Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Getting Cited by AI
Quick answer
Answer Engine Optimization means structuring your content so AI assistants can extract and cite it confidently: lead with a direct answer, use clear question-style headings, provide factual specifics (prices, locations, certifications), add structured data (JSON-LD), and publish machine-readable summaries like an llms.txt file. The goal is to be the source the AI quotes when a customer asks.
Step by step
- Answer the question first. Open each page with a concise, direct answer to the question it targets. AI engines favour content where the answer is explicit and self-contained.
- Structure for extraction. Use descriptive, question-shaped headings, short paragraphs, lists, and fact tables. Make each fact easy to lift out of context.
- Add structured data. Mark up pages with JSON-LD (Organization, FAQPage, Article) so engines understand entities and relationships, not just text.
- Publish an llms.txt. Provide a plain-text map of your site's key content for AI crawlers — an emerging convention that tells assistants what your site is and where the important pages are.
- Be specific and current. AI recommends sources it can trust. Concrete, accurate, dated facts beat vague marketing language every time.
Frequently asked questions
+Is AEO different from SEO?
They overlap, but AEO optimises for being cited in AI answers rather than just ranking links — emphasising direct answers, structure, and machine-readability.
+What is an llms.txt file?
A plain-text file at a site's root that summarises the site and lists key pages for AI crawlers — like robots.txt, but to help assistants understand and cite your content.
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