AEO services
Answer engine optimization (AEO) services
Google now answers many questions on the results page itself. Featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes and AI Overviews take the space where links used to be. Our answer engine optimization services make your page the source of that answer.
AEO builds on SEO. The site still has to be crawlable and the page still has to rank. What changes is how the content is written and marked up.
The basics
What is answer engine optimization?
Answer engine optimization, or AEO, is the practice of structuring content so a search engine can lift a direct answer from it. A classic search result shows a title and a link. An answer feature shows the answer itself, with your site named as the source.
For a B2B company this matters at the start of the buying process. A buyer who asks "what is zero trust security" or "how does usage-based pricing work" is learning the field. The company whose page answers that question becomes the first name the buyer knows.
Scope
What our AEO services cover
Question research
We research the questions your buyers type at each stage of a purchase. Sources include Search Console queries, People Also Ask boxes and the pages your competitors rank with. Every question is matched to a page that should answer it, or flagged as a gap in your content.
Answer-first content
Answer features favor content that states the answer early and plainly. We restructure pages with question headings and a short direct answer, followed by the detail a buyer needs. The page reads better for people too.
Schema markup
Schema markup tells search engines what a page contains. We add and validate structured data such as FAQ and organization schema. Correct markup also qualifies pages for rich results, which take more space on the results page.
Tracking of answer features
We track which target questions show your pages in featured snippets, People Also Ask and AI Overviews. You see month by month which answers you won and which you lost.
Process
Our AEO process, step by step
AEO work is concrete and easy to follow. These are the five steps.
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Collect the questions
We build a list of the questions your buyers ask, with search data behind each one. You approve the list, so the work goes to questions that matter to your sales team.
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Map questions to pages
Each question gets one target page. Questions without a page become content briefs for your writers or ours.
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Rewrite for the answer
We rewrite the relevant sections so the answer comes first, in two or three plain sentences. Supporting detail follows under clear headings.
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Add structured data
We implement schema markup on each page and validate it with the official testing tools.
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Track and adjust
Every month you get a report on answer features won and lost. Pages that did not win are reviewed and adjusted.
Deliverables
What is included
- Question map for your market
- Content restructuring briefs or direct edits
- Schema markup implementation and validation
- Featured snippet and People Also Ask tracking
- AI Overview citation tracking
- Monthly report with next actions
Fit
When a company needs AEO services
- Your pages rank on the first page, but a competitor holds the featured snippet.
- Organic clicks are falling while rankings stay the same.
- Your product needs explaining before a buyer can compare vendors.
- You publish guides and glossary pages that get traffic but no visibility in answer boxes.
Timeline
The first three months
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Month 1: questions and mapping
We collect the questions your buyers ask and match each one to a page. You approve the list before any page is changed.
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Month 2: first pages restructured
The first set of pages is rewritten to lead with the answer, and schema markup is added and validated.
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Month 3: tracking and second set
You get the first report on answer features won and lost. Pages that did not win are adjusted, and the second set of pages starts.
Proof
How AEO fits with our other work
AEO depends on a healthy site, so it usually runs next to our B2B SEO services. Structured data and clean page structure are part of both.
Answers inside AI assistants such as ChatGPT are a separate channel, covered by our AI SEO services (GEO). In our MedTech launch case study, rich snippets showed prices and reviews directly in search results.
Engagement
Ways to work with us
Retainer
AEO usually runs inside an SEO retainer, with the same monthly report.
Project
A fixed project on a defined set of pages, such as your product and comparison pages.
For ongoing SEO and AI search work, see our packages with estimated prices.
FAQ
Answer engine optimization FAQ
What is answer engine optimization?
AEO is the practice of structuring content so search engines can use it as a direct answer. The answer appears in featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes and AI Overviews, with your site as the source.
How is AEO different from SEO?
SEO aims for a ranking position. AEO aims for the answer shown above the rankings. The two share the same technical base, and a page usually has to rank on the first page before it can win an answer feature.
How is AEO different from GEO?
AEO focuses on answers inside Google results. GEO, or generative engine optimization, focuses on AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Gemini. See our AI SEO services for that work.
What is a featured snippet?
A featured snippet is the boxed answer Google shows at the top of some results pages. It quotes a short passage from one page and links to it.
What are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are summaries Google writes with AI at the top of the results page. They cite a few pages as sources. Being one of those sources is the goal of AEO work on AI Overviews.
Do we need new content for AEO?
Often no. Much of the work is restructuring pages you already have. New pages are needed only for questions that no existing page answers.
Does schema markup guarantee a featured snippet?
No. Schema markup helps search engines understand the page, but Google decides which answer to show. Clear content and a good ranking matter more.
How do you measure AEO?
By the number of target questions where your page appears in an answer feature, tracked over time. We also watch clicks and impressions for those questions in Search Console.
How long does AEO take?
A first set of pages can be restructured within weeks. Google needs time to recrawl them, so changes in answer features usually show within one to three months.
What do the first three months of AEO look like?
Month 1 is question research and page mapping. In month 2 the first pages are restructured and marked up. In month 3 you get the first tracking report and the second set of pages starts.
Who will we work with day to day?
The people who plan the work also do it. You have one point of contact, and your writers can work from our briefs if you prefer to keep content in-house.
Do we need AEO if we already do SEO?
If your pages rank on the first page and a competitor still holds the answer box, yes. AEO works on pages that already rank, so it adds to SEO and does not replace it.
When is AEO not worth doing?
When your pages do not rank on the first page yet. Answer features are taken from pages that already rank well, so the first step is SEO.
Related services and pages
Find out which questions your pages can answer
Tell us what is happening with your search traffic. You get a straight answer on where we would start.