What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
“Hey Siri, what’s the best CRM for startups?”
When a user asks that question, they don’t want a list of 10 blue links. They want one answer.
This is the domain of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
While Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) focuses on influencing AI to synthesize your content into a new response, AEO is laser-focused on being the direct source of truth for voice assistants, featured snippets, and “zero-click” searches.
If SEO is about being found, AEO is about being spoken. It is a crucial component of modern AI SEO.
Table of contents
- The age of zero-click search
- AEO vs SEO vs GEO
- The anatomy of an answer
- Technical requirements for AEO
- How to track your answers
The age of zero-click search
The definition of a “successful search” has changed.
In 2024, nearly 60% of Google searches ended without a click. Why? Because the search engine provided the answer directly on the results page.
Answer Engines (like Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, and Bing Chat) prioritize content that directly addresses specific user intent. They aren’t looking for deep-dive essays; they are looking for:
- Specific facts
- Direct definitions
- Step-by-step instructions
- concise lists
- Google AI Overview summaries
The reality: If you aren’t the “Featured Snippet” or the voice answer, you are invisible to over half of the search volume.
AEO vs SEO vs GEO
It’s easy to confuse these acronyms. Here is how they differ in intent and execution.
| Discipline | SEO | GEO | AEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Traffic & Clicks | AI Synthesis & Citations | Direct Answers & Voice |
| Target Platform | Search Engines | LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude) | Voice Assistants, Snippets |
| Content Style | Comprehensive, Long | Authoritative, Structured | Concise, Conversational |
| Winning State | Rank #1-3 | ”According to [Brand]…” | The only answer spoken |
While GEO optimizes for the construction of a new answer by AI, AEO optimizes for the extraction of a specific piece of information by an algorithm.
The anatomy of an answer
To win at AEO, you must adopt the Q&A Format.
Answer engines work by matching a natural language query (“How do I…”) with a direct natural language response.
The “Inverted Pyramid” strategy:
- The Direct Answer (The “Snippet”): A 40-60 word paragraph at the very top that directly answers the question.
- The Context: Supporting details, examples, and nuance.
- The Deep Dive: Technical elaboration.
Example template for AEO:
Question (H2): What is the ideal length for a blog post?
Answer (Paragraph): The ideal length for a blog post is between 1,500 and 2,500 words for SEO purposes. However, the length should primarily be determined by the topic’s complexity and user intent.
Why this works: It gives the engine exactly what it needs to strip out and display (or read aloud) without needing to process fluff.
Technical requirements for AEO
AEO is heavier on technical structure than GEO. You need to speak the robot’s language.
1. Schema Markup is non-negotiable
You must use Schema.org structured data. This code tells the engine exactly what your content is.
- FAQ Schema: Explicitly tells Google “This is a question” and “This is the answer.”
- HowTo Schema: Perfect for voice assistants guiding users through steps.
- Speakable Schema: Specifically designates sections of text suitable for text-to-speech.
2. Conversational Keywords
People type “weather paris.” They say “What is the weather like in Paris right now?”
Your content needs to mirror conversational speech. Use tools like AnswerThePublic to find the exact questions people are asking, and use those questions as your headings.
3. Mobile Speed
Answer engines are predominantly mobile (phones and smart speakers). If your Time to First Byte (TTFB) is slow, the voice assistant will skip you for a faster source.
How to track your answers
Tracking AEO is difficult because traditional analytics don’t track “voice answers” or “zero-click views.”
Strategies for measurement:
- Track Featured Snippets: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to see how many keywords trigger a snippet where you own the real estate.
- Monitor “Position Zero”: This is the holy grail of AEO.
- Brand Mentions in AI: Often, answer engines pull from the same data pools as LLMs.
The solution:
While tracking voice searches is still a black box, tracking how your brand appears in conversational results is solvable.
Use cloro to monitor your visibility across the AI platforms that are increasingly powering these answer engines. Whether it’s a chatbot or a voice assistant, you need to know if you’re part of the conversation.
Don’t just rank. Be the answer.