In search marketing, AEO stands for answer engine optimization. It is the practice of making a business easy for AI answer engines to find, understand and recommend. Those engines include ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot.
The same three letters mean other things in other fields. American Eagle Outfitters trades on the New York Stock Exchange as AEO, and in customs and international trade, AEO means Authorized Economic Operator, a supply chain security status.
If you saw AEO in a marketing proposal or an agency pitch, it means answer engine optimization. It often appears next to GEO (generative engine optimization) and AI SEO, which describe largely the same work. For a real example of the category, see how AEO agencies for law firms are ranked on checked evidence.