Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content to win direct answers — featured snippets, voice-assistant results and AI answers — by answering specific questions concisely and clearly. The unit of optimization is the question, not just the keyword.
AEO techniques include phrasing headings as real questions, opening each section with a short (~40-word) self-contained answer, and using lists, tables and FAQ markup so machines can lift a clean response. Many of these tactics predate generative AI (they powered featured snippets and voice search) and now feed answer engines too.
AEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) overlap and are often used interchangeably; the distinction and how both relate to SEO is covered in the guide below.
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GEO vs AEO vs SEO