What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the branch of digital marketing primarily the SEO division… focused on optimising content to be cited as the primary source of information by “Answer Engines” (AI chatbots, voice assistants, and search generative experiences).
Unlike traditional SEO, which aims to rank a website on a list of blue links, AEO aims to provide a direct, conversational answer to a user’s specific question.
Core Terminology
Answer Engine A search technology that synthesises information to provide a direct answer rather than a list of websites.
Examples: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Claude, and voice assistants like Siri or Alexa.
Zero-Click Search: A search session where the user finds the answer directly on the results page (or via audio) without clicking through to a website. AEO optimizes specifically for these scenarios.
Conversational Query: A search input phrased in natural, human language (e.g., “How do I fix a leaking tap?”) rather than “keyword-ese” (e.g., “fix leaking tap plumbing”).
Position Zero (P0): Often used interchangeably with “Featured Snippet,” this refers to the information box that appears above the traditional #1 search result on Google. Winning Position Zero is a primary goal of AEO.
Citation / Attribution: The link or footnote provided by an AI model to verify where it found the information. In AEO, “winning the citation” is the new “ranking #1.”
Technical Concepts
Natural Language Processing (NLP) The branch of AI that enables machines to understand, interpret, and generate human language. AEO content must be written clearly enough for NLP algorithms to easily parse and summarise.
Entities In AEO, search engines look for “Entities” (distinct concepts, people, places, or things) rather than just keywords.
Context: AI understands that “Jaguar” is an Animal entity in one context and a Car Brand entity in another.
Structured Data (Schema Markup) Code added to a website’s HTML that helps search engines understand the context of the content.
Relevance to AEO: Schema explicitly tells the AI, “This text is a Recipe,” “This is a FAQ,” or “This is a How-To guide,” making it easier for the engine to extract the answer.
Knowledge Graph A database used by search engines to understand the relationships between different entities/facts. AEO strategies often aim to get a brand or person included in the Knowledge Graph to build authority.
