Answer Engine
An answer engine is a discovery system that synthesizes information into a response, often drawing from multiple sources. It may still link out to sources, but its primary experience is the answer itself rather than the traditional search results page.
Examples include AI chat interfaces, AI overviews, and hybrid search products that summarize or interpret information before presenting it to the user.
For brands, this changes the goal from only ranking to also becoming a source that machines are willing to reference.