Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) - who, what, why, how, when?

By Ethan Haines

Have you checked your analytics lately and noticed the pattern? Organic impressions are softening while AI-driven visibility is climbing.

You’re not imagining it. We’re seeing the beginning of a fundamental shift in how people find and consume information, moving from traditional search to AI search. It’s no longer about ranking for the top ten blue links; it’s about becoming the trusted source behind the answer.

For marketers, that means rethinking visibility, attribution, and even what “traffic” means. It’s not just SEO anymore. It’s about optimising for discovery in an AI-first world, where context, credibility, and structured data win the conversation.

The smartest marketers aren’t chasing clicks. They’re engineering relevance and building strategies that ensure their brand still shows up when there’s no search results page at all.

Need some numbers to wake up the radar?

• According to a Pew Research Center 2025 study, about 18% of all Google AI Overviews appear in search results globally.
• According to Gartner, industry sources forecast that by 2026, traditional search engine volume could drop by around 25%, as AI-chatbots and virtual agents take over many queries.
• And Grand View Research reports that the market for AI search engines (which power these answer-first experiences) is projected to grow substantially; for example, one report puts the market size at over USD $16 billion in 2024, heading toward over USD $50 billion by 2033.

What that adds up to: this isn’t a fad. It’s a fundamental change in how people discover products, services, and information online. If your brand lives in the digital space (which of course it does), you need to optimise not just for “search engines” but for “answer engines”.

What is AEO?

So, what exactly are we talking about when we say, “Answer Engine Optimisation”?

At its core, AEO is about optimising your content so that AI-powered systems (think chatbots, virtual assistants, AI overviews) can find it, cite it and use it to answer user queries. It’s the next level of visibility.

You’ll read a variety of names in the industry:

• Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO): the term HubSpot favours
• Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO): some folks lean this way when they emphasise the generative-AI angle.
• Search Everywhere Optimisation: less common, but captures the idea of optimisation across platforms, not just “search box”.
• GSO / AI Search Optimisation: variations appear, but what they’re all nodding toward is the same shift: from pages ranking in a list, to content being used by answer systems.

Let’s contrast AEO vs traditional SEO to draw out how they differ:

• SEO: Focused on ranking web pages for keywords, links, domain authority, click-throughs.
• AEO: Focused on being cited by AI systems, being the answer rather than just the ranked result.
• In SEO you optimise for “people typing into search engines”. In AEO you optimise for “people asking questions and getting answers via AI/assistants”.
• Metrics shift: Instead of just rankings/impressions/clicks, you look at mentions, citations, being selected by AI.

In short: AEO means making your brand the answer AI chooses.

Why AEO matters

Here’s the big “why”, if you’re reading this, you almost certainly need to care.

1. Changing user behaviour

People are more comfortable asking natural-language questions, expecting immediate, concise answers. AI overviews mean many users don’t click links. One analysis from Pew Research found that when AI summaries are present, users click on traditional result links far less often.

If you rely solely on traditional SEO, you might be losing visibility even if your rankings are fine.

2. Traffic & visibility risk for traditional SEO-only strategies

Since fewer clicks are happening from traditional results when AI-answers show up, brands that don’t adapt risk losing their share of voice. Because the “site at position #1” might simply not get clicked if the AI answered the user already.

3. Being “the answer” gives you brand authority + exposure

If you are the answer, you gain high-visibility brand exposure, even if the user doesn’t visit your site. That can mean brand recall, trust, even “zero-click” conversions. AEO creates a different funnel.

4. Competitive differentiation

Right now, many brands are still thinking “SEO = keywords & links”. If you get ahead with structured answers, schema markup, conversational content, you’ll be ahead when AI search becomes the norm. (Spoiler: we’re already there.)

5. Futureproofing your strategy

If by 2026 ~25% of organic traffic could shift toward AI chatbots/virtual assistants (rather than classic search), per several industry sources including Gartner, then building for AEO is simply smart risk management.

And there are a few more shifts you should keep in mind:

• The move beyond just keywords to intent:
  • Keyword matching: “running shoes”
  • Intent matching: “What are the best running shoes for a 32-year-old female with arched feet who runs 3K daily?”
  • AI systems are built for intent, context, and nuance, not just isolated keywords.
• AI tools can summarise, compare, and interpret across multiple sources, which means they expect your content to be part of a larger ecosystem of credible answers.
• The future of search: “Ask a question, get an answer” not “find a link”.
• AEO means you need to move content away from pure awareness (which tried to catch broad keywords) toward consideration & decision-stage content that answers complex questions and helps users make choices.

So, the “why” is really: Because the rules are shifting. Optimising purely for traditional SEO is no longer enough. Being referenced by AI answer engines is part of the future. And you want to be ahead of that curve.

 How to start optimising sites for AI 

Cool, now let’s get practical. Here are concepts and steps to start optimising for AEO.

Before we dive in, it’s worth calling out something important: customers are showing up later in the funnel than ever before.

They’re not wandering in during the awareness stage, they’re arriving at the point of consideration/decision, armed with research that AI has already done for them.

AI tools have condensed hours of browsing, comparing, and reading into a few summarised insights. That means by the time a potential buyer lands on your content, they’re not asking “who are you?”, they’re asking, “why should I choose you?”.

So, the goal here isn’t just visibility, it’s being the most trusted, relevant, and ready-to-buy answer when AI connects you with that customer.

Start with an audit

• Use an AI-oriented audit tool or framework (for example, HubSpot AEO grader , Semrush, or whatever your CMS/marketing stack supports) to check: Are your pages accessible by AI crawlers? Are you being cited?
• Check how AI tools present your brand or content already. What questions come up for your niche? What content is currently being cited in AI answers? This gives you a baseline of “where we stand today”.

Optimise content structure & format for AI citations

• Lead with the answer: When a user asks, “How do I optimise for…?”, your content should present the direct answer upfront. AI-systems like concise chunks.
• Use question-based headings: e.g., “What is AEO?” “How does it differ from SEO?” This helps match natural language queries.
• Short paragraphs, bullet points, lists: Make it easy for AI to extract and summarise.
• Add evidence, stats, structure: AI overviews prefer content with clear facts backed by sources. One recommendation: add specific statistics to your best content.
• Schema markup & structured data: Use an FAQ Page, How-to, other relevant schema to give AI machines context.
• Ensure technical accessibility: Check that your site is crawlable by AI bots, not blocked by robots.txt, not heavy JS that AI can’t parse, no paywalls blocking indexation.

Target the right queries & content gaps

• Use tools to discover natural-language questions your audience asks (think “what”, “how”, “why” queries) rather than just keywords.
• Analyse which AI metrics matter: For AEO you’re tracking not just clicks/rankings but “citations”, “mentions”, “visibility in AI answers”.
• Map content topics to AI-answer surfaces: What queries are answered by AI now? Where are you missing? Fill those gaps.

Promote trust, authority & brand presence

• Make sure your brand and content are consistent across platforms (your site & socials) so AI knows you’re the authoritative source.
• Earn third-party mentions: AI may pick up content that is well-cited or authoritative in its ecosystem.
• Update content regularly: Freshness matters. AI may favour up-to-date, factual content.

Integrate with your existing SEO / content strategy

• AEO doesn’t replace SEO, it complements it. Use your SEO foundation (crawlability, links, content quality) and layer in AEO-specific tweaks.
• Consider workflows: e.g., when creating content → identify likely AI questions → build answer-first content → apply schema → promote authority → monitor citations.

Your first moves in AEO

• Pick 3–5 high-traffic pages you already have.
• Review them: are they structured with question headings? Do they answer a specific question concisely at the top? Are they crawlable? Do they have schema?
• For each: optimise the “answer chunk” by rewriting first paragraph to directly answer the question in ~30–50 words, then expand.
• Add or improve schema markup (FAQ, How-to, etc).
• Monitor tools and mentions: Are you being cited in AI platforms? Which queries? Where do you rank?
• Create new content that targets “questions your audience asks” that you currently don’t cover.
• Build authority signals: internal/external links, brand mentions, citations.
• Repeat and iterate.

When – you can start today

Here’s the simple truth: the time to start is now.

• As of right now, AEO is still early and not every brand has adapted. That means your window to gain a head-start is open.
• The sooner you begin, the sooner you’ll build the authority and visibility that AI answer engines will pick up.
• If you wait until everyone else treats AEO like “just another SEO tweak”, you’ll be playing catch-up in a more crowded field.
• Even incremental improvements today (optimising 3–5 pages) will accumulate and compound over time.
• Set a realistic timeline: pick your audit tool now, pick your first content pieces this week, optimise in the next month, monitor results.
• Remain agile: AI search capabilities and answer surfaces will evolve, so starting now means you’ll learn, adapt and be ahead for whatever comes next.

In short: Don’t wait for the “perfect time”. You’re already in the shift. Engage now, iterate, and position yourself as the answer.

Be the answer before the question is asked

We’re standing at the edge of another big shift in digital, one that feels a lot like the early SEO days. Back then, it was about being found. Now, it’s about being the answer.

AI search isn’t coming, it’s already here. And the brands that show up today, that learn how to speak the language of answer engines, will be the ones AI keeps quoting tomorrow.

So, do the audit, tweak a few pages, test a few formats, and keep iterating. Don’t overthink it, this is about progress, not perfection.

Because when people stop “searching” and start “asking”, your job is simple: make sure your brand is the one that answers.

Ready to make your brand the answer?

That’s exactly what we help with at Concentrate, turning your expertise into the kind of content AI wants to cite (and customers trust).

Let’s chat about how to optimise your business for AI search. Get in contact with Concentrate.

About the Author

Ethan Haines is a Digital Marketing Specialist at Concentrate.  Ethan helps businesses get more from HubSpot through smarter automation and AI-driven marketing. With a Master of Strategic Communication (Distinction), he combines creativity and data to deliver practical, results-focused strategies.