This is my current understanding of AEO. It's not polished — it's what 12 days of testing has taught me. I'll update it as I learn more. If something's wrong, email me.
What Is AEO?
AEO = Answer Engine Optimization
It's the practice of optimizing your content so AI systems (ChatGPT, Claude, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, etc.) cite you in their answers.
Instead of ranking #1 on Google, you're trying to be the source AI mentions when someone asks a question.
Why This Matters Now
Two things happened:
- Google AI Overviews started showing AI-generated answers above traditional results. Less clicking.
- People started asking AI directly instead of Google. ChatGPT has 300M+ users now.
If your content isn't being cited by AI, you're becoming invisible.
What I've Actually Tested (And What Worked)
1. llms.txt — Most Confident This Helps
llms.txt is a text file that tells AI what's on your site. Think of it as a sitemap for AI.
I added it 12 days ago. Something changed — I saw a small traffic bump from AI sources. Coincidence? Maybe. But it's easy to implement so I'm keeping it.
Use my free generator if you want.
2. Question-Based Content Structure
AI answers questions. So I started structuring content to directly answer questions:
- Use question headings (H2s that are questions)
- Answer first, then elaborate
- Use bullet points and numbered lists
- Keep paragraphs short
No statistical proof this works yet, but it makes logical sense.
3. Schema Markup — Probably Helps
I added Article, FAQ, and HowTo schema to various posts. Haven't proven it statistically but it doesn't hurt.
Use my schema generator for copy-paste JSON-LD.
What I Tried That DIDN'T Work
Backlinks
Spent 2 weeks on outreach. Got 0 new backlinks. AI citations unchanged. Traditional SEO signal doesn't seem to matter (yet).
Longer Content
Made some posts longer. No difference in AI citations. Content length doesn't seem to matter for AEO.
Specific Keywords
Tried optimizing for traditional SEO keywords. AI doesn't seem to care about keyword density or exact matches.
The AEO Framework (So Far)
Here's what I'm doing:
- Technical Setup — llms.txt + schema markup
- Content Structure — Question-based, direct answers first
- Question Targeting — Find what people ask AI (different from Google)
- Tracking — Manual checks + building a tool
What's Missing
A lot. This is early days. I don't know:
- What makes AI choose one source over another
- If domain authority matters for AI citations
- How often content needs to be updated
- Whether brand mentions help
I'm testing these now. Will update when I know.
Quick Start (If You're Freaking Out)
If you don't have time for the rest:
- Go here: llms.txt Generator
- Enter your URL
- Add the file to your site
- Add Article schema to your blog posts
That's what I'm doing. It's not everything, but it's a start.
Want More?
I'm compiling everything into a course. Updates included as I learn more.
Check Out the Course →Last Updated
February 12, 2026. Will update when things change.