Everyone knows the importance of search engine optimization (SEO), but have you heard of answer engine optimization (AEO)? With the growth of AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity AI and Microsoft Copilot, it’s becoming increasingly more important for businesses to optimize their content to appear in answers to queries on these platforms as well.
In this first installment of our two-part series on AEO, we’re going to take a closer look at how answer engines are changing search and why this might be a good time for your business to pay attention.
What is answer engine optimization?
Answer engine optimization is the process of thoughtfully making updates to your website to improve your site’s chances of being mentioned in answer engine results. Similar to search engine optimization, AEO includes a strategy of thoughtful content creation, schema markup usage and backlink strategy.
How is AEO different from SEO?
Search engine optimization is traditionally about achieving broad reach on the search engine results pages (SERPs) based on a variety of keywords—in other words, the goal is showing up as often as possible for any searches related to your brand’s topics.
With answer engine optimization, the focus narrows to providing answers to direct questions that users are asking, with a shifted focus to your highest value topics in a Q&A format. Think about how users would interact with a voice search, for example. These types of searches are part of what AEO would optimize for, as they are run by generative AI. You ask Amazon Alexa a question and it provides you back a conversational answer. Or similarly, AEO also includes optimizing content for Google’s Gemini AI search results, which now appear at the top of most SERPs. By formatting your content in a conversational, question and answer tone, you are set up to be the authority those engines draw their answers from.
To summarize, SEO prioritizes broad visibility and AEO prioritizes concise answers to questions.
Why is answer engine optimization important?
AEO is important for businesses to invest in and understand because search is changing. Users now expect quick and accurate answers to their questions, and they have more choices than ever for where to find those answers including search engines like Google and Bing, generative AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity AI, and even voice assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Users are changing their behaviors from keyword-based searches, where the onus is on them to sift through pages of relevant search results, to conversational phrases, where they are looking to answer engines to provide the type of answer and experience they are looking for. This is leading to users getting answers to their questions without having to click.
Should I start AEO now?
In short, yes! Gartner predicts that by 2026 there will be a 25% drop in traditional search engine volume as traffic shifts to AI chatbots and other virtual agents. Recently SEO.com wrote that this shift in behavior is generating a need for “search everywhere optimization” because users’ choices for answers are expanding, and no business wants to be left behind.
Now is the time to invest in AEO. Companies are starting to shift their strategy to include more AEO alongside traditional SEO to get first-to-market benefit over later adopters, grow their brand’s online visibility and support business growth.
Learn more about where to start with an AEO strategy in part two of our AEO series – out soon.