AEO, answer engine optimization
Structuring your content so search answer boxes and assistants can lift a clear, correct answer from your page. It means plain question-and-answer content, consistent business details and structured data.
SEO · AI search
Be the business the AI names.
More customers now ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI answers instead of scrolling a results page. AEO and GEO are how you make your business easy to find, understand and quote there. We do not promise a mention, and nobody honest can.
The basics
AEO, GEO and how they relate to SEO.
The names are new. The foundation is the same good, clear, honest content that has always worked.
GEO, generative engine optimization
The same goal aimed at systems that write a new answer from many sources. They favor pages that are specific, well organized and clearly from a real business with a real location and track record.
How it differs from SEO
SEO gets you found in a list of results. AEO and GEO get you named inside an answer. Good SEO is the base for both, which is why we treat them as one program. See technical and on-page SEO.
The work
What we do to make a site AI-ready.
Roughly in the order we would tackle it. Most of it also helps ordinary search and the visitors who read your pages.
01
Let AI tools in
We check that your robots file, firewall and page setup do not block the crawlers AI search relies on, and that your key pages are indexable and fast.
02
Say what you do, plainly
Each service gets a page that states what it is, who it is for, where you offer it and what it costs or how pricing works. Clear beats clever, because a model has to be able to quote it.
03
Answer the real questions
Short, direct answers to the questions customers actually ask, written once and shown on the service page and your FAQ page. This is the most reusable work in the whole program.
04
Keep your details consistent
Name, address, phone, hours and service descriptions that match across your site, your Google Business Profile and the directories that get read.
05
Add structured data
FAQ, local business and organization markup so machines do not have to guess what a page is about. It has to match what is visible on the page.
06
Earn mentions elsewhere
AI answers lean on what other trustworthy sources say about you, including reviews, local press, chamber listings and industry directories.
Honest expectations
What we will and will not promise.
- We will audit how AI tools currently describe your business and fix what is wrong or missing on your side.
- We will build pages and answers that are easy to quote, and keep them accurate.
- We will not guarantee a mention in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI answers. The systems change often and no agency controls them.
- We will tell you what moved and what did not, using the same reporting as the rest of your SEO program.
AEO and GEO are an add-on at $300/month on SEO Starter and are included on SEO Growth and Premium. See SEO plans and pricing, or local SEO if your customers search by town. If you are also weighing AI for how you run the business, the AI readiness assessment maps that side.
Ask for a free AI-readiness check Questions
AI search questions.
More in our full FAQ.
What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?
Answer engine optimization (AEO) means shaping your content so search answer boxes and AI assistants can pull a clear, correct answer from your pages. In practice, that means writing plain question-and-answer content, keeping business details consistent and adding structured data that labels what each part of the page is. The goal is to be the source an answer is built from. AEO builds on SEO rather than replacing it. See AI search optimization.
What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
Generative engine optimization (GEO) targets AI tools that write a fresh answer from many sources, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. These tools favor pages that are specific, well organized and clearly from a real business with a location, track record and reviews. GEO also looks at how your business is described on other trusted sites. The work overlaps heavily with AEO and good SEO. See AI search optimization.
How is AEO or GEO different from SEO?
Classic SEO aims to get your page into a list of results that people click. AEO and GEO aim to get your business named or quoted inside an AI-written answer, where people may never click at all. They share the same foundations of helpful content, technical health and trust, so good SEO is the base for both. The extra work is in structuring answers clearly and building mentions on other trusted sites. See AI search optimization.
How do I optimize my website for AI search?
First, make sure your site does not block AI crawlers. Then state plainly what you do, who you serve and where, near the top of key pages. Answer real customer questions in short, direct language, keep business details identical across your site and listings, and add structured data such as FAQ and local business markup. Keep pages current, since AI tools prefer recent information. A free AI-readiness check shows where your site stands. See AI search optimization.
How do I get my business recommended or cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews?
No one can guarantee a citation, because each AI tool chooses its own sources. What raises your chances is being easy to quote and widely confirmed. That means clear answers on your own site, plus consistent mentions on sources AI tools trust, such as directories, local news, industry sites and review platforms. Strong SEO and an accurate Google Business Profile support both. Checking what these tools currently say about you is a good place to start. See AI search optimization.
Do you offer AEO alongside SEO, and how do I choose an agency for it?
Yes. AEO and GEO are a $300/month add-on to our SEO Starter plan and are included in Growth and Premium. When comparing agencies, ask what they will actually change on your site, how they will measure AI visibility and how they report it. Be wary of anyone who promises placement in ChatGPT or Google's AI answers, since no one controls those results. See AI search optimization.
Why is my organic traffic dropping even though my rankings are stable?
A common reason is that search results now answer more questions on the page itself, through AI summaries and answer boxes, so fewer people click through even when you rank well. Seasonal changes and new competitors in the results can also play a part. Check Search Console to see which searches lost clicks while impressions held steady. Then make sure your pages are the ones being quoted in those answers, so you still earn the visibility. See free site check.