"What's a good family dentist near me?" More people are asking questions like this to AI assistants instead of typing them into Google. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is about helping your business become the answer.
How AI assistants choose who to mention
AI tools pull together information from across the web: your website, your Google Business Profile, review sites, local directories and news. The clearer and more consistent that information is, the more confidently they can recommend you.
Four practical steps
- Answer real questions on your website. A simple FAQ page written the way customers actually ask things goes a long way.
- Be consistent everywhere. Same business name, address, phone number and hours on every listing.
- Earn genuine reviews. Ask happy customers to mention the specific service they received.
- Add structured data. Behind-the-scenes code that tells machines exactly what your business is. (This is the part we're happy to handle.)
The good news: AEO rewards the same things good SEO always has — being clear, helpful and trustworthy.
Is it worth it for a small business?
It's early days, and nobody can control exactly what an AI says. But the groundwork helps your regular search rankings too, so it's rarely wasted effort.