Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring and writing content so that answer engines, including AI assistants and featured snippets, can extract it and present it directly in their answers. It focuses on clear, self-contained answers, question-based headings, and supporting evidence that machines can lift cleanly.
AEO overlaps with SEO but targets inclusion in a generated or featured answer rather than a ranked link. Common tactics include answer-first formatting, FAQ sections, structured data, and adding statistics and citations that make a passage easy to quote.