Question 1

What is AEO (AI Engine Optimization)?

Accepted Answer

AEO (AI Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your website content and structure to be better understood, cited, and recommended by AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Meta AI, and voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. It focuses on structured data, clear content organization, and authoritative signals that AI systems use to provide accurate answers.

Question 2

How is AEO different from traditional SEO?

Accepted Answer

While SEO focuses on ranking in traditional search engine results pages (SERPs), AEO focuses on being cited and recommended by AI assistants. AEO emphasizes schema markup, E-E-A-T signals, clear question-answer formats, and content structure that AI can easily parse. Both strategies complement each other for comprehensive search visibility.

Question 3

What does the AEO Website Checker analyze?

Accepted Answer

The AEO Website Checker analyzes four key areas: Schema Markup (structured data implementation), Content Quality (headings, word count, FAQ sections), Technical SEO (HTTPS, canonical tags, sitemaps), and E-E-A-T Signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness indicators). Each area is scored and actionable recommendations are provided.

Question 4

Is the AEO Website Checker free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the basic AEO Website Checker is free to use. You can analyze your website and receive a comprehensive score with recommendations. Premium features like site-wide crawling, automated schema generation, and content optimization tools are available with paid subscriptions.

Question 5

How can I improve my AEO score?

Accepted Answer

To improve your AEO score: 1) Add comprehensive schema markup (Organization, WebSite, FAQPage, Article schemas), 2) Structure content with clear headings and FAQ sections, 3) Ensure technical SEO basics (HTTPS, canonical URLs, sitemap), 4) Build E-E-A-T signals with author bios, about pages, and contact information, 5) Create content that directly answers user questions.

Question 6

What AI search engines does AEO optimization help with?

Accepted Answer

AEO optimization helps your content perform better across all major AI-powered search experiences including ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, Grok, Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, and voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. The principles of clear structure, schema markup, and authoritative content apply universally across these platforms.

Question 7

What is schema markup and why is it important for AEO?

Accepted Answer

Schema markup is structured data code that helps AI systems understand your content's meaning and context. For AEO, schema markup signals to AI engines who you are (Organization schema), what your content covers (Article, FAQPage schemas), and how your site is structured (WebSite, BreadcrumbList schemas). Websites with comprehensive schema markup are more likely to be cited by AI assistants because the information is easier for them to parse and trust.

Question 8

How do AI search engines decide which sources to cite?

Accepted Answer

AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews prioritize sources based on authority, content clarity, freshness, and structured data. They favor websites with clear E-E-A-T signals (expertise, author credentials, citations), well-organized content that directly answers questions, comprehensive schema markup, and content that has been cited by other authoritative sources. Building topical authority through content hubs also increases citation likelihood.

Question 9

How long does it take to see results from AEO optimization?

Accepted Answer

AEO results typically begin appearing within 2-4 weeks for technical improvements like schema markup and site structure changes. Content-based improvements may take 1-3 months as AI systems recrawl and reindex your site. Building authority through consistent publishing and earning citations from trusted sources is an ongoing process that compounds over time. Unlike traditional SEO rankings, AEO visibility depends on when AI systems update their training data or real-time indexes.

Question 10

What is E-E-A-T and why does it matter for AI visibility?

Accepted Answer

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. For AEO, these signals help AI systems determine whether your content is reliable enough to cite. Experience shows first-hand knowledge, Expertise demonstrates subject matter credentials, Authoritativeness comes from recognition and citations by others, and Trustworthiness is established through accurate information and transparency. AI assistants prioritize citing sources with strong E-E-A-T signals to provide reliable answers to users.

Question 11

Do I need to block AI bots from crawling my website?

Accepted Answer

For most websites, blocking AI crawlers is not recommended as it prevents your content from being indexed and cited by AI search engines. However, some businesses with premium content may choose to restrict access. You can manage AI crawler access through your robots.txt file using directives like GPTBot (OpenAI), Anthropic-AI (Claude), and PerplexityBot. Consider your business model carefully - if visibility and traffic matter, allowing AI crawlers typically benefits you.

Question 12

How does AEO affect voice search results?

Accepted Answer

AEO directly impacts voice search because voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant rely on AI to provide spoken answers. Content optimized for AEO with clear question-answer formats, speakable schema markup, and concise summaries is more likely to be selected as voice search responses. The key is creating content that can be read aloud naturally - typically 40-50 words for voice snippets that directly answer specific questions.

Question 13

What is a content hub and how does it help AEO?

Accepted Answer

A content hub is a strategic content structure with a main pillar page covering a broad topic surrounded by supporting cluster pages that dive deep into subtopics. This hub-and-spoke model helps AEO by demonstrating comprehensive topical expertise to AI systems. When AI engines see interconnected content covering all aspects of a topic, they recognize your site as an authority. Content hubs also create clear internal linking patterns that help AI understand content relationships.

Question 14

Can old content hurt my AEO performance?

Accepted Answer

Outdated content can negatively impact AEO performance, especially in fast-changing industries. AI systems prefer fresh, accurate information and may deprioritize sources with stale content. Regularly audit and update existing content with current data, refresh publication dates, add new relevant information, and remove or consolidate thin pages. A content refresh strategy that updates key pages quarterly helps maintain AEO visibility and ensures AI systems see your site as a current, reliable source.

Question 15

What is speakable schema and when should I use it?

Accepted Answer

Speakable schema is structured data that identifies which sections of your content are most suitable for audio playback by voice assistants and screen readers. Use speakable schema on content you want voice assistants to read aloud, particularly for news articles, summaries, key facts, and FAQ answers. The schema uses CSS selectors to point to specific page elements containing concise, spoken-word-friendly content. It is especially valuable for news sites, FAQ pages, and any content targeting voice search.

Question 16

How do I measure AEO success if there is no ranking position?

Accepted Answer

AEO success is measured through different metrics than traditional SEO rankings. Key indicators include: brand mentions in AI-generated responses (manually check major AI tools for your topics), referral traffic from AI platforms in your analytics, citation tracking for your content URLs, share of voice in AI responses compared to competitors, and engagement metrics from AI-referred visitors. Tools that monitor AI mentions and crawl AI responses for your brand can help automate this tracking.

Question 17

What is the difference between Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT?

Accepted Answer

Google AI Overviews appear at the top of Google search results and synthesize information from indexed web pages in real-time, showing source links. ChatGPT is a conversational AI that draws from its training data and, in newer versions, can browse the web for current information. Google AI Overviews are integrated with traditional search and drive traffic through visible citations, while ChatGPT is a separate platform. Both benefit from AEO optimization, but they have different update frequencies and citation behaviors.