What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. It is the practice of structuring your website content, entity data, and online presence so that AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite your business in their generated answers. Unlike traditional SEO, which targets click-through traffic, AEO targets citation.

Why does AI search visibility matter for B2B businesses?

B2B buyers increasingly use AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to generate vendor shortlists before making contact. If your business is not cited by these AI engines, you are invisible at the most critical point in their decision-making process.

What is the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?

SEO focuses on ranking in traditional search results. AEO focuses on being cited in AI-generated answers on platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. GEO is a related discipline focused on appearing in generative AI outputs.

What is an llms.txt file and does my website need one?

An llms.txt file is a plain-text file placed at the root of your domain that tells AI language model crawlers what content to index and trust. It is the AI equivalent of robots.txt and signals to AI systems exactly who you are, what you do, and what content they should reference.

What is the AEO Score and how is it calculated?

The AEO Score is Sticky Frog proprietary framework for assessing AI search visibility. It scores across five categories: Authority Signals, Entity Optimisation, Content Formatting, Technical Foundation, and Platform Presence. Each category is scored out of 12, giving a maximum of 60.

What platforms does Sticky Frog optimise for?

Sticky Frog optimises AI search visibility across five platforms: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, YouTube, and Reddit. Each platform has distinct ranking signals and content requirements.

How long does it take to see results from AEO?

Technical fixes like schema markup and llms.txt can begin to show results within 4 to 8 weeks. Content-driven citation typically builds over 3 to 6 months. Platform presence on Reddit and YouTube can generate visibility within weeks if the content is structured correctly.

What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the practice of structuring website content so that AI-powered answer engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews retrieve and cite it in their generated responses. Unlike traditional SEO which optimises for ranked links, AEO optimises for direct citations and brand mentions within AI-generated answers.

How is AEO different from SEO?

SEO optimises for ranked positions in traditional search results. AEO optimises for extraction and citation by AI answer systems. SEO rewards keyword density and domain authority. AEO rewards entity clarity, question-format content, structured data, and verified human expertise. A site can rank well in Google while being completely invisible to AI systems.

What does this AEO Readiness Checklist test?

The checklist covers 30 items across five categories: Content Formatting for AI, Technical Foundation (schema markup, crawlability), Authority Signals (E-E-A-T, citations, expert authorship), Entity Optimisation (brand definition, Knowledge Panel, Wikidata), and Cross-Platform Presence (LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, directories). Each item is scored Yes, Partial, or No for an instant readiness score out of 60.

What AEO score should I be aiming for?

A score of 48 or above out of 60 indicates strong AEO readiness. Scores between 28 and 47 indicate solid foundations with clear gaps to address. Scores below 28 indicate multiple areas requiring attention, with Content Formatting and Technical Foundation typically delivering the fastest gains when addressed first.

Free Interactive Tool

AEO Readiness
Checklist.

30 checks across 5 categories. Mark each item Yes, Partial, or No and get an instant score showing where your Answer Engine Optimisation stands right now.

individual checks
across 5 categories

answer states per item
(Yes, Partial, No)

maximum score
with instant band rating

How to use

Work through each item and select Yes (full credit), Partial (half credit), or No (zero). Your score updates in real time. Results appear once you have answered 15 or more items.

Content

Technical

Authority

Entity

Platform

Content Formatting for AI

How your content is written and structured for AI extraction

Direct answer in the opening paragraph (40 to 70 words)

AI systems scan for the answer near the top. Answer first, context second.

FAQ section with clear Q&A format

Explicit question-answer pairs are the most reliable format for AEO extraction.

Numbered lists for step-by-step processes

Ordered lists are pulled into AI responses verbatim more often than prose.

Definitions of key terms clearly stated on the page

"[Term] is defined as..." constructions are highly extractable by AI systems.

Comparison tables or structured data comparisons

Tabular comparisons are pulled into AI answers for "vs" and "best X for Y" queries.

Content addresses the query intent directly, not tangentially

Off-topic preamble dilutes AEO signal. Every paragraph should serve the primary query.

Technical Foundation

Schema markup, indexability, and site health for AI crawlers

FAQ schema implemented on Q&A pages

Machine-readable Q&A pairs significantly improve AEO eligibility.

HowTo schema on instructional content

Step-by-step content with HowTo schema is one of the highest AEO-performing formats.

Organisation schema on the homepage

Establishes your brand entity with AI systems: name, description, URL, logo.

Page speed under 3s, confirmed in PageSpeed Insights

Slow pages are deprioritised for all forms of organic visibility including AEO.

Clean, crawlable HTML with no critical errors in Search Console

Technical errors that block Googlebot also block AI crawler access.

Internal linking points to key AEO-target pages

Signal to AI systems which pages are authoritative on specific topics.

Authority Signals (E-E-A-T)

Trust signals that determine whether AI systems will cite your content

Named author with credentials on all content

Anonymous content scores poorly for AEO. Real human authorship is an explicit E-E-A-T signal.

Third-party citations linking to your content

External sites referencing your content validates your authority to AI systems.

Content cites credible external sources

Outbound links to authoritative sources signal research quality and contextual accuracy.

Content is regularly updated with a visible date

Freshness signals matter. Outdated content loses AEO eligibility over time.

Brand has press coverage or media mentions

Media coverage is one of the strongest external authority signals for AI trust models.

Original data, research, or proprietary insights published

Content AI cannot paraphrase, forcing citation, is the gold standard for AEO authority.

Entity Optimisation

How clearly your brand is defined as an entity in AI knowledge models

Google Knowledge Panel exists for your brand

A Knowledge Panel confirms Google has established your brand as a recognised entity.

Brand listed on Wikidata or Wikipedia

Wikidata entries directly feed AI knowledge graphs and significantly improve entity recognition.

Named frameworks or methodologies published under your brand

Proprietary concepts build entity nodes. "The [Your Brand] Framework" forces AI to associate your name with a concept.

Consistent brand description across all online profiles

AI builds entity profiles from aggregated mentions. Inconsistent descriptions create conflicting signals.

About page defines your brand's territory, what you do and for whom

Your About page is a primary entity definition document. It should read as a clear, structured entity statement.

Brand tested in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity and appears accurately

Test: "Tell me about [your brand]." Accurate, positive AI descriptions confirm entity establishment.

Cross-Platform Presence

Discovery platform signals that AI systems use to validate brand authority

Active LinkedIn presence with thought leadership content

LinkedIn is heavily indexed by AI retrieval systems including Perplexity. Regular content builds stronger signals.

YouTube channel with SEO-optimised video content

YouTube is the world's second largest search engine and a key AI training data source.

Reddit or community forum presence in relevant subreddits

AI systems including Perplexity heavily weight Reddit. Organic community mentions are high-value signals.

Listed in relevant industry directories or review platforms

G2, Trustpilot, Clutch, and niche directories reinforce entity legitimacy for AI systems.

Podcast appearances or guest content on other platforms

External expert appearances create co-occurrence signals: your brand plus your topic on third-party sites.

Newsletter or owned content channel with consistent publication

Consistent publishing builds topical authority signals over time, a key compounding AEO factor.

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