Answer engine optimization is the work of structuring facts, pages, headings, schema, summaries, and supporting evidence so a search engine or AI system can confidently answer a question using your business or content as a source.
For local businesses, AEO overlaps with local SEO but has a different emphasis. Local SEO asks whether a business ranks. AEO asks whether the business is clear enough to be used in an answer.
Common AEO Signals
- Direct answers to buyer questions.
- Clear service, location, and category language.
- Structured data that identifies the business and page topic.
- Independent references that support the same facts.