Classic SEO optimizes for a ranked list; AEO optimizes for being quoted in a generated answer. The overlap is large — crawlability, authority, clarity — but the deltas are specific: question-led headings, self-contained answer paragraphs, and claims backed by verifiable data.
Answer engines prefer content that can be lifted cleanly. A 45-word direct answer at the top of a section outperforms a 300-word wind-up, even when both say the same thing.
Start with your ten highest-value queries: rewrite each target page so the first paragraph under each heading could stand alone as the answer. Then add FAQ and speakable schema so machines know where to look.