Answer engine optimization (AEO) is about being the source that gets used when a tool answers a question directly instead of showing a list of links. That includes AI search features, chat assistants and voice answers.
The practical work overlaps heavily with good search engine optimization: clear pages that answer a specific question early and plainly, accurate facts, sensible headings, working technical SEO, and trustworthy authorship. On top of that come answer-friendly touches such as short direct definitions, well-structured sections, structured data and making sure AI crawler access is set the way you want.
No one can promise that a page will be cited. Treat AEO as making your content easier to use and measuring whether you appear in answers (AI visibility), not as a trick.
Related: Generative Engine Optimization, AI Search, AI Citation.