Short answer
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content so that answer engines, from Google featured snippets and voice assistants to AI Overviews and chatbots, can lift a direct answer from your page. It focuses on question-led pages, concise answers and structured data, so your brand becomes the answer instead of one of ten links.
AEO started with featured snippets and voice search, where one answer is read out or shown above every result. AI assistants have made it far more important, because they often give one answer and a handful of sources.
In practice, AEO means:
- Finding the real questions buyers ask, in search data, sales calls and chat logs.
- Answering each one in the first 40 to 60 words of a page, then going deeper.
- Using headings that match the question, plus lists and tables for steps and comparisons.
- Adding FAQ, HowTo or product schema where it fits.