Short answer: Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the work of getting your business cited and recommended inside the answers AI assistants give, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. It combines answer-first content, structured data, open crawler access and mentions on trusted third-party sites.
Why AEO matters now
More people start their research by asking an AI assistant a full question instead of typing keywords into Google. The assistant reads a handful of sources, picks two or three businesses and explains why. Those businesses get the visit. Everyone else is invisible, even if they rank well in the traditional results.
How is AEO different from SEO?
SEO tries to rank a page in a list of links. AEO tries to get your brand named in the answer itself. The two overlap, because AI tools often read pages that already rank well, but AEO adds work that SEO usually skips:
- Writing each page so the key question is answered clearly in the first few lines
- Adding schema markup so AI models understand who you are and what you offer
- Making sure AI crawlers such as GPTBot, ClaudeBot and PerplexityBot are allowed in
- Earning mentions on the review sites, directories and publications AI tools cite
- Tracking how often each AI engine names you, compared with your competitors
What does an AEO agency actually do?
A good AEO agency starts by measuring. It builds a list of the real questions your buyers ask, runs them through each AI engine and records who gets named. That baseline shows where you stand. From there the agency fixes technical blockers, rewrites priority pages into answer-first content, builds third-party mentions and reports each month on how your share of voice changes.
How long does AEO take?
Technical fixes, such as unblocking crawlers and adding schema, can change what AI tools say within weeks. Consistent recommendations in a competitive category usually take three to six months, because they depend on content and outside mentions building up.
Where to start
Ask ChatGPT and Perplexity the questions your customers would ask, and note whether your business appears. If it doesn’t, or a competitor appears instead, an AI visibility audit will show you why and what to fix first.