Assistive Agent Optimization
Optimising for assistive agents across the whole journey, from discovery through recommendation to transaction. Coined by Jason Barnard in 2025.
What it actually means
AAO's distinguishing move is to include the transaction. Most AI-search vocabulary stops at being mentioned; this one continues to the agent booking, buying or instructing on the user's behalf.
That extends the requirements past content into operations: live availability, current pricing, a contact route an agent can actually use, and facts that do not contradict each other between your site and every listing that describes you.
Discovery, recommendation, transaction
Discovery is the answer-engine problem: being retrieved and named. Recommendation is the harder one: being chosen from a shortlist the agent assembled. Transaction is operational readiness.
Very few organisations are ready for the third. Most are not ready for the second either, and mistake the first for the whole job.