Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the practice of creating content for AI like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to reference in their outputs. AI-referred traffic is small but growing fast and has an outsized impact on conversions. Traffic from AEO makes up less than 1% of overall traffic but converts 3x-15x better than traditional search, according to November 2025 data from Microsoft Clarity. While the rest of the website world panics over declining traffic, savvy marketers like you are learning how to win high-intent traffic from AEO. Quality over quantity, right?