What is AEO

answer engine optimization, explained.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring a website so that AI-powered search engines, like Perplexity, ChatGPT Search, and Google AI Overviews, can read, cite, and surface its content in direct answers. Where traditional SEO earns a blue link, AEO earns the paragraph that appears before any links at all.

The shift already happened: A growing share of informational and commercial queries now resolve inside an AI answer panel. If your site is not structured to be cited, you are invisible to a widening slice of your market, regardless of where you rank in the ten blue links below.

Structure is the lever: AI engines prefer content that names its claims, cites its sources, and uses semantic markup. That means clear headings, concise definitions, FAQ schema, and clean internal linking. None of it requires a content calendar rewrite, just purposeful architecture.

AEO and SEO compound together: The signals that make a page citable by an AI engine overlap almost entirely with the signals that make it rank organically. Investing in one strengthens the other, so the lift compounds across both channels over time.

What's your turnaround time?

Turnaround promise times are a trap. Each request gets a realistic DO date and a DUE date so you're always aware of when it's in progress and when I expect it to be complete.

How much time are you actually spending on my project?

Maintenance plans are based on blocks of hours up to 20 hours per week. If you choose Custom, hours are unlimited for the scope of the engagement.

Do you do 'unlimited revisions'?

No. I think unlimited design revisions waste a client's time and money and delay launches. Instead, I communicate ETAs and cap revisions at a number that actually ships.

Do you build new websites or only redesigns?

Both. I build everything from one-pagers to complex sites with hundreds of pages. Send me a message for specific examples.

Is Homade a solopreneur agency?

Yes. I run Homade solo, and I contract from a trusted network of senior designers, developers, copywriters, and illustrators depending on the project scope and timeline.

Are you based in the USA?

Yes, Chicago, IL. I contract collaborators internationally as needed.

Do I need to sign a contract to get started?

Every engagement comes with a contract tailored to your needs. Pricing and features are negotiable until both parties e-sign.