How it works
An answer engine replies with a written answer instead of a list of links. Examples are AI assistants with web search and the AI summaries that some search engines show above their results. Most of them work in a similar way. They run a search, read a handful of pages and write an answer that may cite those pages. AEO is about being one of the pages that is read and cited.
In practice it overlaps heavily with good SEO. The page has to be crawlable and indexed, or it cannot be retrieved at all. It helps to answer the question directly near the top, in plain sentences that still make sense when quoted alone. Clear headings, definitions, steps and tables are easier to extract than long narrative. Stating who wrote the page, when it was updated and where its facts come from gives the system and the reader a reason to trust it.
Creators should treat confident claims about AEO with care. It is a young field, the systems are changing, and nobody outside the companies knows exactly how sources are chosen. Google states that no special optimization is needed for its AI features beyond normal SEO. Measurement is hard too, because an answer can use your content without sending a visitor. A sensible stance is to write clear, accurate, well-sourced pages, and to be wary of anyone selling a guaranteed way into AI answers.
A worked example
A creator has a long, chatty post about pricing a digital product and reworks it so that it can be quoted.
- Add a two-sentence direct answer under the title: how to set a first price and what to check.
- Turn the buried advice into headed sections that each answer one question, such as which fees to subtract.
- Add a small table of the fee types, with a dated note of where each figure came from.
- Check that the page is indexed and that its text is in the page itself, not behind a login. Then ask two AI assistants the question and see whether the page is cited.
An illustration, not a real account. Any numbers in it are made up to show the method, and are not benchmarks.
Common mistakes
- Treating AEO as separate from SEO. A page that cannot be found by search will not be cited either.
- Stuffing pages with questions and keywords written for machines. It reads badly and is not what the systems reward.
- Believing special files or markup guarantee inclusion. Google says none are required for its AI features.
- Publishing unsourced numbers. An answer engine that repeats your mistake spreads it.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between AEO and SEO?
SEO aims at ranking in a list of results. AEO aims at being used and cited inside a generated answer. The groundwork is the same: crawlable, clear, trustworthy pages.
How do I get cited by AI assistants?
There is no guaranteed method. Being indexed, answering questions directly, structuring pages clearly and backing claims with sources all make a page easier to use.
Do I need an llms.txt file or special schema?
Not for Google's AI features. Google says you do not need new machine readable files, AI text files or markup to appear in them. Other systems publish their own guidance, so check each one.
Sources
Google says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary, and that you do not need new machine readable files, AI text files or markup.
Google Search Central: AI features and your website updated 10 December 2025
Every link was opened on 13 October 2026. Products and policies change, so check the source before you rely on a figure.