Practical guide · September 23, 2026

What is AEO, explained with a real example

More and more people don't search on Google — they ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity directly. According to BrightLocal's 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey, 45% of people have already used this kind of AI tool to find local businesses. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) means preparing your business so those AIs recommend you first.

AEO doesn't replace SEO, it complements it

Traditional SEO aims to get Google to show you in a list of ten blue links so the user can choose. AEO aims for something different: getting the AI to read, understand and cite your business as THE answer, without the user having to compare anything. They're related games, but with different rules.

We tested it live

We asked Gemini: "What's the best spa in Medellín?". The answer wasn't a generic list — it was 5 real businesses, each with its Google rating (all between 4.4★ and 4.9★), its opening hours, its business category, and 2 or 3 very specific lines about what makes it different: one for its hydrotherapy circuit, another for its deep tissue massages and sound healing, another for its chocolate therapy.

None of those businesses "paid" to appear there. The AI cited them because their public information was already ready to be cited.

What the businesses AI recommends have in common

Looking at those 5 results, the same pattern always repeats:

• A complete Google Business Profile — the right category, up-to-date hours, real reviews and a high, consistent rating.
• Specific content, not generic — the AI didn't say "good service and friendly staff" about any of them; it said exactly which treatment each one offers.
• Visible trust signals — the number and quality of reviews is the first thing the AI uses to decide whom to cite first.

That's exactly what we work on in our AI Search Optimization (AEO) service: putting your Google Business Profile and social media in order, creating quotable content about what you really offer, and strengthening the trust signals AI uses to choose.