AIO and AEO refer to the same emerging practice: optimizing for citation in AI-generated answers rather than (or in addition to) ranking in classical SERPs. The mechanics are different from classical SEO. AI engines favor: (1) explicit, factual short-form answers near the top of pages; (2) clear entity definitions and structured data; (3) named authors with verifiable credentials (E-E-A-T at the document level); (4) original data and primary research that no other source has; (5) clean semantic HTML so the AI parser can extract claims unambiguously. Pages designed for AI citation tend to feature an explicit summary, FAQ schema, and a 'who is the author' section with credentials, links, and contact information. Classical SEO best practices remain necessary but insufficient — you need both.