Your Guide to Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)
If it feels like the internet has quietly shifted under your feet, you’re not imagining it. Search is changing faster than most marketers can keep up with, and the old SEO playbook is rapidly losing its power. Today, people aren’t just typing queries into Google and clicking around. More often than not, they’re asking “AI” or Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini… and getting instant answers.
That shift is huge. It means the goal is no longer “rank on page one.” It’s “Be the answer AI trusts enough to repeat”.
And that’s the promise of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO).
What Exactly Is AEO?
AEO is simply refining your content so AI search engines can find it, understand it, and confidently quote it as the best answer. Put simply, it's about optimising your content to be the first AI spots - and pulls from - for its answers.
Instead of writing long, catch-all guides designed for human skimmers, you’re creating clear, standalone nuggets that AI can extract from instantly.
Think: Less encyclopedia. More “smart friend who explains things clearly.”
This matters because AI is rapidly becoming the new front door to the internet. HubSpot’s AEO Playbook predicts that by 2028 most online traffic will come from AI-driven answer engines, not Google searches.
Why AI Visitors Are Pure Gold
If AI-driven search sounds abstract, the numbers make it feel very real.
AI-based visitors are:
- 23x more likely to sign up,
- 3x more likely to become customers, and
- each click is 4.4x more valuable than a typical Google click!
These aren’t casual browsers. They’re motivated, they’re informed, and they’re asking specific questions with intention. If your content is the answer they receive, you enter the conversation with instant credibility.
No fighting for rankings. No hoping for clicks. You’re simply… there!
The Big Shift: How AI Thinks (and Why SEO Doesn’t Fit Anymore)
Traditional SEO relies on keywords, backlinks, and lengthy content - answer engines don’t work that way. AI tools rely on sub-queries — the hidden questions they analyse and break down behind every user prompt.
In an AI-first world, content needs to:
- Be modular
- Be structured
- Deliver precise, skimmable information
- Allow each section to stand alone
- Tie every point back to your product or expertise
This clarity makes it easy for AI to quote you, and reduces the risk of being skipped over for something more structured.
Mentions: The New Backlinks
One of the biggest revelations in an AEO shifting internet is the rise of mentions as a trust signal. While classic SEO rewards backlinks, AI rewards citations in conversations: Reddit threads, LinkedIn posts, G2 reviews, community forums, etc.
AEO prioritises mentions over backlinks - building authority now means showing up where people naturally talk about what you do.
It’s a refreshing shift — from gaming algorithms to earning genuine trust!
Data, Personalisation & the Invisible AI Layer
AI’s influence goes beyond search. AI-driven ad tools like Google’s AI Max are already outperforming human-managed campaigns through smarter targeting and creative automation. The lesson for AEO? Strong data equals strong understanding — which equals stronger AI answers.
Equally vital, the more consistently your brand, products, and expertise show up online, the more precisely AI can portray you.
- Consistency builds trust.
- Trust gets you quoted.
- Quotations get you customers.
So How Do You “Own the Answer”?
Rest assured - the winning strategies all have common themes. Here's your plan of action:
- Write simply and clearly.
AI prefers clean, factual statements over clever marketing prose.
- Use semantic triples.
These “subject–action–object” sentences are easy for AI to parse,
e.g.: HubSpot | offers | an AI optimization tool
- Add FAQs everywhere.
AI loves them! They map perfectly to sub-queries.
- Make content modular.
Each section should make sense on its own. No fluff.
- Include original data.
AI prioritises credible, unique information.
- Build authority through mentions, not just links.
Reviews, community discussions, and social proof matter more than ever.
- Embrace loop marketing.
Think of it not as a traditional funnel, but as a seamless, ongoing cycle: delivering answers that spark learning, build trust, and generate momentum, looping back to fuel even better results.
These aren't hacks, they’re habits that align your content with how AI interprets and assembles information.
The Bottom Line: This Isn’t SEO 2.0. It’s a New Era
The internet's pulling a sneaky glow-up: ditching SEO's endless scroll-marathon for AEO's "just spit the answer, bro" cheat code - but AEO isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about being helpful, precise, and trustworthy at scale. The brands that win in the Answer Economy aren’t the ones that shout the loudest. Every time a question is being asked, they’re the ones who show up with clarity and generosity.
Stop chasing clicks.
Start becoming the answer.
Because as AI takes over the world’s curiosity, the brands that get seen are the ones that are easy to quote…and impossible to ignore.
Ifigenia Arampelou
