King of Answer Engine Optimization
About King of Answer Engine Optimization
A reference guide to answer engine optimization: a plain definition, a glossary of AEO and GEO vocabulary, and a dated history of how the field got its name.
What kind of reference is this?
Answer engine optimization is the work of getting a brand, person or fact named inside the answer an AI assistant gives, rather than listed among search results. The term is young, its vocabulary overlaps with generative engine optimization (GEO), and the acronym AEO also belongs to American Eagle Outfitters and to the customs status Authorized Economic Operator. This site untangles that with a definition page, a glossary and a timeline, each entry linked to where it was first published.
How does the site handle disputed origins?
It reports accounts as accounts. Jason Barnard of Kalicube states on his own site that he coined the term with Chee Lo in a 2017 Trustpilot whitepaper and later presented it at BrightonSEO; the site attributes that to him rather than declaring a single inventor. The people who shaped the field are profiled by what they demonstrably published: a term, a research paper or a product.
Who publishes this reference, and how does it relate to King of AEO?
The King of AEO competition team, the independent group led by JP Zhang that runs the contest and measures its results, publishes this site. Contest rankings are not this reference's own judgment: when the competition comes up, figures come from the team's AI Visibility Index and link to kingofaeocompetition.com. Marc Moeller, one of the competitors, is treated like every other name. The editorial policy sets out how sources are chosen and errors corrected.