Define the terms before buying a service
SEO is the established term for improving search discovery and the usefulness of a site for searchers. AEO, or answer engine optimization, is often used for work aimed at being included in answers, summaries, or AI-assisted recommendations.
Definitions vary between vendors. Ask what tasks, evidence, and outcomes a proposal actually includes rather than assuming the label describes a standard service.
Start with a complete answer
A direct opening answer helps the reader decide whether the page addresses their question. The rest of the page should provide the steps, examples, comparison criteria, and sources needed to act.
We would not stop at a two-sentence snippet or add schema as a substitute for the useful explanation underneath it.
Keep the overlap useful
Clear headings, accessible text, accurate product information, and relevant internal links help visitors regardless of the interface they used to discover the page. For Google's AI features, the company specifies no extra technical requirements beyond normal eligibility.
That does not mean every other answer engine behaves identically. Observe the questions and sources relevant to your audience instead of promising a universal citation formula.
Ask for a concrete work plan
If a service sells AEO, request examples of the pages or sources it will improve, what changes it can control, and how results will be reported. An observed mention is different from a purchase, and a published page is different from an indexed page.
Choose work that addresses a real customer information gap. A useful answer and a clear next step are more defensible goals than owning a new acronym.