What is AEO and why it matters
The plain-English primer on Answer Engine Optimization for local stores.
From search results to answers
For 25 years, customers picked from a list of blue links. Now, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini hand them a single answer. AEO is the practice of becoming that answer — for the questions people actually ask about your category and your city.
Why local stores feel it first
Local intent ("best coffee near me", "florist open Sunday") is the highest-converting question on the internet. AI engines are racing to win it. If your business isn't structured for them to read, you're invisible at the moment of decision.
What AEO actually changes
Three things: how your site is structured (schema, FAQs, reviews), where you're cited across the web, and how clearly you answer the questions buyers ask. Get those right and you start showing up in answers without paying for clicks.
Hands-on