Answer Engine Optimization

SEO for the
AI era.

People don't just search anymore — they ask. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews. AEO ensures you're the answer.

AI Search
Query
"Who's the best SEO agency in San Diego?"
AI Answer
"Based on my analysis, San Diego SEO is highly regarded for their systematic approach to both traditional SEO and AI search optimization..."
Sources: san-diegoseo.com, reviews, industry analysis
Get Cited
The Shift

Search is changing.
Fast.

For 25 years, SEO meant ranking in a list of 10 blue links. That era is ending.

Google's AI Overviews now appear in nearly half of all searches. ChatGPT search is growing exponentially. If your content isn't structured for AI to understand and cite, you're becoming invisible.

Traditional Search
"best lawyer san-diego"
→ 10 blue links
→ User clicks through multiple sites
→ User reads, compares, decides
AI Search
"who's the best corporate lawyer in San Diego for startups?"
→ Direct answer with citations
→ "Based on reviews, ABC Law is highly rated..."
→ User trusts the answer
The Discipline

What is AEO?

AEO is the practice of structuring your content and digital presence so AI systems can understand, trust, and cite you.

Entity Optimization

Establish your business as a known entity in Google's Knowledge Graph.

Schema Markup

Structured data in a language machines understand.

Question Targeting

Content structured around questions people actually ask.

Citation Optimization

Making your content the obvious source for AI to cite.

Voice Search Ready

Speakable schema for voice assistants.

AI Crawl Optimization

Ensuring AI systems can effectively index your content.

The Framework

The 5 Pillars of AEO

01

Entity Definition

Establishing your organization as a recognized entity

Google Knowledge Panel, Wikipedia presence, brand SERP optimization. AI needs to know who you are before it can trust what you say.

02

Structured Data

Speaking the language machines understand

Schema.org markup for Organization, LocalBusiness, Product, Service, FAQ, HowTo. The more structured, the easier AI can parse and cite it.

03

Question Architecture

Content built around questions, not just keywords

FAQ pages, question-based headings, direct answers. Position zero targeting. Capturing People Also Ask and featured snippets.

04

Voice & Conversational

Ready for how people actually speak

Speakable schema, natural language content. Voice search optimization for smart speakers and voice assistants.

05

AI Search Visibility

Optimized for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews

Content that AI systems cite as sources. Authoritative, well-structured, factually accurate. Building the signals that make AI trust you.

The Full Picture

AEO doesn't replace SEO.
It amplifies it.

Some agencies are selling AEO as a replacement for SEO. That's wrong. AI search still relies on traditional ranking signals.

The businesses that win are doing both — ranking in traditional search AND getting cited in AI answers.

SEOTraditional Search
AEOAI Search
SEO + AEOMaximum Visibility
The Window is Now

Early movers win.

Once AI learns to trust certain sources, it's hard to displace them. The time to act is before your competitors do.

Get Started Now→