Definition
Answer engine optimization
The practice of optimizing content to be cited by AI engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity) in response to user queries, rather than optimizing primarily for traditional search engine rankings.
Answer engine optimization, usually shortened to AEO, is the successor to SEO for high-intent discovery. The work overlaps with SEO, structured schema, direct answers, internal linking, but the target is different. An AEO-optimized page aims to be cited in an AI-generated answer, not ranked on a search results page.
Best practice is to write direct answers in the first few hundred words of the page, mark up the content with schema so an AI can understand the page type, and structure data in tables or lists near the top rather than buried in prose.
Related terms
See it in practice
Clinch turns the ideas in this glossary into the workflow you actually want.
Snapshots, weekly digests, and auto-updating battlecards. Five minutes to first value. No demo required.