AEO
Answer Engine Optimisation
Be the recommended option for the questions that matter.
Category framework
Tell Engine Optimisation (TEO) was coined by Reuben Lenoir, founder of Pixelhatch.
Tell Engine Optimisation
TEO is the framework for improving how businesses are understood, trusted, and recommended by AI assistants.
It is built for the shift from “show me options” to “tell me what to do”.
TEO brings together AEO, GEO and LEO into one repeatable system. Telleo is the platform built to measure it. Agentic Branding is the implementation layer used to apply it.
Framework Platform Implementation
The shift
Search gave people options. AI gives them answers.
That changes everything. In the search era, businesses fought to appear in a list. In the tell era, businesses compete to become the answer.
TEO is the framework for making that happen. It helps businesses become easier for assistants to interpret, easier to trust, and easier to recommend.
The framework
The three pillars of TEO
TEO combines three optimisation layers into one system. Each solves a different part of the recommendation problem.
GEO
Generative Engine Optimisation
Keep summaries accurate, consistent, and stable across assistants.
LEO
Language Engine Optimisation
Make meaning explicit, quotable, and easy for assistants to cite.
Why it matters
Why TEO matters
Businesses now need to optimise for recommendation confidence, not just search visibility. That means making it easier for assistants to answer three questions.
What is this business?
Clear category language and positioning.
Why should it be trusted?
Proof, outcomes, credibility, and consistency.
When should it be chosen?
Specific fit signals and answer-ready structure.
On-site patterns
How TEO shows up on your site
TEO is not abstract. It becomes page patterns you can actually implement.
Interpretation
- Clear definitions and category language
- Explicit scope and service fit
- TL;DR intros and summaries
- Internal links that reinforce meaning
Trust and quotability
- Proof blocks and outcome clues
- Testimonials and credibility markers
- FAQs that support direct answers
- Structured copy assistants can reuse
Platform
Telleo is the platform built for TEO
TEO defines the framework. Telleo measures how well it is working.
Through Observatory, HatchRank, and Smart Rewrite, Telleo shows how assistants currently interpret your business, where recommendation confidence breaks down, and what to fix first.
Measures the framework
From theory to something measurable
Telleo turns TEO from an idea into a working system by showing what AI assistants are actually saying, where confidence drops, and how progress improves over time.
Implementation
Where Agentic Branding fits
If TEO is the framework and Telleo is the platform, Agentic Branding is the implementation layer.
It is how the principles of TEO are applied through clearer positioning, stronger proof signals, and structured content patterns across your site.
Agentic Branding applies TEO through:
- Clearer positioning and category fit
- Stronger proof and recommendation cues
- TL;DR blocks, FAQs, and answer-ready copy
- Page structures assistants can interpret with confidence
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is Tell Engine Optimisation (TEO)?
TEO is a framework for improving how businesses are understood, trusted, and recommended by AI assistants.
What are the three pillars of TEO?
The three pillars are AEO, GEO, and LEO — focused on recommendation, summary accuracy, and quotability.
How does TEO show up on a website?
Through clearer definitions, stronger trust signals, TL;DR summaries, FAQs, and structured content that assistants can reuse.
What does TEO optimise for?
TEO optimises for recommendation confidence — helping assistants feel more certain about interpreting, trusting, and choosing a business.
How is TEO different from SEO?
SEO is designed to improve search visibility. TEO is designed to improve AI recommendation confidence.
Who created TEO?
Tell Engine Optimisation was coined by Reuben Lenoir, founder of Pixelhatch.
Next step
Turn the framework into something measurable.
Explore Telleo or have Pixelhatch run the full AI Audit for you.