# AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

> AEO is the optimisation of content for AI answer engines such as ChatGPT or Perplexity — in practice largely the same as GEO. What the term actually means.

Synonyms: AEO, answer engine optimisation, AI SEO, LLM SEO

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimising content for AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews — so they find, understand and cite a website as a source. In practice it largely overlaps with GEO.

AEO puts the answer engine at the centre: systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity or [Google AI Overviews](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/ai-overviews) answer questions directly instead of showing lists of links. You therefore optimise not for a ranking position, but for appearing as a source in that one answer.

The term circulates alongside [GEO](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/geo-generative-engine-optimization) , [LLM](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/llm-large-language-model) \-[SEO](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/seo-search-engine-optimisation) and AI-SEO — yet almost always describes the same practice: clear, fact-rich, [machine-readable](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/machine-readable-website) content that an AI system can understand and cite correctly. Apply the principles once and you cover all of these labels at the same time — what matters is clean structure, verifiable facts and freshness, not the acronym.

For businesses this means: the question is not which abbreviation to pick, but whether your website is readable for answer engines — from opening hours to service descriptions. That is exactly what an [AI-ready](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/ai-ready) digital foundation delivers as standard.

- [GEO](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary?tag=geo)
- [Visibility](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary?tag=sichtbarkeit)
- [AI Readiness](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary?tag=ki-readiness)

## Related terms

- [GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/geo-generative-engine-optimization)
- [Citability (AI citability)](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/citability-ai-citability)
- [LLMs.txt](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/llms-txt)

## Frequently asked questions.

**Has classic SEO become obsolete with AI search?**

No. Google AI overviews mostly cite pages that already rank well classically. SEO remains the ticket in — AI optimisation (GEO) is the extension with citable answers, structure and visible authority.

**What does GEO get me — why should my website be cited by AI?**

When more and more people get their answers straight from ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI, whether you get found is no longer decided by your Google ranking alone — but by whether the AI names you as a source. That is where GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) comes in: it prepares your content so AI systems can read it correctly, understand it and cite it in their answers. The benefit is concrete: you get a chance of being recommended when a potential customer asks the AI for a provider like you — with clear, independently readable statements, [structured data](https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/structured-data) and machine-readable formats. If you're not visible here, you simply don't exist for this growing group of searchers.

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Source: https://btlabs.dev/en/glossary/aeo-answer-engine-optimization
Languages: [de](https://btlabs.dev/llms/de/glossary/aeo-answer-engine-optimization) · [it](https://btlabs.dev/llms/it/glossary/aeo-answer-engine-optimization)
See also: [llms.txt](https://btlabs.dev/llms.txt) · [ai.txt (Policy)](https://btlabs.dev/ai.txt) · [identity.json](https://btlabs.dev/identity.json)