GUIDE · AEO
Answer engine optimisation (AEO): getting quoted by answer engines
Answer engines return one response and a handful of sources. This is how you become one of those sources.
Answer engines are the new front page
An answer engine returns a direct response and a short list of sources. If you are not in that source list, you are invisible — regardless of your organic ranking. Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is the discipline of becoming a quoted source.
RULE OF THUMB
If a human skim-reading your page can copy one sentence that fully answers the question, an answer engine can too.
How to get quoted
- Structure content around explicit questions and give each a self-contained answer.
- Use FAQ and HowTo schema so engines can parse intent and steps.
- Keep facts current and dated — stale answers get replaced fast.
- Build entity clarity: who you are, what you do, and consistent naming everywhere.
Measuring AEO
Track which questions surface your brand, whether you appear as a cited source, and how often. Treat every question you lose as a content brief — rewrite the answer to be the clearest one available.