AEO (answer engine optimization)

Definition

Work that makes content more likely to be retrieved, interpreted correctly and cited by answer engines. The work is structural: answers, evidence, entities and dates, which is a wider job than chasing rankings.

Last reviewed 2026-07-14

In use

Used on this site only where the mechanism is specified. Nobody controls placement inside AI answers. AEO describes influence on retrievability and citation-worthiness.

Examples

Answer-first page openings
Sourced, dated claims
Consistent entity definitions