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Definition

Answer Engine

An AI-powered platform that provides direct answers to user questions rather than a list of links. Includes ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Grok.

What is an Answer Engine?

An answer engine is an AI-powered platform that responds to queries with direct, synthesized answers instead of a list of links. Ask "What's the best email marketing tool?" and you get specific brand recommendations with context, not a page of URLs.

Examples

  • ChatGPT (OpenAI) - Most widely used conversational AI
  • Perplexity - AI-native search with cited sources
  • Claude (Anthropic) - Known for balanced, nuanced responses
  • Google Gemini - Google's conversational AI
  • Grok (xAI) - Integrated with X/Twitter's real-time data
  • Google AI Overviews - AI summaries within Google Search

Why they matter for brands

Answer engines have changed brand discovery. Users get direct recommendations instead of browsing results. Being excluded means potential customers never find you. This is why AEO exists - to ensure your brand makes the shortlist.

Related Terms

AEOAI RecommendationsAI SearchAI VisibilityGEO

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AEOAI Brand MonitoringAI CitationsAI MentionsAI OverviewsAI RecommendationsAI SearchAI Search OptimizationAI SentimentAI Share of VoiceAI VisibilityAI Visibility Score

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