Answer Engine Optimization

What AEO covers

AEO focuses on the specific layer that turns retrieved content into a generated answer: how a model decides which sources to quote, paraphrase or cite. Tactics center on extraction-friendly structure:

• Question-shaped headings answered in one or two sentences.
• Self-contained paragraphs that don't require surrounding context to make sense.
• Structured data (FAQPage, DefinedTerm, HowTo) that signals the shape of the content.
• Tables and lists for comparisons — denser facts per token, higher extraction rate.

AEO vs GEO

In practice the terms are used interchangeably. If a distinction is made: GEO is the broader strategy (be known, be cite-able, be vouched for) and AEO is the narrower craft of writing pages that extract cleanly into answers.