An answer engine is a search tool that replies to a question with a written answer, rather than a list of links.
Examples
ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot and Claude with web search, plus Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode inside Google Search.
Why it matters for a business
An answer engine names a handful of businesses and moves on. Customers who ask it never see a ranked list, so the question becomes whether you are in the answer at all.
How AEOHIT measures them
AEOHIT measures seven answer engines. Six are captured as signed-out users see them through industry data providers; Claude is asked through Anthropic’s official API with web search on.