Definition
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the 2026 discipline of optimizing content, mentions, and structured data so that LLM-powered answer engines recommend your brand when users ask category questions.
In Depth
Traditional SEO measures organic rank on Google. AEO measures whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude mention your brand in their answers to category prompts. The inputs overlap but differ: third-party mentions (Reddit, review sites, blog posts) weigh more in AEO than in traditional SEO, while meta tags weigh less. Tracking AEO requires a dedicated pipeline that runs prompts against each answer engine and parses the result. Scavio's ask endpoint exists specifically for this.
Example Usage
A CEO who spotted ChatGPT recommending a competitor launched an AEO initiative that prioritized Reddit engagement and third-party citations over on-page SEO.
Platforms
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is relevant across the following platforms, all accessible through Scavio's unified API:
- YouTube