Answer Engine Optimization

(AEO)

The practice of optimizing content to appear as the direct answer in AI-powered answer engines like Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the discipline of making your brand the answer when AI-powered engines respond to user queries. Where traditional SEO competes for page rankings, AEO competes for the singular answer an engine selects and presents directly to the user.

AEO vs. GEO

AEO and Generative Engine Optimization are closely related but distinct. GEO is the broader practice of optimizing for any AI-generated response — including multi-source synthesized answers where several brands may be cited. AEO is narrower: it targets the specific answer-engine format where one definitive answer is surfaced, often with a single source attribution.

Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot are the primary answer engines. Each pulls from a curated set of trusted sources, and the winner-take-most dynamics are even more pronounced than in generative search — there is often only one featured answer.

Why AEO Matters

Answer engines are replacing the search results page for an expanding range of queries. Google AI Overviews now appear in a majority of informational searches, and Perplexity processes billions of queries monthly. When these engines answer a buyer's question, there are no "page two results" to fall back on. You are either the cited answer or you are invisible.

How to Win at AEO

The playbook mirrors the broader Machine Relations framework but with sharper focus:

  1. Earn tier-1 placements — Answer engines heavily favor authoritative publications. Earned authority is the primary ranking input.
  2. Structure content for extraction — Clear, concise claims with supporting data. AI engines extract answers from content that reads like an answer.
  3. Build entity clarity — Strong entity signals help answer engines confidently attribute expertise to your brand.
  4. Corroborate across sources — Multiple independent sources confirming the same fact dramatically increase citation probability.

AEO is one component of a complete AI visibility strategy. AuthorityTech treats it as a subset of the broader GEO discipline within the MR Stack.

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