AI search. Reviewed October 29, 2026
Answer engine optimization
Also called: AEO
Answer engine optimization means writing pages so that a direct question gets a direct, quotable answer in the first sentence, which is what AI assistants and featured snippets lift.
In practice
It is a format discipline more than a technology. Each page has a question it exists to answer, the answer sits at the top in one or two plain sentences, and the rest of the page supports it with numbers and sources.
AEO and GEO are used almost interchangeably. If a distinction helps, AEO is how you write; GEO is everything that gets the writing found.
Related terms
- Generative engine optimizationGenerative engine optimization is the work of getting a business named or cited in answers written by AI assistants, through clear facts on its own site, structured data, and mentions on sites the assistants trust.
- AI citationAn AI citation is a link or named source inside an AI assistant's answer, and it is the AI-search equivalent of ranking on page one.
- Schema markupSchema markup is code added to a web page that labels facts such as business name, services, prices, reviews and questions in a format search engines and AI assistants read directly.
Go deeper
More ai search terms
Want this handled, not explained?
Skill Mammoth builds the site you own, gets you found on Google and ChatGPT, and texts every lead back in under 60 seconds. Month to month, every price published.