Traditional SEO optimises for a list of blue links. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) optimises for being the single answer an AI system cites or reads aloud. The strategies overlap, but they’re not the same game.
Structure matters more than ever
Clear headings, direct answers near the top of a section, and well-marked-up data give answer engines something clean to extract. Buried, meandering copy simply doesn’t get cited.
Authority is still the foundation
AEO doesn’t replace the fundamentals — original research, real expertise, and consistent publishing still build the authority that gets you selected as the source in the first place.
m
mohityeotikar@gmail.com
Writing on branding, design and growth at Digital Thrust.
