Glossary/Answer engine optimization
Answer engine optimization
Also known as: AEO
Definition
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content and signals so answer engines can extract, trust, and surface a direct answer to a user's question.
An answer engine returns a direct response rather than a list of documents. AEO optimizes for that behavior: making the answer easy to lift, attributing it to a credible source, and ensuring the underlying content is accessible to the systems that assemble the response.
AEO predates generative AI. Featured snippets, voice assistants, and question-and-answer boxes were early answer engines. Generative assistants extend the same idea, which is why AEO and GEO are closely related and frequently treated as one discipline.
For a firm, AEO work often means answer-first writing, clean structured data, and consistent facts about the business so an engine can confidently state who to contact and why.