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.

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