Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is writing and marking up your content so an AI assistant can lift a clean, quotable answer straight from your page and credit you for it. The measure of success is a cited answer, not a ranked link.
How it works
Answer engines pull a specific passage from a page and put it in an answer, rather than sending someone to browse your site. AEO is about writing self-contained answers a machine can lift cleanly: a clear question, a direct answer near it, and facts stated plainly rather than implied. It is closely related to generative engine optimization; the difference is scope, covered on that page.
A commerce example
A shopper asks, "does this brand offer free returns?" A store that states "free 30-day returns" as a clear line, and as structured data, can be quoted with confidence. A store that hides the same fact inside a linked policy page written for lawyers gives the engine nothing quotable, so it stays silent about you or guesses.
What this means for your store
Write the facts a shopper actually asks about (shipping, returns, materials, fit) as short, self-contained statements on the product page, and publish them as data, not only prose. That is the same work that helps you get recommended by AI.