What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
Answer engine optimization (AEO), also called generative engine optimization (GEO), is the practice of making sure AI assistants and AI search features describe a brand accurately and include it when it is relevant.
Why does Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) matter for marketers?
When people ask an assistant for a recommendation and read one written answer, a brand that is missing or described wrongly is out of the running before anyone visits its site.
Where does Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) stand today?
Vendors now sell visibility tracking: HubSpot AEO (April 2026), Adobe with Semrush (completed April 2026), Profound ($96 million Series C, February 2026) and Scrunch (being acquired by Sitecore, June 2026). Evidence on revenue impact is thin and mostly vendor-reported.
Common use cases
- Measuring how often a brand appears in AI answers
- Checking that AI answers describe products accurately
- Finding questions where competitors appear and you do not
Answer engine optimization (AEO), also called generative engine optimization (GEO), is the practice of making sure AI assistants and AI search features describe a brand accurately and include it when it is relevant.