Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, focuses on content that responds to user queries directly. Deemed the “future of SEO,” it involves discovering the questions people commonly ask AI bots and voice assistants, and then using that knowledge to structure web content strategies.
If this is your first time hearing about answer engines, read AEO versus SEO: Why Your Business Needs Both as your introduction. It tackles the basics of AEO, explaining how it differs from SEO and how both optimization strategies can boost traffic and ROI. In a nutshell, search engine optimization (SEO) focuses on climbing the ranks, while AEO focuses on being a user’s go-to for specific answers. Both of them are important, but they get your content noticed in different ways.
If you’ve read our introductory article and are ready for more, let’s move on to today’s discussion: the different ways to enhance your AEO efforts.
How to Be Better at Answer Engine Optimization
Here’s how you can perform answer engine optimization, maximize your AEO efforts, and ensure alignment with your SEO objectives:
1. Perform Keyword and Topic Research
You can leverage your Google Search Console dashboard to identify the questions your domain ranks for in Google Search. Also, keyword research tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush are valuable resources for uncovering questions from keyword lists relevant to your niche. Use these insights to guide and enhance your content optimization strategy.
Performing keyword and topic research is foundational for advancing your AEO efforts. Understanding the language and queries your audience uses allows you to optimize content to better align with their informational needs. Through comprehensive research, you can identify long-tail keywords and trending topics related to your niche, allowing you to produce targeted content that resonates with search intent. This approach improves your visibility on search engine results pages. It also increases your chances of appearing as a featured snippet or answer box, boosting your overall AEO strategy and establishing authority in your domain.
2. Structure Content for Direct Answers
To give users what they want (direct answers), you must keep up with SEO content best practices. As mentioned, AEO and SEO contribute individually to getting your content noticed. Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to do:
- Clear and concise writing: Communicate your ideas clearly and simply. Avoid jargon or complicated words and sentences that could confuse search engines and readers. And, if you use artificial intelligence (AI) for content creation, hire the best human editors and proofreaders. AI systems often write in overly flowery and highfalutin language, and they tend to generate false and outdated information.
- Include long-tail and question-based keywords in headings: Never copy your content from MS Word or Google Docs and paste it into your Content Management System (e.g., WordPress) without proper headings! Always use H2, H3, and H4 tags to break down topics.
- Structure content for easy digestion: Nowadays, barely anyone reads super-long blocks of text that go on and on (and on). In addition to H2, H3, and H4 tags, use bullet points to simplify steps and highlight essential points, making the information more digestible. Read 5 Reasons Why Listicle Posts Perform Better Than Others for more information.
These recommendations allow search engines like Google to easily extract answers for featured snippets and direct query responses.
3. Optimize Content for Voice Search
You can improve your voice search optimization efforts through the following:
- Over 58% of modern consumers use voice search to find local businesses, stressing the importance of local SEO. Keep your content optimized for “near me” and location-centric inquiries, and update your business information throughout various online directories and listings.
- Voice assistants typically read Google’s featured snippets as responses to user queries. Getting featured in these snippets can boost your brand’s credibility and visibility in voice search results.
- Voice search optimization entails integrating long-tail keywords into your content. These phrases are more specific and conversational, often including the 5 Ws and one H (who, what, where, when, why, and how). Using keywords with these words may enhance your content’s relevance and resonance with voice search queries.
4. Craft Informative About Us and FAQ Pages
Well-crafted About Us and FAQ pages can reinforce your website’s visibility and utility for answer engines. These pages should provide clear, concise, and relevant information directly addressing common user queries, making it easier for search engines to extract and display key details.
- An About Us page offers insights into your business’s mission, values, and background, establishing credibility and trustworthiness.
- A FAQ page preemptively addresses common customer questions or concerns, offering quick solutions and improving user experience.
When well-structured and optimized with relevant keywords, these pages become prime candidates for search engines to pull information for answering queries. They can bring organic traffic to your website and raise its likelihood of appearing in prominent search result positions, therefore increasing your site’s authority and accessibility. Think of it this way: When answer engines understand your business and offerings, they can better link it to relevant user queries.
5. Work on Your Online Reputation
AI assistants, such as Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Samsung Bixby, and Microsoft Cortana, are programmed to favor content from reliable and authoritative sources. Collecting more positive customer reviews, media mentions, and awards can establish your brand’s authority and credibility in the eyes of these AI assistants.
For instance, if a business has garnered positive media coverage, received accolades or awards within its industry, and consistently earned high ratings and reviews, AI assistants are more likely to view its content as authoritative and reliable (wouldn’t you?). Such content has a greater chance of being featured as a response to user queries, increasing brand visibility and credibility in the digital landscape.
AEO + SEO: A Success-Driving Combo
Is SEO dead and gone? In short, no. AEO and SEO actually work better together, which makes hiring the right digital marketing agency a crucial aspect of your AEO strategy. Know more about how our user-first approach can take your brand awareness and search visibility to the next level. Get a free quote today — we can reverse engineer your content for superior AEO and SEO performance.