Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the work of getting named in the answer when someone asks ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity a question. SEO is the work of ranking a link on a results page. They overlap a lot. They are not the same job.
If you already do SEO, you are not starting from zero. You are changing what you aim at.
Side by side
| SEO | AEO | |
|---|---|---|
| What you compete for | A position in a list of links | A mention inside a written answer |
| How buyers ask | Short keyword phrases | Full questions, often with context |
| What gets chosen | A page | A brand or product, usually one of a few |
| Where the proof lives | Mostly your site, plus links to it | Your site, plus reviews, directories, articles and other pages the AI reads |
| What you measure | Rankings, clicks, traffic | Whether you are mentioned, where you are placed, what the answer says |
What stays the same
- A site machines can read. Pages need to load, be crawlable, and put their key facts in plain HTML. We covered the checks in Can AI crawlers read your site?
- Pages that answer a real question. Clear, specific content that answers what a buyer actually asks works for both.
- Reputation. Other sites writing about you matters to search engines and to AI answers.
- Search itself. Some AI tools search the live web to build an answer, so a page that ranks and reads cleanly helps there too. Keep your SEO.
What changes
1. The goal is the answer, not the click
A ranking earns a chance at a click. An AI answer often finishes the job on the spot. The win is being named, described correctly, and recommended.
2. You are picked from a short list
An AI answer usually names a handful of options, not ten blue links. Being listed fifth as a generic alternative earns very little. Position inside the answer matters as much as being in it.
3. Your own site is only one source
AI answers lean on more than your pages. Review sites, directories, comparison articles and community discussions can all shape what gets said about you. Part of AEO is making sure those places have the right facts.
4. Results vary, so you measure by sampling
Ask the same question twice and the wording, and sometimes the brands, can differ. A single check proves little. Ask the same set of questions on several engines, more than once, and look for the pattern.
What to do this week
- Run the five crawl checks from Can AI crawlers read your site?
- Write down five questions a buyer would ask before choosing a product like yours.
- Ask them on ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Note whether you appear, where, and what is said.
That second question is the one the free AI Visibility Score scores, out of 100, across all three engines.