Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

Definition

Answer Engine Optimization is the practice of structuring a website's content, schema markup, and data so that AI-powered search systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can extract and cite the source when answering user questions. Unlike traditional SEO, which targets ranked link results, AEO targets direct answers where the firm or source is named without requiring a user click. For CPA firms, this means organizing content around specific tax and advisory questions so AI retrieval models recognize the firm as an authoritative source.