AEO — Answer Engine Optimization

A sound AEO page answers a stated question first, then explains conditions, evidence, exceptions, and the next step. A reader should not have to hunt for the conclusion, and a system should not have to reconstruct it from promotional language.

Section sources:[1] Google Search Central

AEO focuses on the form and completeness of an answer. GEO looks more broadly at the source-to-generative-answer path, including access, retrieval, and citation. One page can follow both practices.

Section sources:[1] Google Search Central

A page titled “Can GPTBot be blocked?” starts with “Yes, with a GPTBot rule in robots.txt,” immediately states the boundary—robots.txt is not access control—and shows an example linked to official documentation.

Check whether the heading matches the question, whether a short self-contained answer exists, whether conditions are stated, and whether the nearest source supports that exact claim. Measure AI behavior separately with an archived prompt panel.

Creating dozens of near-identical FAQ pages for keyword variants. They add no new knowledge and can damage navigation. One strong answer with clear subquestions is more useful than mass-produced URLs.