What is AEO?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the strategic process of optimizing your digital presence to be cited, recommended, and summarized by generative AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Unlike traditional SEO, which fights for a position on a list of ten blue links, AEO focuses on becoming the single, trusted source of truth that an AI agent selects to construct a direct answer for a user. It shifts the marketing goal from "getting a click" to "being the answer", relying less on keywords and more on Entity Authority - ensuring that LLMs (Large Language Models) understand exactly who you are, what you offer, and why you are the most credible option for a specific query.

The fundamental mechanics of discovery are shifting from "searching" to "reasoning", meaning your brand must survive a machine-led vetting process before it ever reaches the human user. When an AI processes a query like "best pediatric dentist in Warsaw", it does not simply match keywords - it performs a complex multi-step "Search Journey" - scanning directories, verifying ratings, and cross-referencing facts in real-time before generating a response. Tools like Aeoh are designed to visualize this exact journey, revealing the "invisible" steps where your business might be considered and rejected by the AI, providing a level of transparency that traditional web analytics simply cannot match.

The Core Differences: SEO vs. AEO

While SEO and AEO overlap, their goals and metrics for success are fundamentally different. Understanding this distinction is the first step toward optimization:

The Target Audience

SEO targets a human browsing a list of links; AEO targets an AI Agent synthesizing a direct answer.

The Success Metric

SEO chases "Clicks" and "Traffic"; AEO chases "Brand Mentions", "Share of Voice", and "Citations".

The Content Structure

SEO rewards long-form content that keeps users on the page; AEO rewards concise, structured facts (schema markup) that are easy for an algorithm to extract and rate as valuable.

The Trust Factor

SEO relies heavily on backlinks; AEO relies on "Consensus" - verification of facts across multiple authoritative sources (directories, reviews, knowledge bases, rankings, official registries).

Why Consensus Matters in AEO

In the world of Answer Engines, a recommendation is only as strong as the sources backing it up. AI models prioritize "consensus" found across authoritative third-party directories, review sites, and industry portals rather than just believing what you say on your own website. Monitoring these external signals is crucial. Aeoh tracks exactly which citations (e.g., specific medical registries, local directories, or forums) the AI used to build its final answer. This allows you to reverse-engineer the "Trust Graph" of your industry in your location and position your brand exactly where the AI is looking for confirmation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start Your AEO Journey

Ready to see if your business is visible to AI? Generate your first Aeoh AEO Report today - uncover the reasoning behind your AI positioning and implement optimizations to appear frequently in ChatGPT answers.