July 22, 2025
Just when you thought you’d wrapped your head around SEO, there’s a new acronym popping up: AEO. It's short for Answer Engine Optimisation.
And no, it’s not just another buzzword. AEO is quickly becoming a crucial part of how we design, write, and structure content online. If you're a business owner, marketer or creative, it's something worth paying attention to.
What is AEO?
Think about the last time you asked Siri a question, used Google Assistant, or typed something into ChatGPT. Increasingly, people aren’t just searching for websites, they’re asking questions and expecting instant, helpful answers.
That shift is what AEO is all about: optimising your content so that AI-powered tools and voice assistants can easily find and deliver your answers. It’s less about getting someone to click your link and more about ensuring your expertise is captured and surfaced, instantly.
Why does it matter?
Because the way people search is changing.
Traditional SEO focuses on keywords, backlinks, and rankings on a search engine results page. AEO focuses on context, clarity, and intent, making sure your content is structured in a way that machines can understand and respond to directly.
It’s no longer enough to just “rank” on Google. In the world of answer engines, the content that gets seen is the content that gets understood.
If your business offers expertise, solutions, or services, and you want to stay visible in a landscape dominated by AI tools, voice search, and smart assistants, AEO matters.