Getting Started with AI Engine Optimization
Learn the fundamentals of AEO and how to optimize your content for AI-powered search experiences.
AI Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing content to be cited by AI-powered search engines. As AI Overviews become more prevalent, understanding AEO is essential for content teams.
What Makes AEO Different from SEO?
Traditional SEO focuses on ranking in the organic results. AEO focuses on being the source that AI systems cite when generating answers. While the fundamentals overlap, AEO requires a different approach to content structure and authority signals.
Key AEO Principles
1. Answer Questions Directly
AI systems look for content that directly answers user queries. Structure your content with clear, extractable answers near the top of relevant sections.
2. Demonstrate E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness matter even more for AEO. AI systems are trained to prioritize credible sources.
3. Build Comprehensive Coverage
AI systems prefer sources that demonstrate deep topical expertise. Build content clusters that cover topics thoroughly.
Getting Started
The first step is understanding where you stand. Use seoIQ to track which of your pages are being cited in AI Overviews and identify opportunities to improve.