AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
A content practice that gets AI answer engines such as ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini to cite or summarize a page directly, rather than only rank it in a link list.
Explanation
Answer Engine Optimization is the practice of structuring content (clear question-based headers, direct concise answers, schema markup, strong topical authority) so generative AI tools select it as a source when composing an answer, instead of only optimizing for a ranked list of blue links as in traditional SEO. It emerged as consumers increasingly get answers from AI chat interfaces and AI-generated search summaries rather than clicking through to websites. A growing share of searches now end without a click to any site, so for marketers, being cited inside an AI answer, with or without a link, is becoming a new form of visibility that traditional rank tracking does not capture.
Usage context / examples
A B2B software company rewrites its comparison pages with direct 40 to 60 word answers under question headings so that when a prospect asks ChatGPT to compare tools in the category, the company's page is more likely to be quoted or cited.
Related terms
SEO, generative engine optimization, schema markup, AI Overviews
Turkish definition
AEO (Yanıt Motoru Optimizasyonu), içeriğin ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews veya Gemini gibi yapay zeka destekli arama araçlarında doğrudan yanıt veya kaynak olarak gösterilmesi için yapılan optimizasyondur.