What is AEO and why do you need to add it to your website strategy?

Stop me if you’ve heard this one…

I got my first digital marketing job out of college in 2013. My smart phone probably weighed a pound, and I still wore wired instead of bluetooth headphones. Things were different, that’s for sure! Everyone was competing to better understand Google’s algorithm and every week we’d have meetings about trending keywords. The agency I worked for sold “links.” All day, I’d sit at my computer trying to write articles around keywords like “flights to Vegas” or “explore Banff.” A common joke circulated around the office:

Question: Where do you hide a dead body?
Answer: Page four of Google results.

Sigh… Those were simpler times!

In today’s digital world, using keywords for SEO to rank #1 on Google is no longer only the goal; now, websites are competing to be selected by AI tools such as Google’s AI overview by using AEO or answer engine optimization. As AI-powered tools change the way people search for and consume information, AEO has become a critical part of website strategy. To help you better understand AEO and start optimizing your own site, we’ll explore: 

1. What is AEO?
2. What are some examples of answer engines?
3. How does AEO work?
4. What is the relationship between AEO and zero-click search?
5. How can you implement AEO into your website strategy?

What is Answer Engine Optimization?

Answer Engine Optimization or AEO is the practice of curating content that is attractive to search and answer engines in response to user queries. Whereas the goal of search engine optimization, or SEO, is to get your web page to rank higher in search results, the goal of AEO is for your content to appear as the answer to a question. 

AEO also goes by GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization). No matter what you call it, the goal of AEO is to understand how AI language models (such as Google’s Gemini) interpret and select content in response to user queries.

How does AEO work?

Answer engines are determined to answer questions with a complete answer. Whereas SEO results in a series of website links that may lead to what the user is looking for, AEO provides a “zero-click” response. In other words, the goal of answer engine optimization is a “zero-click search.” The answer is right there–no further exploration needed. For example, every day I ask Alexa, “What’s the weather today?” She doesn’t tell me to go to any number of weather websites, she tells me the weather! We’ve gotten so close, in fact, that sometimes she even offers to tell me the weather for the rest of the week. (Unfortunately, with this level of familiarity, she also tries to get me to buy more things from Amazon based on my past purchases. We’re still working out the kinks of our relationship.)

What is zero-click search?

Most people are familiar with the way Google’s AI Overview consumes a great deal of top-of-the-page real estate. Thanks to answer engines’ long form answers, many people will get the answer they’re looking for without scrolling down the page or clicking additional links. This is where “zero-click search” comes in–literally. Let’s say you use the following query: “How are associations integrating AI into digital strategy?” An answer engine is capable of generating a complete and relatively satisfying response, warranting no additional clicks from the user. Answer engine results make links available, and hopefully your content will be captivating enough to wrangle users to visit your site, but the fact is, many searches end when the answer engine generates a satisfying response. 

At this point you might be feeling a bit down; afterall, you’re curating content to appear in answer engine results, but you still need people to actually visit your website! What’s the use in having a great website if no one will visit?

That’s why you’re here! Astriata understands the psychology behind how and why people engage and interact with content and design. It is possible to provide a complete answer that will also entice visitors to want more!

Three steps to optimize your website for answer engines

Here it is: the information you came for! Keep in mind that just as companies were vying to understand Google’s algorithm in the early days of SEO, agencies and site admins are doing the same today with answer engines. We’re sure things will keep evolving, but we’ve got some good tips to get started and we’d love to share them with you.

Step 1: Audit Questions Where You Should be the Answer

• What questions would you ask that would result in you being directed to your site? 
• Rewrite those questions in different ways to generate the same results.
  • Follow the 5 W’s (and more)

Step 2: Reformat Your Existing Content

Answer engines LOVE FAQs. Review your site for certification, membership, and events pages and add FAQs at the bottom. Think of questions site visitors might ask where these pages hold the answers. Add those questions to your FAQs and write long-form, informative and natural sounding answers. 

Natural language is key. The machines are getting smarter and search engines can detect AI language. Therefore, it is best to write your content yourself! 

Lead with answers. Provide short, clear summaries at the top of pages. Answer engines like to see the Cliff’s Notes versions of pages and articles (similar to long-form SEO). Summaries should ideally be around 40-60 words. (For reference, this bullet point, not including the parenthetical, is 36 words.)

• Summaries are critical for member sites and others who have gated content. Make sure to give previews of members-only content so that it’s accessible by answer engines. Users will still need to go to your site to get the full story, and once there, you can use a call-to-action to generate more conversions and increase membership. 

Assess your site for JavaScript. Currently, AI engines cannot crawl and render JavaScript. If you have pages with custom functionality or components that rely on JavaScript, understand that Google will see them, but AI bots will not. This may mean making significant site or page changes to ensure AEO visibility.

Step 3: Focus on areas where you are credible, trustworthy, and authoritative

We work with many associations, nonprofit organizations and member organizations who have abundant resources including educational articles, blogs, and forums for networking. Having tons of content is great, but to optimize for answer engines, make sure your content covers subjects most important to you and your audiences.

And don’t forget: credibility matters. Build up your credibility by boosting content with subject matter expert bios, internal links and backlinks. Any time you can refer to other content on your site, you’re amplifying your presence and opportunities to engage with your audience in ways they may not have intended when they first came to your site.

Finally, in addition to using your own content to beef up credibility, reviews go a long way in showing that you’re a trusted organization and authority.

The ironic thing about all of this is, no matter what we deem to be the magic elixir, answer engines, in spite of being bots, seem to prefer real, natural content. And we know that creating good, old-fashioned content is time consuming! Lucky for you, Astriata’s content strategists are pros at taking existing content and making it more attractive and engaging, and we’re also more than happy to whip up something brand new. If you’re considering optimizing your site for answer engines, and you’d like some help with content, you’ve come to the right place. We can help you bring your website into 2026 with pizazz. Whether you need fresh content, help with tags and structure, a full content audit, or just a second pair of eyes, Astriata is the team you can depend on.