AEO has typically focused on optimizing your content so that search engines can extract and cite it, while GEO has aimed for optimizing your content for generative AI systems and LLMs to use as sources to generate their own answers. These days, the terms are often used interchangeably.
Nearly 60% of Google searches end without a click
Source: SparkToro/Datos 2024 Zero-Click Search Study
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Services in Idaho Falls
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is a digital marketing strategy that helps your business get mentioned when people ask AI tools like ChatGPT or Google AI Mode for answers. Manwaring Web Solutions is an Idaho Falls digital marketing agency that helps local and national businesses show up in those answers. When a customer in eastern Idaho asks an AI tool for a business like yours, our goal is to make sure your name is part of the answer.
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) describes the strategy of creating, structuring, and optimizing your content to improve the likelihood that AI-powered search tools and answer engines will understand, cite, and feature your content in generated responses.
While Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains essential to digital marketing services, AI has begun to change the way that people find information online. Because of this, AEO has risen as a key part of content optimization.
Traditionally, AEO has involved optimizing content for features where Google extracts answers from other websites, such as “People Also Ask” sections and featured snippets. These days, AEO is often used interchangeably with GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization. Though they share some overlap, GEO helps content become a source for features like AI Overviews or AI mode, where answers are generated through multiple sources.
The two key purposes of AEO are as follows:
Optimize your content to make it easier for AI systems to understand and reference your material when providing answers.
Increase the likelihood that your content appears as an answer to a question a user poses.
How is AEO different from SEO?
SEO aims to help your content rank well in search engine results, and AEO is designed to help your content surface as an answer on an LLM or AI-assisted platform, such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Google AI mode.
LLMs, or Large Language Models, are AI systems designed to process information and generate responses. When you optimize for AEO, you’re essentially making it easier for LLMs to understand, trust, and cite your content. On the other hand, SEO is about creating content that search engines will be able to understand, evaluate, and rank.
Both SEO and AEO involve optimizing your content for specific reasons. The key difference is what they are optimizing for.
| SEO | AEO | |
|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Rank well in search engine results | Surface as an answer on AI platforms |
| Where it shows up | Search results pages, like Google and Bing | AI-generated answers, like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI Mode |
| Who you’re optimizing for | Search engines that understand, evaluate, and rank content | LLMs that understand, trust, and cite content |
| What success looks like | Higher rankings, more clicks, and more organic traffic | Your content quoted or cited in AI answers |
| How you get there | Target keywords, build quality pages, earn links, and keep the site technically healthy | Answer questions clearly and directly, structure content well, and back it with trusted sources |
Why Do You Need AEO?
AEO matters now more than ever because of the increasing frequency of no-click queries in search engines. These describe searches where a person can find the answer they’re looking for directly on the results page, or they refine the search or leave, as opposed to finding it by clicking through different websites.
Features like AI Overviews, knowledge panels, and featured snippets answer many questions right on the results page, which likely contributes to that. While these features can be helpful for efficiency, the downside of this is that they can lead to declining organic search traffic when people aren’t clicking on your site as often to find the information they need.
For example, imagine that someone went to Google, searched something, read the Google AI overview, and then did not click through to any website. This could prove problematic for businesses that are trying to get noticed through search.
When someone does click on a link inside of an AI-generated response, this is called an AI-referred session. According to Previsible's 2025 AI Traffic Report, covered by Search Engine Land, AI-referred sessions rose 527% year over year (January–May 2025 vs. 2024), based on 19 websites. This number alone speaks to the increasing need for visibility in searches driven by AI.
With such easy access to quick answers available to everyone, AEO-optimized content helps get you mentioned in those immediate answers and gives potential customers a reason to check out your site.
AEO for Eastern Idaho Businesses
From our office on W 19th St in Idaho Falls, we've worked with businesses across Idaho Falls, Rexburg, Pocatello, and the rest of eastern Idaho since 2000. Here are a few kinds of businesses AEO fits well:
Medical and dental practices: Patients ask AI tools questions like “pediatrician accepting new patients near Rexburg.” Clear service, provider, and insurance details help AI tools name you.
Home and trade services: Electricians, plumbers, HVAC companies, and builders get questions like “who can fix my furnace today in Idaho Falls?” Service areas, licenses, and reviews matter here.
Professional services: Law offices, accountants, and drafting services get asked questions where people want a trustworthy name, not just a list.
Real estate, housing, and local retail: Brokerages, apartment communities, and shops show up when people ask what's available, who's reputable, or where to buy locally.
We also work with manufacturers, publishers, and other regional businesses. If you'd like to talk it through in person, stop by our Idaho Falls office or set up a free AEO consultation.
What Does AEO Involve?
As users become more reliant on AI-generated answers, optimizing your content for AEO means aiming for citations in AI-generated answers. This involves a focus on direct answers to questions, conversational language, original content, and structured data.
This can be a harder feat than SEO, as these AI-generated answers usually name only a handful of businesses in a given answer. To do this, your content must follow a structure that LLMs can easily understand, directly answer real-world questions, and offer a unique point of view.
Direct answers to questions
Answer the real questions your customers ask, clearly and near the top of the page.
Conversational language
Write the way people talk and ask questions, in plain, natural sentences.
Original content
Share your own expertise and point of view instead of repeating what’s already out there.
Structured data
Use schema markup so search engines and AI systems can read the key facts on your page.
Why Should I Hire An Agency?
You might be tempted to use AI to write your website content; however, it’s more important than ever to have original content on your site. And most busy business owners don’t have the time it takes to write large amounts of quality content by themselves.
Using a digital marketing agency that specializes in AEO best practices can make a major difference in your content’s performance, save you time, and help you achieve the results you’re looking for.
AEO-trained digital marketing specialists have the knowledge and tools to create well-optimized pages for your business, both quickly and strategically. From content creation to schema markup, they can help your business stand out from the competition with copy that is both smartly structured and authentic.
Why Choose Manwaring Web Solutions?
Our clients choose the Manwaring Web Solutions team because we tailor our digital marketing solutions to your specific needs. We combine strategy, originality, and your personal brand voice into everything we create for you.
Our Idaho Falls team of digital marketers and writers, working with our designers, can execute AEO-optimized pages to help attract users to your website so you can accomplish your business goals. Our aim is to make your content the trusted answer for important questions and show people why they should choose you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between AEO & GEO?
Answer visibility, AI-driven referral traffic, citation rate, brand mention rate, and business outcomes are key AEO metrics.
AEO does not serve as a replacement for SEO. Content is typically strongest when both AEO and SEO best practices are included.
Does AEO actually generate leads?
Yes, AEO can generate leads through brand recommendations, content citations, and expertise references, which can help users find your business.
How long does it take for AEO to work?
Though results can vary, many businesses start to see changes within a few months.
Does schema markup guarantee I get cited by answer engines?
While schema markup can’t guarantee answer engine citation, it can help contribute to the likelihood of this when used alongside quality AEO-optimized content.
To get started with AEO services at MWS, reach out to a team member, and we’ll walk you through every step of the process.
Reach Out Today for Your Free AEO Consultation
Manwaring Web Solutions
545 W 19th St
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
208-419-0051