GLOSSARY
Answer Engine
IN ONE SENTENCE
An answer engine returns an answer instead of a result list; optimising for one is called AEO.
An answer engine returns an answer instead of a result list; optimising for one is called AEO.
01
In detail
AEO and GEO overlap heavily, and most practitioners treat the labels as interchangeable. The difference is emphasis: AEO is the older term, rooted in voice and featured snippets, while GEO won the naming contest through academic and investor adoption.
Updated 2026-08-06