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Why AEO?
People used to Google everything. Now they ask AI. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI — these tools don't show a list of websites. They give a direct answer. If your business isn't part of that answer, you're invisible to a growing number of potential customers.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is how you fix that. It's how you get AI to recommend your business when people ask for help.
The Basics
What Is AEO?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. Learn what it is, how it works, and why it matters for your business.
Read the explainer →The Comparison
AEO vs SEO
SEO gets you on Google's search results page. AEO gets you into the answer AI gives directly. Here's how they're different.
See the differences →The way people find businesses is changing.
For 20 years, the playbook was simple: get your website on Google's first page, and people would find you. That still matters — but it's no longer the whole picture.
Today, millions of people skip Google entirely. They open ChatGPT, Perplexity, or use Google's own AI Overviews and ask a question like “Who's the best dentist near me?” or “What company should I hire for this?”
AI doesn't show 10 blue links. It picks 3–5 businesses and recommends them by name. If you're not one of those names, your potential customer never even knows you exist.
This isn't coming in the future — it's happening right now. And right now, almost nobody is set up for it. Less than 2% of businesses have what AI is looking for. That means if you start today, you're not competing. You're claiming open territory.
AI responses analyzed
Cities studied
AI platforms tracked
Businesses ready for AI search
Frequently Asked Questions
What does AEO stand for?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It's the practice of structuring your website and content so that AI search engines — like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews — recommend your business when people ask for help.
Is AEO replacing SEO?
No. AEO works alongside SEO. Many of the changes that improve AI visibility also help your Google rankings. The difference is that AEO focuses on getting recommended in AI-generated answers, while SEO focuses on ranking in traditional search results.
How do I know if AI is recommending my competitors?
Try our free AI Visibility Checker — it tests whether AI mentions your business when people ask relevant questions. You can also manually ask ChatGPT or Perplexity 'Who is the best [your service] in [your city]?' and see who comes up.
Why is less than 2% of businesses ready for AI search?
AI search engines look for different signals than Google. Most websites are built for traditional SEO — backlinks, keywords, meta tags. AI needs clear structure, schema markup, and well-organized content that it can directly extract and cite. Very few businesses have this.
When should I start thinking about AEO?
Now. AI search adoption is growing rapidly, and the businesses that establish themselves early will have a significant advantage. It's much easier to become the answer than to unseat someone who already is.
Want to see where you stand?
We'll check how AI sees your business today and show you exactly what to do about it. No jargon, no pressure.