AEO: Complete Guide to Answer Engine Optimization 2025

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is emerging as a crucial discipline in 2025. While traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search results, AEO aims to have your content directly cited in AI-generated answers from ChatGPT, Google SGE, or Perplexity.

The paradigm shift is radical: users no longer click on links, they get instant answers. According to recent studies, over 50% of Google searches are now "zero-click"(users find their answer without clicking). With the rise of AI search engines, this rate could reach 70% by 2026.

At Void.ma, we've tested AEO techniques on over 20 client sites in Morocco (banking, e-commerce, health). This guide shares our methodology, concrete strategies, and measured results to help you master this new essential SEO discipline.

1What is AEO? Definition and Differences with Traditional SEO

🔄 AEO vs Traditional SEO: Key Differences

📊 Key Metrics to Track in AEO

• •Featured Snippet Acquisition Rate: Percentage of targeted queries where your site appears as a featured snippet (target: >20%).
• •Citations in AI Responses: Number of times your site is cited in ChatGPT/Perplexity/SGE answers (manual testing with representative query sample).
• •Zero-Click Search Rate: Percentage of searches where users find their answer without clicking (Google Search Console).
• •Direct Traffic from AI Answer Engines: Track referral traffic from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Bing AI (UTM parameters).
• •Brand Authority (Branded Queries): Increase in direct brand searches (sign of authority).

2The 4 Fundamental Pillars of AEO

After analyzing thousands of AI-generated answers, we've identified 4 essential pillarsto optimize for AEO. Here's our complete methodology:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is AEO?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is..."
      }
    }
  ]
}

3AEO for AI Answer Engines: ChatGPT, Google SGE, Perplexity

Each AI answer engine has its own specificities. Here's how to optimize for each:

4Featured Snippets & Quick Answers Strategy

Featured Snippets (position 0 in Google) are often reused by AI answer engines. Here's our complete methodology to capture them:

🎯 5 Types of Featured Snippets to Target

📋 Checklist to Capture a Featured Snippet

• ☐1. Keyword Research: Identify queries already displaying a featured snippet (use SEMrush, Ahrefs, or AlsoAsked).
• ☐2. Analyze Current Snippet: Study format (paragraph, list, table) and length (word count).
• ☐3. Create Optimized Content: Replicate format (40-60 words for paragraph, 5-7 points for list), start with direct answer.
• ☐4. Use FAQ Schema: Add FAQPage structured data for questions/answers.
• ☐5. Monitor & Adjust: Track positions in Google Search Console, iterate if needed.

5Practical AEO Checklist: 20 Actionable Items

Use this checklist to audit and optimize your site for AEO. Each item is tested and validated by Void.ma:

6Void.ma Case Study: +200% Featured Snippets in 6 Months

Here's a concrete case study of our own AEO strategy on void.ma, with measured results:

7Best AEO Tools: Analysis, Monitoring, Schema Validation

Here are the essential tools to implement and monitor your AEO strategy:

8Frequently Asked Questions About AEO

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