AEO · GEO · AI search visibility

Be the source the answer cites.

Research and free tools for getting your pages quoted inside AI answers, not just listed beneath them.

Answer

Answer engines quote pages that state a clear answer early, back it with checkable sources, and let crawlers read the page without friction. Start with one direct sentence per question, add structured data, and publish an llms.txt file.

Run the free AI visibility check Read the AEO guide
Crawler Observatory tracks
GPTBotOpenAI · trainingOAI-SearchBotOpenAI · searchChatGPT-UserOpenAI · user requestsClaudeBotAnthropicPerplexityBotPerplexity · searchGoogle-ExtendedGoogle · control tokenApplebot-ExtendedApple · control tokenCCBotCommon CrawlBytespiderByteDance

What we cover

Four topics, each with sourced guides.

  1. 01AEO & GEO GuideGuides to answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO): how AI search engines choose answers and how to get your content cited in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
  2. 02AI Crawlers & TechnicalTechnical guides for AI search visibility: AI crawlers such as GPTBot and ClaudeBot, robots.txt rules, llms.txt, schema markup, hreflang, sitemaps and crawl control.
  3. 03AI Visibility ToolsComparisons and reviews of AI visibility tools, AI SEO software, rank trackers and brand monitors, with honest alternatives for tracking your presence in AI answers.
  4. 04AI Search ResearchOriginal research on AI crawler traffic and AI search behaviour, including the monthly Crawler Observatory reports built from real server log data.

Free tools

Browser-based, no sign-up. Three tools, each built to answer one question.

TOOL 01

llms.txt Generator and Checker

Write an llms.txt file for your site, or test the one you already have.

Open tool →
TOOL 02

Schema Markup Generator

Produce valid JSON-LD for articles, FAQs and organisations.

Open tool →
TOOL 03

AI Visibility and AEO Readiness Checker

Enter a URL and see which signals answer engines can and cannot read.

Open tool →

Start here

Four pieces, in reading order.

  1. 01AEO vs SEOWhat changes when the result is an answer and not a list.17 NOV
  2. 02GEO vs SEOHow generative engines choose sources, compared with ranking.17 NOV
  3. 03What is answer engine optimization?Definitions, the main engines and the basic method.17 NOV
  4. 04How to rank in AI OverviewsWhat cited pages share, and what to fix first.17 NOV

Crawler Observatory

A monthly report on how AI crawlers treat real websites.

What each report covers
CrawlerOperatorPurpose
GPTBotOpenAITraining data
OAI-SearchBotOpenAISearch results
ClaudeBotAnthropicTraining data
PerplexityBotPerplexitySearch results
Google-ExtendedGoogleControl token

What we record

  • Which crawlers request your pages
  • Which files they read: robots.txt, llms.txt, sitemaps
  • Response codes, so blocked or broken pages show up
  • The method, sample size and date range, in every report

First report: 16 December. New reports follow monthly.

See the Observatory →

Latest articles

New articles publish every two days from 17 November. Until then, the free tools above work today.

AEO Services

Audit, implement, monitor.

We review how answer engines read your site, fix what blocks citation, and track the result over time.

Contact us →

Why trust answerengineland

  • Source-led. Every factual claim links to a source you can check.
  • Independent. We are not affiliated with Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity or any company we cover.
  • Accountable. Corrections are dated, and you can reach us in writing.
  • Transparent. Research reports publish their method, sample and date range.

About us · Editorial policy · Disclaimer · Contact us

Questions

What is answer engine optimization?

Short answer

Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of making content easy for AI systems to find, quote and verify. That means a direct answer near the top of the page, clear structure and sources a reader can check.

How is GEO different from AEO?

Short answer

The terms overlap. Generative engine optimization (GEO) usually refers to engines that write an answer from several sources. AEO covers any system that returns an answer instead of a list of links.

Do I need an llms.txt file?

Short answer

It is optional. llms.txt is a proposed convention that gives language models a short, curated map of your site. Support varies by engine, but the file costs little to publish and maintain.

Should I block AI crawlers?

Short answer

Only after weighing what you lose. Blocking a search crawler can remove your pages from that engine's answers. Several operators publish separate user agents for training and for search, so you can treat them differently in robots.txt.

Can I measure AI search visibility?

Short answer

Partly. Server logs show which crawlers reach your pages, and a fixed set of prompts, sampled on a schedule, shows whether your domain is cited. Neither gives a complete picture, so track both over time.