Ranking No.1 on a traditional search engine results page isn’t the only win anymore. With AI summaries changing how people discover information and Google rolling out explicit AI performance reporting, more users are getting answers without clicking through. That means your new goal is simple: make your business easy for AI engines to cite.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring your website so tools like Gemini and ChatGPT can quickly understand what you do, who you serve and the best next step for a customer. Think less “keywords everywhere” and more “clear answers, clean structure and proof.”

Here’s the mindset shift: search engine optimization (SEO) helps you get found. AEO helps you get quoted.

Tool: The AEO Starter Stack – three updates that make your site more “citeable.”

Build an Answer Hub page

Create one page that directly answers your top customer questions in plain language.

Start with 10–15 FAQs you hear every week.

Write each answer in two-to-four short sentences.

Add a next step under each answer (call, book, request a quote).

Use “question-first” formatting on key pages

On service pages and blogs, add mini sections that match how people ask questions.

Use headings that are full questions (H2/H3).

Answer immediately in the first one-to-two sentences.

Then add details, examples and options below. This makes it easier for AI to pull a clean, accurate excerpt.

Add structured data (schema) for trust and clarity

Schema is like labeling your content so search and AI systems don’t have to guess.

Start with the basics: 

Local Business (name, address, phone, hours), Service (what you offer), FAQ Page (your Q&A sections) and Review/Testimonial when applicable.

If you’re not technical, ask your web person to add it, or use a plugin/tool that supports schema.

Each week, add two new questions to your Answer Hub based on real conversations: calls, emails, DMs and sales objections. Over time, you’re building a library of “ready-to-cite” answers. When AI engines summarize options for a customer, you want your business to be the source they trust enough to reference.

Bonus tip: Write like you’re helping one person, not trying to impress an algorithm. Clear beats clever every time.