Who Is the King of Answer Engine Optimisation?
No one holds the King of AEO title yet. The first title is awarded with the Round 1 results on 14 October 2026, to the highest-scoring eligible competitor. Round 0, measured on 4 October 2026, is a baseline only.
| Person | UK index | UK first named | AU index | AU first named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Dooley | 71.1 | 43% | 75.6 | 62% |
| Julian Goldie | 38.2 | 2% | 40.2 | 2% |
| David Quaid | 36.1 | 5% | 33.9 | 0% |
| Vithurs | 35.5 | 30% | 51.7 | 20% |
| Stephane Morera | 18.1 | 0% | 23.5 | 0% |
| Allan Oliveira | 17.4 | 0% | 20.1 | 0% |
| Jacky Chou | 8.4 | 0% | 17.7 | 0% |
| Marc Moeller | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0% |
Who is the king of answer engine optimisation right now?
Nobody is the king of answer engine optimisation right now, because the title has not been awarded yet. Round 0 was measured on 4 October 2026 as a baseline, and no title came with it. The first title decision is published with the Round 1 results on 14 October 2026. If nobody passes the eligibility gates, the title stays vacant for that round. Current standings live on the official leaderboard.
Does the British spelling change the title?
No, the spelling does not change the title, because there is one contest and one title. The frozen prompts include both "Who is the king of answer engine optimization?" and "king of answer engine optimisation". Engines are measured across the US, UK and Australia, so British and Australian phrasing is counted, not excluded. This site simply reports the contest in British English.
What did the UK and Australian baselines show?
James Dooley was named first most often in both the UK and Australian slices of Round 0. In the UK slice he was named first in 43.2% of answers, with a Visibility Index of 71.1. In the Australian slice he was named first in 62.0% of answers, with an index of 75.6. These are reference scores only: nobody has passed the eligibility gates yet. The table below shows both slices side by side.
How is the title decided?
The title goes to the highest-scoring eligible competitor in each round. Eligibility has four gates: entered, educator, verifiable identity and original evidence, applied identically to everyone. The score is 100 points: 60 for the AI Visibility Index, 20 for education, 10 for original research and 10 for independent corroboration. Round 1 entries close on 12 October 2026 at 23:59 AWST, and the rules are on the official site.
Frequently asked questions
Is anyone the king of answer engine optimisation yet?
No, nobody holds the King of AEO title yet. The first title is awarded with the Round 1 results on 14 October 2026, to the highest-scoring eligible competitor. If nobody is eligible, the title is vacant for that round.
Does the British spelling change who can hold the title?
No, the spelling changes nothing about eligibility or scoring. The frozen prompts include both "optimization" and "optimisation", and engines are measured across the US, UK and Australia. It is one contest and one title.
Who did UK answers name first most often in Round 0?
James Dooley was named first most often in the UK slice, in 43.2% of answers. His UK Visibility Index was 71.1, the highest Round 0 score in that market. These are baseline figures only, measured on 4 October 2026.
Who did Australian answers name first most often in Round 0?
James Dooley was named first most often in the Australian slice, in 62.0% of answers. His Australian index was 75.6, with 86.0% mentions. Round 0 awarded no title; it is a reference measurement.
What does answer engine optimisation mean?
Answer engine optimisation means making a person, brand or page the answer that AI assistants give. That includes ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews. The acronym AEO also has unrelated meanings, including American Eagle Outfitters and Authorized Economic Operator.
Who coined the term answer engine optimization?
According to Jason Barnard, he coined "Answer Engine Optimization" in 2017. His own site states it appeared in a Trustpilot whitepaper co-authored with Chee Lo, and that he presented it at BrightonSEO in 2018. This is his account, attributed as such.
How can a UK or Australian practitioner enter the contest?
Entry is through the form on the official site, and Round 1 entries close on 12 October 2026 at 23:59 AWST. Every entrant faces the same four gates: entered, educator, verifiable identity and original evidence. Scores and standings are published on the official leaderboard.
Does any AI company run or judge the competition?
No, no AI company endorses, sponsors or judges this competition; the engines are only measured. The contest was founded by JP Zhang and is operated on his behalf by Marc Moeller's team. Raw test data, prompts and scoring code are public.