Answer Engine Optimisation. The discipline of getting featured inside the direct answers Google, Bing, and voice assistants surface.
AEO is the discipline of getting a business, a page, or a brand featured inside a direct answer on Google (AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes) or inside a voice assistant response. The tactics overlap with traditional SEO and with GEO, with a strong emphasis on question-led content and FAQPage schema.
AEO is the most actionable of the AI SEO layers. The wins are measurable (you either win the snippet or you do not) and the work is mostly on-page.
Three things. The page has to rank in the top 10 for the query first (AI Overviews cite from the top of the page-one results). The content has to be structured for snippet extraction (a clear answer in the first 40-60 words, a FAQ block at the bottom, supporting data the AI can pull). And the entity layer has to be consistent (the page and the GBP and the citations all point at the same business).
Most AI Overview wins come from pages that already rank on page one. The AEO work tightens the content to be the snippet the AI pulls, not just one of ten blue links.
Featured snippets pull from one of three formats: a paragraph (40-60 words), a list (5-8 items), or a table (3-5 columns). The page that wins the snippet matches the format Google has chosen for the query and is on page one. The work is identifying the format, restructuring the content to match, and confirming the page is in the top 10.
I run a snippet audit as part of the AEO engagement, with the top 30 queries your customers search, the snippet format Google currently uses, and the 90-day plan to win the snippet for each.
People Also Ask boxes are pulled from the questions real searchers ask about the query. The content has to answer the question directly, in the first 40-60 words, with supporting data and a clear source. A FAQ block on the page, with a FAQPage schema, is the most reliable way to surface for People Also Ask.
I add a FAQPage block to every commercial page as part of the AEO engagement, with the questions pulled from the actual People Also Ask boxes for the page's target query.
Match the format. If Google is showing a list snippet, write a list. If Google is showing a paragraph snippet, write a 40-60 word paragraph. If Google is showing a table snippet, write a table. The format match is more important than the word count or the keyword density.
The fastest wins are on queries where the page is already on page one but the snippet is held by a competitor. The format match plus a 50-word tightening of the answer usually takes the snippet within 30-60 days.
Three rules. First, the answer is in the first 40-60 words of the section, before any fluff. Second, the supporting data is right beneath the answer, not buried five paragraphs down. Third, a FAQ block at the bottom of the page covers the secondary questions, with FAQPage schema so the search engines can read it.
Most business content buries the answer. The AEO format puts it first, supports it second, and uses the FAQ block to capture the long-tail of the question space.
No. SEO optimises a page to rank. AEO optimises a page to be the direct answer. The work overlaps (page-one ranking is a prerequisite for most snippet wins) but the success metric differs. SEO measures ranking position. AEO measures snippet ownership.
The two work together. A page that ranks #1 but does not own the snippet leaves the answer-engine layer on the table. A page that owns the snippet but does not rank is rare and usually a fluke.
Three numbers, monthly. The number of featured snippets owned for your top 30 queries. The number of People Also Ask mentions. The number of Google AI Overview citations. The dashboard is a single shared spreadsheet, updated monthly, with the targets and the actuals side by side.
I report all three in the monthly engagement update. The AEO work is the most visible of the AI SEO layers; the wins are usually countable on a single hand per month.
Yes, especially for the question-led queries that local customers actually search. 'How do I find a Marbella dentist who speaks English', 'which Puerto Banus restaurant has parking', 'how much does an SEO audit cost in Spain'. These are the queries that AEO wins. The snippet owns the answer; the GBP and the website earn the click.
The local AEO layer is the most underused part of local SEO right now. Most local businesses are not even attempting the snippet work, so the citation is open.
Three steps. First, identify the questions in the People Also Ask box for your target query. Second, write a clear, 40-60 word answer to each one, on a page on your site. Third, mark it up with FAQPage schema. The schema is what gets the search engine to read the answer as a candidate for the People Also Ask box.
The work is per-question. The wins compound over months. Most clients see their first People Also Ask mention within 60-90 days of starting the AEO work.
I run AEO engagements for established local businesses across the Costa del Sol (Marbella, Estepona, Puerto Banus, San Pedro de Alcantara, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Malaga) plus international clients. Reply within 24 hours.
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AEO is the discipline of getting a business, a page, or a brand featured inside a direct answer on Google (AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes) or inside a voice assistant response. The tactics overlap with traditional SEO and with GEO, with a strong emphasis on question-led content and FAQPage schema.
Three things. The page has to rank in the top 10 for the query first. The content has to be structured for snippet extraction (a clear answer in the first 40-60 words, a FAQ block at the bottom). And the entity layer has to be consistent. Most AI Overview wins come from pages that already rank on page one, then get tightened for the snippet.
Featured snippets pull from one of three formats: a paragraph (40-60 words), a list (5-8 items), or a table (3-5 columns). The page that wins the snippet matches the format Google has chosen for the query and is on page one. The work is identifying the format, restructuring the content to match, and confirming the page is in the top 10.
People Also Ask boxes are pulled from the questions real searchers ask about the query. The content has to answer the question directly, in the first 40-60 words, with supporting data and a clear source. A FAQ block on the page, with a FAQPage schema, is the most reliable way to surface for People Also Ask.
Match the format. If Google is showing a list snippet, write a list. If paragraph, write a 40-60 word paragraph. If table, write a table. The format match is more important than the word count or the keyword density. The fastest wins are on queries where the page is already on page one but the snippet is held by a competitor.
Three rules. The answer is in the first 40-60 words of the section, before any fluff. The supporting data is right beneath the answer, not buried five paragraphs down. A FAQ block at the bottom of the page covers the secondary questions, with FAQPage schema so the search engines can read it.
No. SEO optimises a page to rank. AEO optimises a page to be the direct answer. The work overlaps (page-one ranking is a prerequisite for most snippet wins) but the success metric differs. SEO measures ranking position. AEO measures snippet ownership.
Three numbers, monthly. The number of featured snippets owned for your top 30 queries. The number of People Also Ask mentions. The number of Google AI Overview citations. I report all three in the monthly engagement update.
Yes, especially for the question-led queries that local customers actually search. 'How do I find a Marbella dentist who speaks English', 'which Puerto Banus restaurant has parking'. These are the queries that AEO wins. The snippet owns the answer; the GBP and the website earn the click.
Identify the questions in the People Also Ask box for your target query. Write a clear, 40-60 word answer to each one, on a page on your site. Mark it up with FAQPage schema. The schema is what gets the search engine to read the answer as a candidate. The work is per-question; the wins compound over months.