AEO – Ask Engine Optimization FAQ’s

The world of search is changing fast, and it’s no longer just about ranking on Google. If you’ve come across terms like AIO, AEO, and GEO, you’re not alone. With all these new terms running around the internet, what is the difference between AIO, AEO and GEO. These are the new pillars of modern digital visibility—and each plays a slightly different role in helping your business show up, stand out, and stay relevant in an AI-driven world.

AIO: AI Optimisation

AI Optimisation (AIO) focuses on making your content usable by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Bing Copilot. It’s about structuring your content so these AI tools can reference it confidently when generating answers for users. AIO helps your content become part of the answer, not just the search results.

Key features of AIO:

• Clear, human-sounding content
• Structured data and context
• Trustworthy, well-organised information
• Optimised for summarisation and citation by AI

AEO: Answer Engine Optimisation

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is about crafting content that answers specific user questions directly. It’s focused on helping your site show up in featured snippets, voice search results, and other direct-answer formats on platforms like Google and Siri.

Key features of AEO:

• FAQ-style content
• Question-based headings and responses
• Structured, scannable layouts
• Designed for zero-click results (like Google snippets)

GEO: Generative Engine Optimisation

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the big-picture strategy that includes both AIO and AEO. GEO looks at how your entire digital presence can be improved to work better with AI tools that are generating content, answers, and summaries.

Key features of GEO:

• Question-based content
• Structured, scannable formatting
• Context-rich writing
• Authoritative tone and trustworthy sources
• Technical optimisation
• Content that’s AI-ready

At its core, GEO makes your website a reliable source for AI tools to pull from. This means your content doesn’t just rank—it gets included in the answers that people trust, whether they’re on Google, asking Siri, or chatting with an AI assistant.

Think of it like this:

• AIO makes your content usable by AI
• AEO makes your content findable in answer boxes
• GEO combines both approaches to future-proof your visibility

At Fort Hartley, we use all three strategies to make sure your brand doesn’t just show up—it becomes the source AI tools rely on to inform, inspire, and answer.

How can AEO improve user engagement? These days, if your website doesn’t answer questions fast, users are gone faster than a Joburg thunderstorm. That’s where Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) steps in—putting the most relevant info in front of your audience before they even think about clicking away.

So, how can AEO improve user engagement? By giving people exactly what they’re looking for, the moment they arrive.

Quick answers, longer visits

AEO structures your content in a way that delivers direct, helpful answers. When users get what they need straight away—whether they’re searching on Google, chatting to ChatGPT, or asking Siri a question—they’re more likely to stick around.

Instead of bouncing off your site after a few seconds, they start exploring. They click on related articles. They read your services. They might even make a purchase or enquire.

That’s engagement—and it’s golden.

Voice and AI tools favour engagement-ready content

With AI tools and voice assistants driving more traffic, the kind of content that wins is content that engages. AEO content doesn’t waffle. It gets to the point, builds trust, and makes users feel like your brand actually knows what it’s talking about.

When your answer shows up in a snippet, a chatbot, or a voice search result, you’re already ahead. And if the user clicks through to learn more, you’ve started a relationship without ever having to “sell.”

An example:

Imagine someone in Pretoria asks, “What’s the difference between a pork chop and a loin chop?” If your blog has a neatly structured AEO-ready answer, not only do you pop up first, but the reader might also stick around to check your full product range, pricing, or recipe ideas.

That’s the power of content that’s helpful before it’s promotional.

AEO + good content = better conversion

User engagement isn’t just about time-on-site stats. It’s about connection. AEO helps you start that connection by removing friction. And in marketing, less friction = more trust = better results.

Why is structured data important for AEO? In a world where people expect answers in seconds—whether from Google, ChatGPT, or Siri—how your content is understood matters just as much as what it says. That’s where structured data comes in.

So, why is structured data important for AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)? Because it helps search engines and AI tools actually understand what your content means—not just what it says.

What is structured data?

Structured data is a way of organising your website’s content using a specific format that search engines can easily read and interpret. Think of it like adding labels to everything on your site—labels that say, “This is a product,” “This is a review,” or “This is a recipe.”

The most common format is called schema markup, and it works behind the scenes in your site’s code.

How it boosts AEO performance

When it comes to Answer Engine Optimisation, structured data plays a crucial role by:

Making your content easier to index and interpret.

Instead of guessing what your content is about, search engines like Google or AI platforms like ChatGPT can read the labels and get straight to the point.

Increasing your chances of showing up in featured snippets

These are the answer boxes at the top of search results. Structured data gives your content a better shot at being chosen for that prime spot.

Helping voice assistants give accurate answers

Voice tools like Alexa and Siri often pull answers directly from well-structured content that includes schema markup.

In short, structured data tells answer engines exactly what’s what—helping your content rise to the top when users are asking questions.

An example

Let’s say you run a recipe blog in Cape Town. If you mark up your recipes with structured data—ingredients, prep time, cooking instructions—your site is more likely to pop up when someone asks their voice assistant, “How do I make cruffins?” Structured data helps AI pull your answer directly, rather than showing a list of websites.

Why Fort Hartley cares
At Fort Hartley, we don’t just write content—we engineer it to be found and understood. Structured data is baked into every site we build, every blog we write, and every SEO strategy we roll out. Because in a world moving towards automated, voice-driven, AI-powered answers, structure isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation.

Answer engines have evolved far beyond simple search bars and we are here to explain what are the main types of answer engines that are in play today. There are two main types leading the way: generative AI bots and AI-powered voice assistants. Both are reshaping how people access and consume information.

The way people search for information is changing fast. Gone are the days of scrolling through ten blue links. Today’s users want answers—quick, clear, and often conversational. That’s where answer engines come in.

So, what are the main types of answer engines? In this post, we’ll break it down and explore how these tools work, especially the generative AI bots and voice assistants that are shaping the future of search.

Generative AI Bots

These are the chat-based powerhouses that everyone’s talking about. Generative AI bots use large language models to provide human-like responses to questions. Instead of just linking you to a website, they give you the answer upfront—written out, often with examples, summaries, or step-by-step guidance.

Some of the most popular generative AI bots include:

• ChatGPT by OpenAI – Used by millions around the world, including right here in South Africa, for everything from homework help to business planning.
• Google Gemini – The latest evolution of Google’s AI tools, designed to understand complex queries and return accurate, multi-layered responses.
• Claude by Anthropic – A newer entrant, known for its emphasis on safe, helpful answers.
• Microsoft Copilot – Built into Microsoft 365 tools like Word and Excel, offering smart suggestions and instant insights.

These tools are already integrated into search engines, customer support chats, and business workflows—so your brand’s content needs to be structured in a way that these bots can find and use.

AI-Powered Voice Assistants

Then there are voice assistants—the answer engines you talk to. They use voice recognition and AI to understand spoken queries and return relevant, spoken answers.

Examples include:

• Siri (Apple)
• Google Assistant
• Alexa (Amazon)
• Bixby (Samsung)

These assistants are ideal for hands-free moments: cooking dinner, driving through Jozi traffic, or asking for the rugby score while braaiing. And thanks to rapid improvements in language processing, they’re now able to offer more complex and personalised responses than ever before.

Why this matters for your business

Whether it’s a chatbot like ChatGPT or a voice assistant like Alexa, answer engines are changing how people engage with your content. Instead of reading through entire websites, users expect your brand to provide fast, accurate, and useful answers—right there in the moment.

By preparing your content for these platforms, you’re not just optimising for search engines, you’re meeting your audience where they actually are.

How does AEO differ from traditional SEO in current search trends? Your Content Goes Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is different from traditional SEO because it focuses on giving users straight answers, fast. While traditional SEO aims to boost rankings using broad keywords and long-form content, AEO is all about being the first, clear voice that answers a specific question—whether that’s through a featured snippet, voice assistant, or AI tool like ChatGPT and Gemini. Instead of just helping people find your page, AEO helps them find your answer.

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and traditional SEO both aim to improve your online visibility—but they go about it in different ways. Where traditional SEO tries to get your site to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs), AEO focuses on getting your content featured as a direct answer to user questions, especially through tools like ChatGPT, voice assistants, and featured snippets on Google.

Traditional SEO: Rankings and traffic

Traditional SEO is all about improving your visibility in organic search results. It’s keyword-driven and focuses on things like:

• On-page SEO (titles, meta tags, headings)
• Link building and domain authority
• Content quality and relevance
• Page speed and mobile responsiveness

The goal is to rank as high as possible for relevant searches. The user then has to click on your link to visit your site for the answer.

AEO: Relevance and direct answers

Answer Engine Optimisation flips that model. It’s about:

• Understanding user intent
• Answering specific questions clearly
• Structuring your content so it can be pulled into AI tools and featured snippets
• Using schema markup and structured data

With AEO, the user doesn’t always need to click through—they get the answer right there in Google, Bing, or even a chatbot like ChatGPT.

Think of it like this:

• Traditional SEO wants you to rank high
• AEO wants you to be the answer

At Fort Hartley, we don’t believe it’s either/or. The best digital strategies combine both—getting you found and getting you chosen.

Why it matters for modern marketing

As more people use voice search and AI tools to find information, brands that adopt AEO are going to have a serious edge. Instead of competing for ten blue links on page one, you’re aiming for the zero-click result—the one that answers the question best.

That’s why we write content specifically for AEO: clear, structured, and helpful. Because if your business has the answer, we’ll help it get heard.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is a modern content strategy that focuses on helping your website provide direct, concise answers to specific questions users ask online. While traditional SEO focuses on improving rankings for broad keywords, AEO zooms in on user intent—giving clear, structured responses that can be easily understood by search engines and featured in tools like ChatGPT, Google’s featured snippets, and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa.

Why is AEO important for modern search?

Search behaviour is changing. Instead of typing general phrases like “best marketing agency”, users are asking specific questions like “How do I choose a digital marketing agency?” or “What does a full-service creative agency do?”. AEO ensures that your content is positioned to answer those questions directly and clearly, increasing your chances of being selected as a trusted result by AI and voice-powered search tools.

At Fort Hartley, we write content in a way that directly addresses these types of queries—because today’s search engines want content that is helpful, relevant, and fast to digest.

How does AEO differ from traditional SEO?

Traditional SEO:

• Optimises for keyword rankings
• Focuses on backlinks, meta tags, and page authority
• Aims for visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs)

AEO:

• Optimises for direct answers to questions
• Uses structured data and natural language
• Targets answer boxes, voice search results, and AI engines

In other words, traditional SEO helps you show up. AEO helps you get chosen.

What kind of content works best for AEO?

To perform well in answer engines, content should:

• Be clearly structured with headings and short paragraphs
• Use question-based formats (like this FAQ)
• Include relevant keywords naturally
• Provide concise, valuable responses up front
• Make use of structured data (schema markup) where possible

At Fort Hartley, we optimise your blog posts, service pages, and FAQs to meet AEO standards—so your business doesn’t just compete in search results, it leads the conversation.

Does AEO work with tools like ChatGPT?

Yes. Platforms like ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Google Gemini rely on large language models to surface helpful, trustworthy content. By aligning your site with AEO principles, you improve your chances of being recommended by these AI tools in response to user queries.

We use AEO-focused tools to identify question-based keywords, understand search intent, and structure your content so that it’s not only human-friendly—but AI-friendly too.