With the rapid growth of ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity, the most advanced brands and media outlets are integrating Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) as a new strategic layer alongside classic SEO. The industry celebrates its official recognition with the G2 Rookies of the Year 2026 award.
February 26, 2026 – Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), the discipline that makes content easy for artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews to cite and recommend, is going through a period of strong consolidation in the digital marketing industry.
Yesterday, February 25, G2 — the world's leading business software review platform — recognized OtterlyAI as one of the 10 best new platforms of the year in G2's 2026 Best Software Awards (Rookies of the Year category). It's the first tool specialized exclusively in AEO to enter this prestigious global Top 10.
According to official G2 data, the entire AEO software category has grown more than 2,000% in the last 12 months, reflecting brands' and agencies' growing interest in adapting to the new conversational search ecosystem.
"Traditional SEO remains the solid foundation of online visibility, and AEO comes to complement and amplify it," industry analysts note in reports published this week. While classic SEO keeps optimizing for link-based search results, AEO helps structure content so large language models understand it better and cite it more often.
Big players like Microsoft have already published their own official Answer Engine Optimization playbook this very week, recommending that brands keep their SEO strategies strong and add the AEO layer to gain additional visibility in AI-generated answers.
This evolution arrives at the ideal moment: February 2026, when most companies and agencies are defining their annual budgets and plans. Analysts agree that integrating AEO alongside traditional SEO will let brands maintain and expand their presence wherever users search.
Conclusion
Traditional SEO isn't losing relevance; on the contrary, it grows stronger with the addition of AEO. As generative artificial intelligence advances, the brands that combine both strategies will be best positioned for digital success in 2026 and the years ahead.