Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO): what it actually is
Half your future traffic will come from being cited inside AI answers, not from blue links.
AEO is the practice of structuring your site so that AI answer engines understand and cite it. The core moves are: answer the question in the first paragraph, use clear Q&A structure with FAQPage schema, keep facts dated, and publish an llms.txt.
Why AEO became a separate thing
Until 2024, search was a list of links. In 2026, a growing share of queries produce a direct answer with two or three citations. If you only optimise for the old game, you can still rank #1 and watch your traffic fall.
AEO is the parallel discipline of being the thing the answer is built from.
What answer engines look for
Answer engines retrieve small passages from your site and combine them. They prefer pages that:
- Answer the question directly in the first one or two sentences
- Use a question as the H2
- Carry FAQPage or HowTo schema
- State facts with dates and clear units
- Live on a site with a clear topic
- AEO is the new layer on top of SEO. Not a replacement for it.
- The biggest wins come from direct answers, Q&A structure, and FAQPage schema.
- Publish an llms.txt. It's the modern equivalent of a sitemap for answer engines.
Frequently asked questions
Is AEO replacing SEO?
No. AEO sits on top of SEO. The same fundamentals feed both.