# What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?

> Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the work of getting your brand named, and your pages cited, in the answers AI assistants give: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode. Where SEO aims for a ranked link, AEO aims to be in the answer itself. You measure it by asking the questions your buyers ask and counting mentions and citations.

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Also called | Generative engine optimization (GEO), AI search optimization |
| Goal | Be named and cited in AI answers |
| Measured by | Mention rate and citation rate on a fixed set of prompts |
| Manifold tools | aeo_run_ai_answers, aeo_search_prompts, aeo_get_site_readiness |

## AEO in one line

SEO tries to win a place in a list of links. AEO tries to be the answer: your brand named in the text, and your page linked as the source.

## How AI engines pick what to say

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features search the web while they answer, read a handful of pages and write from them. So AEO has two halves:

1. **Be readable.** The engines' crawlers must be allowed in, by your `robots.txt` and by your CDN, and your content must be in the page's HTML without JavaScript.
2. **Be in the sources they read.** Your own pages, and the third-party pages the engines keep citing for your category: GitHub lists, Reddit threads, roundup articles, directories, videos.

## How to measure it

Pick the questions your buyers ask at each stage, from "how do I…" to "is X free", run them on each engine, and count two rates:

| Rate | What it counts |
| --- | --- |
| Mention rate | Answers that name your brand |
| Citation rate | Answers that link a page on your site |

Keep the questions fixed and re-run them every few weeks. Answers change from run to run, so compare rates, not single answers. Our own [AI visibility baseline](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/use-cases/ai-visibility-baseline) shows the method with real numbers.

## Doing it with Manifold

Your agent can run any question on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, AI Overviews and AI Mode with [`aeo_run_ai_answers`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/aeo#aeo_run_ai_answers), at 27 credits a question on the five default engines, and see every brand named and every page cited. [`aeo_search_prompts`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/aeo#aeo_search_prompts) shows questions people already ask the engines, and [`aeo_get_site_readiness`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/aeo#aeo_get_site_readiness) checks for free whether the crawlers can read your site.

## Questions

### Is AEO the same as GEO?

In practice, yes. Both name the work of showing up in AI-generated answers. GEO comes from a 2023 research paper; AEO is the term more marketers use.

### How is AEO different from SEO?

SEO aims for a high position in a list of links. AEO aims for a mention or a citation inside the answer. The two overlap: AI engines search the web while they answer and often cite pages that already rank.

### How do I measure AEO?

Pick the questions your buyers ask, run them on each AI engine, and count how often your brand is named and your site is cited. Re-run the same questions every few weeks and compare the rates.

### What is the first AEO fix?

Make sure the AI crawlers can read your site: robots.txt and your CDN must let them in, and your key content must be in the HTML without JavaScript.

## Next

- [AI visibility MCP server](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/mcp/ai-visibility)
- [Use case: measure your AI visibility](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/use-cases/ai-visibility-baseline)
- [AEO tools in the docs](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/aeo)

Published 3 October 2026. Updated 26 October 2026.