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Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content so it can be used as the direct answer to a question — in AI assistants, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and voice results.

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AEO vs GEO

The terms overlap and are often used interchangeably. AEO predates generative engines — it grew out of optimizing for featured snippets — while GEO is the newer framing for multi-source generated answers. The techniques converge, so the comparison and the writing rules live in one place: see generative engine optimization and how to write for AI answers.

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Question formats worth targeting

  • Definitional — “what is X”
  • Comparative — “X vs Y”
  • Procedural — “how to do X”
  • Evaluative — “best X for Y”
Definitional and procedural questions are the most reliably winnable, because there is a correct answer and a clearly-written page can supply it. Evaluative questions tend to be answered from a mix of sources and brand priors.