AEO is the practice of making your product the source an AI assistant cites when a buyer asks what to buy. Here's how it differs from SEO.
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of shaping your content, data and off-site footprint so large language models cite you when they answer buying questions. Where SEO optimises for a ranked list of links, AEO optimises for inclusion in a single synthesised answer.
That difference matters because there is no page two in a chat window. If the model doesn't name you, you're not in the consideration set at all — the buyer never sees a competing list to scan.
In practice AEO work splits into three buckets: making your facts easy to extract, making them consistent everywhere the model looks, and making them verifiable enough that the model is willing to attach your name to a recommendation.
Extractability is structural: clear headings, direct answers near the top, tables for comparisons, explicit pricing and capability statements, and schema markup that labels what you are.
Consistency is entity work: your category description, integrations, pricing model and positioning should read the same on your site, in directories, in review platforms and in third-party coverage.
Verifiability is proof: dated statistics, named customers, specific numbers, documentation links. Models hedge on vague claims and quote specific ones.
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