achieve Answer Engine Optimisation
To be AI-citable, your content must meet several key criteria – many of which are rooted in SEO best practices but now require even greater emphasis:
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Answer questions clearly and directly
This approach builds on the foundation laid by Google’s 2013 Hummingbird update, which shifted search from simple keyword matching to understanding the meaning and intent behind queries. Clear, concise, and relevant answers that align with user intent are essential.
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Back your content with real expertise and logical structure
With the 2019 introduction of BERT, Google gained the ability to understand nuanced sentence context and language subtleties. This means your content must be well-organised, logically formatted, and authored by subject-matter experts. General technical SEO best practices like clear headings, bullet points, and FAQs aid AI in parsing your content effectively.
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Use schema markup and semantic HTML
Schema and semantic markup have been around for years but became indispensable with RankBrain (2015) and follow general Technical SEO best practice. They help machines interpret, classify, and accurately quote your content, which increases your chances of being featured in AI-generated answers and snippets.
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Demonstrate authority and trustworthiness
Supporting Google’s evolving E-E-A-T framework – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness – is critical, especially in complex B2B and technical sectors. Citing reputable sources, including case studies, whitepapers, and expert authorship, isn’t optional anymore. These elements underpin credibility and increase the likelihood AI will select your content as a trusted source.
Why AEO is Not Just a Trend
As you can see from the list above, AEO is the visible outcome of more than a decade of SEO evolution coming to maturity. It isn’t a flashy new acronym or a standalone tactic but rather the natural reward for applying time-tested SEO principles with heightened focus on clarity, structure, and expertise in an AI-dominated search landscape.
- The shift from keywords to intent started years ago but now demands even deeper understanding of user questions.
- The technical SEO foundations of schema, structured data, and clear formatting are now non-negotiable for AI comprehension.
- The increasing importance of authoritativeness and trust reflects Google’s commitment to quality, particularly in high-stakes industries like manufacturing and B2B.
When you do SEO well, combining these elements, you don’t just rank; you become a trusted source that AI will actively cite and highlight. That’s AEO.
SEO Isn’t Dead.. It’s Just Evolved
Let’s clear this up: SEO is not dying.
But the rules have changed. And if you’re still playing by old ones, you’re already invisible.
Think of AEO as an extension to an airtight SEO strategy. It’s not just about visits. It’s also about trust. It’s not about impressions. It’s about being the answer.
One Final Takeaway for Marketers
While SEO is often viewed through a technical lens – focused on algorithm updates, keyword analysis, and reverse-engineering search intent – the true responsibility of SEO is to educate and provide genuine value. We must think more like educators than engineers.
If your content effectively helps users solve problems or make informed decisions, modern search engines – powered increasingly by AI – will recognise and reward that value. If it doesn’t? You won’t just lose rankings; you’ll become irrelevant.
