Technical Reference

Answer Engine
Optimization (AEO)

AEO is the practice of structuring digital content so AI systems can discover, understand, cite, and recommend a business.

This is the canonical technical reference for AEO implementation. AEO builds on the Deeprank selection eligibility layer. Deeprank defines whether a business is eligible for selection. AEO defines how to become visible and citable.

Get startedView principles

Start Here

For Developers

Start with the principles and copy-paste the JSON-LD templates.

For Agencies

Understand the full AEO stack and audit methodology.

For Business Owners

Learn what AEO is and why it affects your visibility.

Documentation

What Is AEO

Definition, scope, and why AEO matters for AI-driven discovery.

How LLMs Find Answers

Technical deep-dive into retrieval, selection, synthesis, and source ranking.

AEO vs SEO vs GEO

Comparison table and optimization stack diagram.

Core Principles

The 7 rules of AEO with implementation guides and code examples.

Deeprank

The selection eligibility layer that AEO builds on.

The Optimization Stack

Layer 3SEOSearch ranking
Layer 2GEOInfluence + presentation
Layer 1AEODiscoverability + citability
Layer 0DeeprankSelection eligibility
deeprank.org