A.I
Mar 9, 2025
What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization Guide 2025)
AI search engines are the future. To ensure your brand gets found, you need to learn answer engine optimization across AI search engines. Read this guide to learn how.
Search is evolving.
AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot are changing how people find information. One in ten U.S. adults now turn to ChatGPT before Google. As these platforms grow, brands that fail to adapt risk losing visibility.
While SEO remains critical, it is no longer enough. AI search engines work differently from traditional search engines like Google. Instead of ranking web pages based on keywords and backlinks, AI search engines process queries by retrieving and synthesizing information from multiple sources, including authoritative websites, industry lists, online reviews, and user-generated content. If AI does not recognize or reference your brand, you may not appear in AI-generated responses.
Why AEO Matters
AI search engines do not return a simple list of links. They analyze large amounts of data, prioritize sources they consider authoritative, and generate answers based on what they retrieve. This shift means brands must rethink how they structure content and build authority online. If your brand is not included in the sources AI references, it will not be part of the conversation.
How to Check Your AI Search Visibility
Before optimizing for AEO, it is important to assess whether AI search engines recognize and mention your brand.
Known is a tool designed to track and improve brand visibility in AI search. It provides insights into:
How often AI search engines reference your brand
Which competitors AI prioritizes in your industry
Whether AI-generated content portrays your brand positively or negatively
How to boost your AI search engine visibility
What This Guide Covers
This guide explains:
What AEO is and how it works
How AI search engines retrieve and rank information
Key factors that influence AI search rankings
Actionable steps to improve your AI search visibility
AI-driven search is gaining traction, and brands that adapt now will have a competitive advantage. This guide outlines the fundamentals of AEO and provides strategies to help businesses succeed in this new search landscape.
What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the process of optimizing content so that AI search engines recognize, retrieve, and include it in AI-generated responses. While traditional SEO focuses on ranking web pages in search engine results, AEO ensures that a brand’s content is structured in a way that AI-powered platforms can process and reference.
AI search engines like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot work differently from Google. Instead of ranking websites based on backlinks, domain authority, and keyword relevance, they pull from a mix of structured data, industry sources, reviews, and user-generated content. Their goal is to generate a direct response to a query, rather than provide a list of links for the user to click through.
This shift requires a new approach to optimization. Brands need to ensure that AI search engines recognize their authority, understand their content, and include them as a source when generating responses. This means optimizing for credibility, context, and retrieval rather than just search rankings.
AEO is not a replacement for SEO but an evolution of it. As AI search adoption grows, businesses that fail to optimize for AEO risk being left out of AI-generated answers—where many users are now turning for information.
How AI Search Engines Work
AI search engines process queries differently from traditional search engines like Google. Instead of ranking pages and displaying a list of links, AI-driven search tools retrieve information from multiple sources, synthesize the most relevant details, and generate a direct response.
The process typically follows these steps:
Query Processing – AI interprets the search query, breaking it down into key entities, topics, and intent. Queries tend to be longer and more conversational than traditional searches. The average AI search query is 23 words, compared to Google’s 4.2 words.
Retrieval of Information – AI pulls data from various sources, including:
Authoritative websites
Wikipedia and publicly available databases
Industry-specific directories and rankings
News sites and research papers
Online reviews and user-generated content from platforms like Reddit and Quora
Ranking and Filtering – AI evaluates the credibility, relevance, and consistency of retrieved information. It prioritizes well-established sources and authoritative content while filtering out unreliable data.
Answer Generation – Using natural language processing (NLP), AI summarizes and synthesizes the retrieved information into a structured response. This process can introduce biases based on the sources AI deems trustworthy.
User Interaction and Learning – AI search engines continuously refine their responses based on user interactions. If users frequently engage with a particular source, AI may prioritize that content in future queries.
Since AI search engines generate answers rather than simply displaying links, brands must ensure their content is recognized, retrieved, and included in the AI's knowledge base. AEO strategies focus on optimizing for these retrieval and ranking processes, making it easier for AI to surface the right content when generating responses.
What Influences AI Search Rankings?
AI search engines determine which sources to include in responses based on credibility, relevance, and structured data. Unlike traditional search engines that rely on backlinks and on-page SEO factors, AI-driven search prioritizes authority, brand recognition, and content formatting.
Key Factors for AI Search Visibility
1. Authoritative Mentions and Citations
AI search engines rely on recognized, high-quality sources. Content that appears in authoritative lists, research reports, and industry publications has a higher chance of being retrieved. Getting featured in “Best of” lists, Wikipedia, and well-established news outlets can improve visibility.
2. Brand Search Volume
If users frequently search for your brand or products in AI search engines, it signals credibility. AI may prioritize businesses that are commonly referenced, discussed in industry forums, or cited across multiple sources.
3. Online Reviews and Sentiment Analysis
AI search engines analyze user feedback from platforms like Google Reviews, G2, Trustpilot, and Reddit to gauge a brand’s reputation. Businesses with more positive reviews and consistent sentiment across multiple platforms are more likely to be featured in AI-generated responses.
4. Structured Data and Schema Markup
AI search engines process structured data more efficiently than unstructured text. Using schema markup helps AI systems understand content context, making it easier for them to retrieve and reference relevant information.
5. Domain and Content Authority
While backlinks are less important in AI search ranking than in traditional SEO, domain authority and topical relevance still play a role. Businesses with a strong online presence, expert-authored content, and consistent engagement across digital platforms have a better chance of being included in AI responses.
6. Industry-Specific Citations
AI search engines pull from specialized sources relevant to each industry. For example, in the tech space, AI may reference Gartner or Forrester, while in e-commerce, it may rely on Amazon or Shopify reviews. Understanding which sources AI references in your field can help guide content and citation strategies.
7. Google and Bing Rankings
While AI search operates independently from traditional search engines, there is still overlap. ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot integrate with Bing, and Google Gemini uses Google’s own search index. High rankings on these platforms can indirectly influence AI visibility.
AI search rankings are determined by more than just keywords and backlinks. To succeed in AEO, brands must build authority, optimize structured data, and ensure their presence in trusted sources. The next section will outline a step-by-step strategy to help businesses improve their AI search visibility.
AEO Checklist: How to Rank in AI Search Results
Optimizing for AI search engines requires a different approach than traditional SEO. Instead of focusing solely on keyword rankings and backlinks, AEO prioritizes structured data, authoritative mentions, and content credibility. The following checklist outlines key steps to improve AI search visibility.
1. Get Listed in Authoritative Sources
AI search engines pull data from trusted, high-quality sources. To increase visibility, businesses should:
Identify the top-ranking “Best of” lists and industry directories in their niche.
Secure mentions in Wikipedia, reputable news outlets, and research-based websites.
Build relationships with industry experts and contributors who influence AI-referenced sources.
2. Optimize for AI Query Length and Intent
AI search queries are significantly longer than traditional searches—23 words on average, compared to Google’s 4.2. To align with AI search behavior:
Structure content to answer complex, multi-step questions.
Use conversational language and provide clear, well-formatted answers.
Address specific user intents, such as comparisons, recommendations, and in-depth analysis.
3. Build and Optimize Online Reviews
AI search engines assess brand reputation by analyzing online reviews. To improve credibility:
Encourage customer reviews on Google My Business, G2, Trustpilot, and industry-specific platforms.
Monitor and respond to negative feedback to maintain a positive brand sentiment.
Ensure consistent brand mentions across multiple review platforms.
4. Use Schema Markup to Structure Content
AI search engines process structured data more effectively than plain text. Implementing schema markup can help AI platforms retrieve and interpret content correctly.
Use FAQ schema for commonly asked questions.
Implement Organization schema to strengthen brand identity.
Apply Product and Review schema for e-commerce businesses.
5. Monitor What AI Search Engines Know About Your Brand
Regularly checking how AI search engines perceive your brand is essential for improving visibility.
Test queries in ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity by asking, “What do you know about [brand name]?”
Identify inaccurate or missing information and work to correct it by increasing authoritative citations.
Use Known to track AI search mentions, sentiment, and competitor visibility.
6. Make Content AI-Friendly
AI search engines prioritize content that is easy to process and retrieve. To improve accessibility:
Use clean HTML and avoid JavaScript-heavy elements that may block AI crawlers.
Structure content with clear headings, bullet points, and concise summaries.
Ensure that key information appears high on the page, making it easier for AI to extract.
7. Continue Ranking Well on Google and Bing
Although AI search engines generate direct responses, they still pull data from traditional search engines. Since ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot integrate with Bing, and Google Gemini uses Google’s index, maintaining strong SEO rankings remains essential.
Focus on high-quality, authoritative content that aligns with AI search retrieval patterns.
Improve click-through rates (CTR) and engagement metrics, which signal relevance to AI models.
Optimize for People Also Ask and featured snippets, which AI search engines frequently reference.
8. Track and Improve AI Search Visibility
Understanding how AI search engines display and rank your brand is critical for ongoing optimization. Known provides:
Real-time tracking of AI search visibility and brand mentions.
Competitor benchmarking to see how frequently rival brands are referenced.
Actionable recommendations to boost your visibility.
AI-driven search is changing how brands appear online. By implementing these strategies, businesses can improve their visibility in AI-generated answers and stay ahead of the competition. The final section will outline key takeaways and next steps for brands looking to optimize for AEO.
Conclusion: AEO is the Future of Search
AI search engines are changing how people find and consume information. As more users turn to platforms like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity, brands that fail to optimize for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) risk losing visibility.
Unlike traditional SEO, AEO requires businesses to focus on authority, credibility, and structured data rather than just keyword rankings. AI search engines prioritize trusted sources, industry citations, and well-organized content when generating responses.
Businesses that take proactive steps to optimize for AEO will position themselves for success in this rapidly evolving search landscape.
To find out if your brand is visible in AI search results, sign up for early access to Known—the first tool built to score, monitor, and boost your AI search visibility.
