What Is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?

AEO stands for answer engine optimization, the practice of structuring content so it gets pulled as a direct answer rather than just listed as a link. It predates the current AI wave, starting with voice search and featured snippets.

The core technique has stayed the same as the platforms multiplied: put the direct answer in the first sentence, keep it concise, and use the exact phrasing a person would ask.

What changed is the number of places that technique now pays off, Google's featured snippets, voice assistants, and now ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity all reward the same structure.

Writing every page that way from the start is what LLM optimization software does automatically.