AEO Dictionary

AI Search Ranking Factors

AI Search Ranking Factors are the specific criteria and signals that artificial intelligence systems use to evaluate, prioritize, and select external content for citation in their generated responses.

Why It Matters

These factors differ significantly from traditional search algorithms, placing high emphasis on Content Authority and Expertise, Factual Accuracy and Verifiability, comprehensive topic coverage, and Citation Quality .

How We Use It

We focus on Information Gain. We add unique stats, quotes, or original data to every piece of content we can, bringing something to the table. If we just repeat what's on Wikipedia, the AI has no reason to rank us or cite us over the original.

Citations

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How AI Ranks Your Content

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How AI Ranks Your Content

Get to know the factors answer engines use to rank your content and increase the chances of your brand being mentioned and cited.

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FAQ

What is the #1 factor?

Relevance and Authority. The content must answer the question accurately and come from a trusted source.

Does page speed matter?

Yes, for crawlability. If the AI bot can't read your page quickly, it can't rank it.

Do backlinks matter?

Yes, as a trust signal. AI models use link graphs to determine which sites are authorities.

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