Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is a new way to reach potential customers and improve your brand awareness. AEO increases your visibility in AI search engines, such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity AI and more.   

With a strong AEO strategy, your brand will earn citations, mentions and referrals on AI platforms, which will boost your credibility and lead generation.  

What is AEO and SEO?  

Both SEO and AEO are vital tools when trying to increase your online visibility. SEO tailors your content to appear at the top of standard search engine results. Whereas AEO allows your content to be suggested in AI generated answers.   

While search engines are still used regularly, in the modern day more users are turning to AI tools to conveniently and immediately receive tailored advice and information. AI responses will provide information pulled from relevant websites and then cite them so the user can research further.   

Answer Engine Optimisation Strategies  

The first step to successful AEO is to ensure you have a strong SEO strategy – it isn’t a case of AEO vs SEO. Both AEO and SEO value clear, informative content, reliable citations, originality, and backlinks. Different AI engines use different models to train their data, so researching how to target individual engines will ensure you are catering to as many platforms as possible.   

Answer Engine Optimisation tools are now included in a lot of SEO software, and you can often monitor your AI Visibility rating. Before your content can be included in AI generated responses, you must ensure that your website permits search and answer engines can crawl and index your content.   

AI values content which uses simple headings, lists, uncomplicated language, and visual materials. By including target keywords which people are often searching, you can also increase your chances of AI mentions.   

Ensure your content is up to date and post new blogs or articles regularly. AirOps found that 95% of ChatGPT citations came from content which was published or updated in the last 10 months. This means recency is a necessity.   

Lastly, positive mentions on other pages mean that the AI engines will perceive you as a reliable source and increase your visibility. Outreach to publishers, bolster your PR strategy, and feature on third-party podcasts or socials.   

At GIANT, we can help you optimise your AEO and SEO strategy. To learn more, email us at info@gogiant.co.uk or give us a call on 01604 250 900.