SEO has been an important marketing practice for over a decade now. However, it’s starting to change.
At the moment, SEO remain essential. However, there’s another form of optimisation marketers need to think about: Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO).
This is the practice of increasing your chances of appearing on answer engine results, like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Overviews.
And, though sounding similar, AEO and SEO are two separate optimisation techniques that SEOs must understand; otherwise, they will get left behind.
What is Answer Engine Optimisation?
Answer Engine Optimisation, or AEO, is the practice of creating digital content to increase its likelihood of appearing in AI-generated responses. These responses show up on AI tools like ChatGPT in a conversational interface format.
AEO vs SEO
| Aspect | SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) | AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) |
| Goal | Rank pages in search results to drive clicks and traffic | Ranking as the direct answer on AI Overviews and answer engines |
| Content | Comprehensive, keyword-optimised, and demonstrates E-E-A-T | Clear, scannable, answer-focused, and also demonstrates E-E-A-T |
| Ranking | On-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO | Structured data, answerability, user intent, and context |
| Platforms | Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and other search engines | Google/Bing AI Overviews, featured snippets, and AI engines like ChatGPT |
| Result Style | A list of links (SERPs) which searchers need to click on. | Direct answer delivery, zero-click results, and conversational responses |
How AEO Works: Technologies and Principles
Compared to platforms like Google, which use static search engine algorithms that SEO’ers can learn, AI engines use machine learning, so they’re constantly changing and improving their output.
Because of this, the way we approach AEO is completely different. And the best way to understand how to appear in AI search is to know the technologies and principles behind it.
Role of AI, NLP, and Structured Data
AI platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini use natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) to understand user intent and generate human-like responses.
AI helps filter through vast datasets to identify the most relevant sources, often merging information together to provide the most suitable answer.
NLP, however, helps the answer engines to interpret natural questions like “what is the best way to train for a marathon” by analysing language, context, and user intent.
Structured data, on the other hand, is required to “feed” the system. This is when you use schema markup or other structured data standards to make your website content machine-readable.
With properly structured data, AI engines can understand the content more easily, increasing the chances it’ll appear in the direct answer.
How Schema is Powering Featured Answers
Schema markup, as you know, increases the discoverability of content by labelling it in a way AI machines understand it.
On Schema.org (the schema “dictionary”), you’ll find many types of schema markup you can use that are universally understood by AI engines and search engines.
The main ones include:
- FAQPage Schema: Increases your chances of ranking for FAQs.
- HowTo Schema: Increases your chance of ranking for step-by-step guides.
- Speakable Schema: Increases your chance of getting your content read aloud from audible devices.
By implementing a schema like the above, you make your content machine-readable. As a result, the likelihood that your content will appear in AI direct answers is increased.
Concept of Zero-Click Search
Nowadays, most clicks on Google (around 60%) result in zero clicks. Getting clicks from the SERPs is getting rarer, and with AI search engines, it will get worse.
With AI answer engines, like ChatGPT and Perplexity, users no longer need to use search engines. The answer engine can go back and forth with them, extracting data from the web without the user needing to go on any websites.
As a result, the game has changed. No longer are we fighting for clicks; we’re fighting for presence. Because of this, content must serve the user, not just be a pathway to it.
Key Strategies for Implementing AEO
To improve your AEO performance, you need to use the best SEO practices. A big focus, however, is how the content is formatted for human and machine readability.
- Content Formatting
AI search engines use NLP, which parses content structure to extract relevant answers.
Therefore, your content should be formatted for human and machine readability, as it increases your chances of appearing in featured snippets, voice search, and AI responses.
How to Format Content for AEO
Step 1: Use Question-Based Headings
First, use proper structure when using subheadings, like H2s and H3s. You also want to include keywords in these headings and try to frame them as questions. Think about the type of questions your target audience will be requesting from AI search.
Step 2: Write concise, Direct answers
Regarding content, make sure it’s clear and concise. A 40 to 60-word answer is enough for most question-based search queries. Just remember to keep it clear, relevant, and focused on the query.
Step 3: Use Lists, Tables, or Bullet Points
Try to organise supporting information using structured formats such as bullet points, tables, numbered lists, etc. They’re easier for both AI and humans to scan and to understand.
Step 4: Simplify Your Language
Try to avoid jargon if you’re writing ‘general’ content. Otherwise, use jargon which your target audience uses on a regular basis. Try to be simple and conversational so AI engines can parse the content easily.
Step 5: Optimise for Multimodal Search
Always add descriptive alt text to images, including image names, keywords, and captions to provide context. This will help with multimodal search that requires image and voice search visibility.
- Structured Data
Schema markup helps machines understand the context behind your content. Using it makes content more machine-readable, increasing the chance that it’ll appear in AI-generated answers.
How to Use Structured Data for AEO
Step 1: Choose the Right Schema Type
Decide on what schema fits your content type the most.
- FAQ: For question/answer formats
- HowTo: For step-by-step guides
- Speakable: For voice assistant delivery
You can get a full list of schemas by visiting Schema.org.
Step 2: Generate JSON-LD Code
Use a tool like Merkle Schema Generator, ChatGPT, or plugins like Yoast or Rank Math to generate the correct JSON-LD code for your chosen schema type.
Step 3: Add the Markup to Your Page
Insert the JSON-LD code into the <head> section of the content you want the schema to be added to. You can also use various plugins for this.
Step 4: Validate Your Schema
Use Google’s Rich Results Test or Schema Markup Validator to verify whether the structured data is set up correctly on the page.
Tools Available for AEO
| Tool | Purpose | Free/Paid |
| Yoast SEO | Adds structured data automatically (incl. FAQ, HowTo) via WordPress editor | Free + Premium version |
| Rank Math | Advanced schema generator with support for multiple types | Free + Pro version |
| Schema.org | Official vocabulary for structured data formats | Free |
| Google Rich Results Test | Tests if your structured data is eligible for rich results | Free |
| Merkle Schema Markup Generator | Generates JSON-LD schema for multiple types | Free |
| InLinks | Uses entity-based SEO with automated schema injection | Paid |
| SEMrush | Tracks featured snippets and visibility of structured content | Paid |
| Ahrefs | Identifies questions users ask and shows which pages appear in snippets | Paid |
Where Does AEO Appear?
Content optimised for AI answers can appear in several key areas, including:
Voice Assistant Responses
One key area where AEO responses appear is through voice assistants. These include the likes of Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa, which all rely heavily on structured data and concise, conversational data to deliver spoken responses.
Search Engine Snippets
Featured snippets, such as Google’s famous “People Also Ask” boxes, are a classic example of AEO in action. To be featured here, you need clear, concise, and well-structured answers to relatable questions.
You also have other snippets like knowledge graphs. These are areas on the SERPs where Google used to provide factual information about companies, people, word definitions, etc.
Smart Speaker Interactions
Like voice assistant responses, smart speakers use structured data and easy-to-speak content to read answers aloud, for example, hands-off instructions while following a cooking recipe, etc.
Direct Answers with AI Chatbots
Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and more, all rely on structured data and authoritative web content to power their instant responses. A lot of the time, these will also include links to your web pages.
Pros and Cons of AEO
AEO can present a lot of benefits to the end user. However, for websites, there are a few cons.
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Higher visibility in AI and search features | Reduced website traffic |
| Boosts exposure through snippets, voice search, and chatbot answers. | Users often get answers without clicking through to your site. |
| Improved user experience | Limited control over how content is displayed |
| Structured answers make it easier for users to find what they need. | Search engines and AI assistants may reformat or shorten your content. |
| Greater eligibility for rich results | Technical implementation required |
| Schema markup enables access to enhanced search features. | Proper setup demands time, tools, and accuracy. |
| Builds long-term brand authority | Requires ongoing maintenance |
| Consistent appearances build trust and topical relevance. | Must adapt to evolving algorithms and schema standards. |
Future of SEO: Why AEO Matters
AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are completely changing how users search.
Instead of traditional search, which requires a link click, users will now get instant, conversional answers without needing to go on your website.
For many, this new zero-click type of search can be worrying. Traffic will drop. However, optimising for AEO can help increase the visibility of your website in AI search results. Because of this, AEO should be a top priority for anyone looking to up their internet game.
What people need to focus on is the core SEO principles, plus extra. The core principles include E-E-A-T, quality content, backlinks, and so forth. Now, though, there’s going to be an extra focus on structured data, multimodal search, and instead of clicks, visibility.
Conclusion
When AI search engines first came out, a lot of SEO professionals ignored them. Now, however, this is becoming a problem.
AI search is here to stay, and it’s only going to get better and more popular. And because of this, those who want to still compete in the online game need to develop AEO strategies.
