AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation.
It’s about making sure your website can give a clear, useful answer when someone asks a question – whether that question is typed into Google, spoken out loud, or asked inside an AI tool.

What’s changed (and why AEO matters more now)

• Search results are becoming “answer-first”.
  Instead of showing ten blue links and hoping you’ll click one, Google and other platforms increasingly try to give the answer on the spot.


• AI summaries are now a normal part of search.
  People are getting what they need without scrolling – and sometimes without clicking at all.


• Voice search has grown up.
  More people now ask their phone or device a question in the moment (especially when driving, cooking, working, or on site) and expect one clear answer back.

So what does AEO actually do?

• It helps you show up for real questions, not just keywords.
  For example: not only “plumber Hull”, but “How quickly can you fix a leaking pipe?” or “Do you charge a call-out fee?”


• It makes your website easier to skim.
  Short sections, clear headings, and answers that get to the point without missing what matters.


• It makes your information easier for Google and AI tools to understand.
  When your site is structured well, it’s easier for these systems to pull the right details and present them accurately.

What AEO looks like on a good local business website

• FAQs that answer what people genuinely ask
  Pricing, areas covered, timings, what happens next.


• Service pages written around outcomes
  What you do, who it’s for, and the problems you solve.


• Clear location signals
  Where you’re based, where you work, and how far you travel.


• Trust details that remove doubt
  Reviews, accreditations, guarantees, and clear process.

The key idea
AEO isn’t about doing something clever for Google. It’s about making your website better at answering the questions that decide whether someone contacts you – and making those answers easy to surface in modern search, including AI and voice.