More and more people no longer start on Google. They ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or the AI built into Google for a recommendation, and the answer comes back with a short list of sources. AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is the work that makes your business one of those sources.
How AEO differs from SEO
SEO helps you rank in the classic list of blue links. AEO helps you get picked up, trusted and cited by AI assistants when they answer a question. The two overlap, because most AI tools still use a search index, but AEO adds a layer: clean structured data, content written so an AI can quote it, and crawlers that are allowed in.
Why it matters now
A growing share of buyers ask an AI before they contact a business. If the AI never names you, those customers never reach you. Most companies have not started with AEO yet, so being visible early builds a real head start.
Where to begin
Start with an AEO audit: a fixed-price check of how visible your site is to AI answer engines, what is blocking it, and the concrete steps to fix it. From there you either upgrade your current site or, if it is technically unfit, rebuild it.