Is ChatGPT considered an answer engine?

Yes, ChatGPT is generally grouped in with the other answer engines. It gives a direct answer to a question, sometimes with citations when web search is turned on, instead of returning a ranked list of links to click through and evaluate.

That puts it in the same broad category as Google AI Overviews and Perplexity for AEO purposes, even though the underlying products work quite differently from one another under the hood.

For content strategy, that means the same answer-first, well-sourced writing style that already works for AI Overviews tends to help a page get cited or referenced by ChatGPT as well.

Content built in that answer-first shape is the default output of automated SEO tool workflows.