Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): AI visibility in 2025

Answer engines, AI search engines and AI assistants are conquering the internet and fundamentally changing the rules for digital visibility.

While traditional search engines deliver links, ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity present direct answers with only a few selected source citations.

Those not cited here simply don’t exist for a growing portion of users, regardless of how well their website is optimized for traditional search engines.

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) improves a brand’s visibility in AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Microsoft Copilot. Unlike traditional SEO, it’s not about appearing in search results, but being cited as a source in AI-generated answers.

The search landscape is changing fundamentally:

Gartner’s forecast from early 2024, predicting that by 2026 around 25% of organic traffic would migrate to AI chatbots and virtual assistants, is proving true. Those who don’t act now risk becoming invisible in the AI-driven information world.

Organic and paid search are vital channels for tech marketers seeking to reach awareness and demand generation goals. Generative AI (GenAI) solutions are becoming substitute answer engines, replacing user queries that previously may have been executed in traditional search engines. This will force companies to rethink their marketing channels strategy as GenAI becomes more embedded across all aspects of the enterprise.

Alan Antin, Vice President Analyst bei Gartner

AEO is the logical evolution of search engine optimization in an era where users increasingly expect immediately usable answers instead of lengthy research.

What are the Most Important AI Platforms?

The most important platforms for AEO in the DACH region from our experience are currently:

• ChatGPT (OpenAI): Over 700 million weekly users (Source: Nick Turley)
• Google AI Overviews: AI-generated summaries in Google search results
• Microsoft Copilot: Integrated into Windows and Office products
• Perplexity AI: Processes more than 100 million queries per week (Source: Aravind Srinivas)

How Many Sources Are Typically Cited Per Answer?

A comprehensive study by xfunnel.ai analyzed 40,000 AI answers from models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini and reached the following average results:

• Perplexity: about 6.61 citations per answer
• Google Gemini: about 6.1 citations per answer
• ChatGPT: only 2.62 citations per answer

Why Is AEO Gaining Importance for Brands?

AEO is becoming increasingly important for companies because user search behavior is fundamentally changing. AI assistants are increasingly accompanying the customer journey and shortening it.

• According to Forrester, 89% of B2B buyers have adopted generative AI as a central source for self-directed information throughout their entire buying process.
• ChatGPT now records 700 million weekly users and processes over 2.5 billion prompts daily according to Exploding Topics. 
• At the same time, Google has rolled out Google AI Overviews globally and is already testing the ChatGPT-like AI Mode in the U.S. and UK.

This shift means brands or companies that don’t appear in AI answers are losing a growing portion of their potential customers.

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Three Central Reasons for AEO’s Growing Importance:

Changed user behavior: Instead of simple search terms, users ask complex questions like “Which laptops under $1,500 are suitable for video editing, gaming, and have long battery life?” Additionally, these aren’t individual searches, but context-rich conversations.

Declining click rates: AI answers reduce the need to click through to websites. A study from Pew Research Center shows that Google AI Overviews lead to ignificantly fewer clicks.

New touchpoints: AI platforms are becoming independent information channels that can influence the entire decision-making process

What’s the Difference Between AEO, SEO, and Generative Engine Optimization?

The differences between AEO, SEO, and GEO are fluid. Nevertheless, I’ll try to distinguish these three terms for you:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Focuses on ranking in traditional search engines. The goal is to achieve top positions in organic search results, measured through rankings, impressions, clicks, and traffic. Main focus is on keywords, backlinks, and technical optimization.

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Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Concentrates on visibility in AI-generated answers. Here it’s about being cited as a source in direct answers, measured through citations and referral traffic. Main focus is on structured content, clear answers, and E-E-A-T signals.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) A broader approach for all AI systems. The goal is brand mention in any AI-generated content, measured primarily through Share of Voice along the buyer journey. Main focus is on comprehensive digital presence, authority, and freshness.

The three approaches complement each other: A strong SEO foundation improves chances for AEO success, while GEO offers a more comprehensive strategy for the AI landscape.

Surprising: Only 12% of URLs cited in LLMs also appear in Google’s top 10 results.

The study by Louise Linehan and Xibeijia Guan (based on 15,000 prompts with Ahrefs Brand Radar) showed:

1. Overall, the overlap between AI citations and Google’s top 10 results is only 12%
2. ChatGPT performs even worse – with only 8% overlap with Google and Bing
3. Perplexity shows the strongest proximity to traditional rankings (28% with Google, 14% with Bing)
4. Across all platforms, the overlap with Bing is only 10%
5. AI Overviews are the exception: here the overlap was 76% of cited URLs

The data is remarkable because it’s often assumed that systems like ChatGPT align their answers closely with Google search results. However, the study shows this is far less the case than expected.

What Are the Biggest Levers for AEO?

The most effective strategies for Answer Engine Optimization are based on understanding how AI systems process and prioritize information.

Content strategies for AI search engines can additionally help optimally prepare content.

The following five levers have proven particularly effective:

1. Structured, Extractable Content

AI systems prefer clearly structured content that can be easily extracted as answer building blocks. A study by SurferSEO shows that 40-61% of AI Overviews use lists or bullet points.

The pyramid principle is central here: begin each section with the core statement, then follow with details. Use semantically strong headings in question form and limit paragraphs to 25-40 words.

For optimal extractability, always start informative pages with a brief summary (as with this guide). This helps both time-pressed readers and AI systems in categorizing the content.

In this video, we do a deep dive:

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2. Authority and E-E-A-T Signals

AI systems prefer trustworthy sources. Strong E-E-A-T-signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) increase the likelihood of being cited in AI Overviews.

To demonstrate your expertise, name authors with relevant professional competence, add citations and references to authoritative sources, and work on links and mentions from trustworthy websites. Particularly effective is publishing your own studies or data analyses that position your brand as a thought leader.

3. Semantic Clarity and Unambiguity

AEO prefers precise, context-independent statements without ambiguities. The clearer and more direct your answers, the more likely they’ll be cited. An exact understanding of search intent additionally helps deliver precisely the information users are seeking.

Compare these two examples:

• Unsuitable: “In many cases, a VPN connection can be helpful for surfing the internet more securely.”
• Suitable: “A VPN connection encrypts internet traffic and protects against data theft in public Wi-Fi networks.”

The second sentence offers a clear, factual statement without limiting formulations like “can” or “in many cases.” This unambiguity makes it more valuable for AI systems.

4. Freshness and Regular Updates

AI platforms prefer current content. An analysis by AirOps shows that companies with high visibility in AI answers update content quarterly.

To signal freshness, implement Last-Updated Schema Markup for your content, update core pages at least every 90 days, and supplement existing content with current statistics and insights.

This is particularly important for fast-moving industries or topics where information can change rapidly. Regular Content-Audit enable updating outdated content and thus ensuring freshness.

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5. Originality and Information Gain

Duplicate content was yesterday; today it’s about duplicate information. AI systems prefer content with real added value, e.g., proprietary examples, data, models, or perspectives.

To give your content justification for existence, develop proprietary frameworks, share internal data or case studies, and offer new perspectives that go beyond standard knowledge.

Here’s an example:

• Unsuitable: “Insulating a house is important to save energy.”
• Suitable: “With the 20/80 rule for insulation, homeowners save up to 40% on heating costs—when 20% of the area (roof, basement ceiling) is optimally insulated.”

The second approach offers a proprietary model, concrete numbers, and a new perspective. Exactly what AI systems classify as valuable.

How Do Factors Differ Between Different AI Platforms?

The various AI platforms use different methods to collect and prioritize information. These differences require platform-specific optimization strategies.

ChatGPT and Wikipedia Dominance

ChatGPT shows a strong preference for established knowledge sources. According to Profound, Wikipedia alone accounts for 7.8% of all ChatGPT citations and dominates with 47.9% among the top 10 sources.

Current data from Profound also shows that citation patterns at ChatGPT have changed significantly. Referral traffic has declined by 52% since July 2024, while Reddit citations have increased by 87%. The top 3 domains (Wikipedia, Reddit, TechRadar) now control 22% of all citations.

This shift suggests ChatGPT increasingly prefers pages that deliver direct answers instead of referring to brand websites primarily focused on conversion.

Optimization Approaches for ChatGPT

• Deliver direct answers: Provide information, not sales arguments
• Build community presence: Actively engage on Reddit and similar platforms
• Create comparative content: Offer objective comparisons instead of pure brand messages

Learn even more in this video:

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Google AI Overviews and SERP Integration

Google AI Overviews show a more balanced source distribution. The top 10 sources have a more even distribution, with Reddit leading at 21%.

For Google AI Overviews, traditional SEO remains crucial. You should aim for top 10 rankings, structure your content for extractability, and keep it fresh.

A special feature of Google AI Overviews is the close connection with the existing Google index. This means traditional SEO signals also increase the likelihood of being cited in AI Overviews.

Perplexity and Community Focus

Perplexity shows a strong preference for community content. Reddit dominates with 46.7% among the top 10 sources, followed by YouTube with 13.9%.

To become visible in Perplexity, you should build a Reddit presence, create video content, and engage on Quora and other Q&A platforms.

Perplexity’s focus on user-generated content shows an important trend: AI systems increasingly value the “wisdom of the crowd” as trustworthy.

It’s particularly effective not just to be present on these platforms, but to offer genuine value through detailed, helpful answers that demonstrate your expertise without being too promotional.

What Are AEO Strategies for More AI Visibility?

An effective AEO framework is based on five core steps that should be systematically implemented. This framework is applicable for companies of any size and can be adapted to specific industry requirements.

Step 1: Analyze Current AI Visibility

Begin with an inventory of your current presence in AI answers. Identify which topics and questions already cite your brand and where gaps exist.

This requires a systematic approach:

1. Collect relevant questions from your industry, test these questions on various AI platforms, and document which sources are cited and why.
2. Analyze the structure and content of successful sources to recognize patterns.

Particularly insightful is considering your target audience’s customer journey and thinking about which questions might be asked in each phase – from awareness to decision phase.

Step 2: Content Optimization for Extractability

Optimize existing content and create new content specifically suitable for AI extraction. The focus is on clear answers, logical structure, and semantic unambiguity.

The pyramid principle should be consistently applied: each section begins with the core statement, followed by supporting details. W-questions as headings improve semantic clarity, while structured elements like lists, tables, and short paragraphs increase extractability.

Step 3: Strengthen Authority and Trust Signals

Build your brand as a trustworthy information source. AI systems prefer sources with strong E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

How to build digital authority:

1. Publish expert contributions with detailed author biographies and relevant qualifications
2. Conduct proprietary studies or data analyses that underscore your industry expertise
3. Build a backlink profile with quality links from authoritative websites
4. Maintain an active presence on professional platforms like LinkedIn and industry forums

Step 4: Distribution and Cross-Channel Presence

Spread your content across various channels to increase the likelihood of being captured by AI systems. A multi-platform strategy maximizes visibility.

How to build an extensive digital footprint:

1. Prepare content for different platforms (Content Repurposing)
2. Build active community presence on relevant platforms.
3. Use PR for mentions in established media
4. Ensure consistent information across all channels

It’s particularly important to be active on platforms preferred by AI systems – like Reddit, Quora, YouTube, and specialized professional forums. Your presence there should be authentic and offer real value, not just spread marketing messages.

Step 5: Measurement and Iteration

Regularly monitor your AI visibility with tools like Peec AI or Profound and adjust your strategy accordingly. AEO is a continuous process requiring constant optimization.

How to measure your success with AI search engines and chatbots:

• Map your customers’ buyer journey in the form of prompts and measure Share of Voice along this journey
• Track referral traffic and revenue from AI platforms by setting up Custom Channel Groups in GA4
• Analyze successful content to recognize and replicate patterns

What Are Your Next Steps for More AI Visibility?

Chatbots and AI search engines are changing the rules. Those who act today can secure crucial visibility in AI-powered search along the customer journey. AEO isn’t a short-term trend, but the logical evolution of SEO.

If you want to align your brand for the AI future now, it’s worth proceeding systematically:

1. Check status quo – Where do you already appear in AI answers today?
2. Rethink content – Prepare content so it’s extractable, unambiguous, and quotable
3. Build authority – Create expertise, studies, and clear trust signals

This is exactly where we support companies like yours: as a strategic sparring partner bridging traditional SEO, content-strategie, GEO, digital PR, and AI-driven growth.

Schedule an initial consultation now and together create the foundation so your brand is present not only in search engines but also in tomorrow’s answers.