AEO — answer engine optimisation — is the fast-emerging discipline of getting your content cited by AI answer engines like Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity, not just ranked in classic results. Following the top AEO experts only helps if you turn it into action. This pairs a top 10 of the people leading answer engine optimisation with a simple playbook for learning AEO and applying it to your own site, instead of just consuming content.

Whether your search was 'AEO' or the full best answer engine optimization experts, this list and playbook apply the same way.

🔥 Want a community to learn AEO with? Join the SEO Elite Circle.

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The Top 10 AEO Experts to Follow

1. Julian Goldie

That's me. I teach AEO as a system — the steps to become the answer AI engines cite — and run the SEO Elite Circle. Use me for the playbook.

2. James Dooley

A UK SEO entrepreneur known for SEO businesses and links, now AI search.

3. Kasra Dash

A UK technical SEO known for testing.

4. Aleyda Solis

An international SEO authority focused on AI search.

5. Mike King

Founder of iPullRank, a top voice on AI/LLM search.

6. Marie Haynes

Known for analysing AI features and trust.

7. Dan Petrovic

Founder of DEJAN, machine-learning search.

8. Britney Muller

Known for ML and SEO.

9. Cyrus Shepard

An SEO expert known for data-led studies.

10. Rand Fishkin

Founder of Moz and SparkToro.

The Learn-AEO Playbook

Step 1 — Pick two experts whose approach fits you and follow them properly. Step 2 — Learn the core idea: create genuinely useful, well-structured, authoritative content AI engines want to cite. Step 3 — Apply it to a real page. Step 4 — Check whether AI engines (AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT) start citing or surfacing it. Step 5 — Iterate based on what gets cited. Application and testing, not consumption, is how you actually learn AEO.

Turn Following Into Citations

The goal of AEO is to be the cited answer, so tie everything you learn to that outcome. Apply an expert's tactic, then watch whether your content shows up in AI answers for relevant queries. Keep what works. Most people will consume AEO content endlessly and never test it; the ones who win will apply and measure. Treat each lesson as an experiment aimed at getting cited, and your learning compounds into real answer-engine visibility.

FAQ

How do I start learning AEO?

Follow two experts, learn the core idea, and apply it to a real page while checking if AI engines cite it.

What's the key habit?

Apply a tactic, then test whether you get cited in AI answers. Iterate.

Where's the deeper playbook?

The SEO Elite Circle, or my free Link Building Mastery book.

Build An AEO Testing Routine

Make AEO testing a routine, not a one-off. Each cycle, publish or refine a clear answer to a target question, wait, then check whether AI engines (AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT) cite or surface it. Log what you tried and what happened. Over time this routine builds a personal, evidence-based AEO playbook calibrated to your niche — worth far more than generic advice, because it's proven on your own content. The experts give you ideas to test; the routine turns them into reliable knowledge.

Prioritise Questions Worth Answering

A key playbook step is choosing which questions to target. Focus on the genuine questions your audience asks that also matter to your business — the ones where being the cited answer drives real value. Don't try to answer everything; concentrate on high-value queries and make your content the best possible answer to them. This focus turns AEO from a vague aspiration into a concrete list of pages to create and test, which is how you actually make progress rather than drowning in the breadth of the field.

Review What Gets Cited

Close the loop by reviewing what actually gets cited. Periodically check which of your pages appear in AI answers and look for patterns — what those pages have in common in structure, clarity and authority. Double down on what works and rethink what doesn't. This review turns scattered AEO efforts into a refining system, teaching you which tactics genuinely earn citations in your niche. The SEO Elite Circle is where operators compare exactly these patterns as AEO evolves.

The Bottom Line

Pick two AEO experts, learn the core idea, apply and test. Run the playbook, and join the SEO Elite Circle.