AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

Definition

AEO is the practice of optimizing content for direct-answer surfaces — voice assistants, featured snippets, AND generative AI engines. Coined by Jason Barnard in January 2018 (Trustpilot white paper). AEO is the broader umbrella; GEO is the AI-engine-specific subset. Most 2026 practitioners use the terms interchangeably; the underlying tactics are 80%+ overlapping.