What is the difference between AEO and SEO?

SEO targets ranking position in traditional search engine results pages. AEO targets citation in AI-generated answers, where there is no rank, only cited or not cited. Both disciplines share the same content foundation (authority, crawlability, E-E-A-T), but AEO adds structural formatting requirements and entity clarity as first-order signals.

Does AEO replace SEO in 2026?

No. SEO remains the infrastructure layer that determines which sources AI engines trust. Domain authority, backlinks, and technical crawlability still influence AI citation probability. The accurate framing is that AEO extends SEO, brands that have invested in SEO have a head start, but they need AEO-specific content work to convert that authority into AI citations.

How do I know if AI engines are citing my brand?

The most direct method is systematic prompt testing: run a set of queries relevant to your category across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, then record which brands appear. Platforms like Promptive automate this monitoring across hundreds of prompts and multiple engines. Start with a free GEO audit to get a baseline.

Which AI engine should I prioritize for AEO?

Prioritize based on where your audience researches decisions in your category. For B2B, ChatGPT (62.6% of B2B AI referrals) and Claude (18.5%) are the primary channels. For consumer and e-commerce, Google AI Overviews (48% of all Google queries) and Perplexity matter most. Most brands should monitor all major engines, citation behavior varies significantly across platforms.

What content changes have the fastest AEO impact?

Three structural changes move citation probability fastest: (1) rewrite article introductions to answer the target question in the first 2-3 sentences; (2) add FAQ sections with FAQPage schema markup; (3) build a statistics or data page with sourced, dated numbers in your category. These changes can be implemented in days and produce measurable citation changes within weeks.

Does being cited in AI answers actually drive traffic?

Yes, though the mechanism differs from blue-link clicks. Direct AI referral traffic is smaller in volume but converts at 14.2% versus 2.8% for Google organic (Opollo, 2026). Additionally, Ahrefs data (Dec 2025) shows that AI Overviews reduce position-1 CTR by 58% for non-cited brands, meaning cited brands absorb a disproportionate share of remaining clicks. AI citation creates brand impressions at scale even without direct clicks.

What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? The Definitive 2026 Explainer