What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

You have probably listened about SEO but, what about AEO? These initials, which stand for Answer Engine Optimization, are gaining popularity, but not many people know what it is.

For years we have heard about the SEO strategies to position content in traditional search engines such as Google. However, with the arrival of generative artificial intelligence and answer engines, the way users access information is changing in a radical way. That is, these technologies have caused searches to no longer depend only on the links that appear on Google, but also on the responses offered by tools such as ChatGPT, Siri or Gemini, among others. It is in this new scenario where Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) emerges.

¿Qué es el AEO? What is AEO?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is a new form of content optimization that seeks to position answers within these AI answer engines and voice assistants such as Siri or Alexa. While traditional SEO aims to improve search result rankings, AEO focuses on providing concise answers that artificial intelligence engines can use.

This doesn’t mean that it comes to replace SEO, but to complement it. By combining both strategies, you can achieve a solid presence in both search and answer engines, increasing your brand's visibility and credibility.

This approach emerges in a context where users have changed the way they browse the internet. Now, more than ever, they seek immediacy and contextualized answers. Google, with its Generative Search Experience, already integrates AI to offer as the first answer one that it has created by gathering information from different sources, so the user doesn't have to visit multiple pages.

In addition, the data proves it; for example, more than 400 million users use Open AI products every week. This represents a change in how information is now consumed.

How to implement AEO

As is evident, adapting to this new strategy is fundamental to remain relevant in the digital environment. Therefore, we give you keys on how you can implement it in your content, but first, to understand all this, you need to know how answer engines and AI assistants work.

Search engines use AI and natural language processing (NLP) to interpret the questions a user enters and select the most precise answers to them. That is, it not only takes keywords into account but understands the context of the question to give the best answer, just as a human would.

What AEO does is leverage advances in machine learning and natural language processing to structure content so that AI can interpret it and provide it as a direct answer. Its goal is to optimize content to provide direct answers to user queries.

How to implement AEO in your content strategy?

1. Content structure. You must structure your content so that it is easily extractable for generative AI. To do this, use clear subheadings, tables, and short informative paragraphs. It’s also advisable to place the answers at the beginning of each section or heading. All of this will increase the chances of your content being chosen to appear as a featured answer.
2. Optimize content for voice assistants. Voice assistants like Siri or Alexa use Google's featured snippets to respond to users. To have your content chosen, optimize it with natural and conversational wording, and be concise, keeping in mind that results in these searches typically have an average of only 29 words.
3. Identify your audience's frequently asked questions. You can use tools like Answer the Public or People Also Ask to discover the most frequent questions related to your sector. With this in mind, you will have the basis for developing content optimized for your answers. Using the Question and Answer (FAQ) format is one of the most effective ways to optimize for AEO, because it makes it easy for answer engines to efficiently extract information.
4. Structured data and schema markup. To help search engines better understand your content, make use of schema markup such as FAQ, How-To, and Q&A.
5. Improve your content authority. AI and search engines prioritize content from trustworthy sources. To achieve this, include citations and references, use internal and external links, use up-to-date information, and optimize the user experience.

In summary, Answer Engine Optimization is presented as a natural evolution of SEO. Implementing it into your strategy can be crucial for maintaining your brand's relevance and visibility on the internet.