If you have noticed that your keywords have lost positions in Google search results, it is time to learn how to use answer engine optimization (AEO) to write great content for getting to position zero, get more visitors, and optimize conversions. It is especially important with the growing use of voice search tools and artificial intelligence (AI) for the searching purpose and Google’s AI Overviews.
1. What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
AEO is a content marketing strategy focused on creating content in the form of questions-answers with focus on meeting the specific type of user intent.
It is what most AI tools do, namely, provide responses to specific queries based on information collected from various sources. Unlike search engine optimization (SEO) focused on specific competitive keywords, AEO focuses on questions as long-tail keywords that differ based on informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional user intent. So let’s review the differences in detail.
2. What Are the Differences between AEO and SEO
| AEO | SEO | |
| Focus | Question-based keywords | Keywords (short and long-tail) |
| Purpose | Content optimization for featured snippets | Visibility in search results |
| Zero-click search: may be low but with better visibility | High CTR in first 10 Google search results, but lower visibility from 10+ | |
| Visibility | Optimization for voice and AI search | Optimization for search results |
| Content | Structured, conversational, including frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers, bullet points use, focus on facts and expertise, no general information, concise specific responses, optimized for AI | Long-form content, introductory information, focus on keywords, topic, click-through rate (CTR), domain authority, and links, images and infographics |
| Informational examples (intent to find information) | “What is zero post position?” “What are 4 user intent types?” | “zero post position,” “the best strategies to achieve position zero” |
| Navigational examples (intent to find a website) | “What is the official website of Coca-Cola?” | “Coca-Cola website” |
| Commercial examples (intent to find products or services) | “What are 10 best keyword research tools?” | “The best keyword research tools” |
| Transactional examples (intent to buy) | “Where can I buy a ticket to Sidney?” | “Buy a ticket to Sidney” |
| Time to deliver value | Several seconds | More than half a minute |
Therefore, AEO and SEO are two different strategies with the aim to improve visibility in two ways:
- In search results through SEO
- In featured snippets, AI, and voice search through AEO
3. Which Strategy is Better: AEO or SEO?
Both AEO and SEO should be used for content marketing. According to the research by Sharma and Dhiman (2025), the age groups that prefer quick information access, AI and voice search, and featured snippets are those people who up to 35 years old. In other words, the following groups may fall into this category:
- Some Millennials (born 1981–1996)
- Generation Z (1997–2010)
- Alpha (2010-2024)
Other age groups (35+) prefer long-form content:
- Baby Boomers (1946–1964)
- Generation X (1965–1980)
- Some Millennials (Gen. Y)
It means that you should use both strategies: AEO for younger generations and SEO for older generations. Include them in planning content and filling in the content pillar template.
4. How to Create AEO Content?
This guide will help you create great AEO content for featured snippets, knowledge panels, AI search, and voice search.
- Choose the right questions based on user intent.
It means that you should conduct keyword research, choosing and using questions as keywords. Questions and answers should align the user intent to find information, web page, product or service or to buy.
- Write down more questions for your main questions.
Use these questions as subheadings.
- Provide detailed clear answers that satisfy user intent.
If the user intends to get information, and you choose the question that requires providing information in the answer, start with answering it without introductory sentences. For example, if you create content on position zero, use the question “How to achieve position zero in Google?” Then, add specific steps for the user to do this. Add subheadings like “What is position zero?” and include specific answers.
- Include structured data in content.
If you create content on WordPress, free Yoast SEO plugin creates schema markup an structured data automatically.
- Add how-to guide.
Use bullet points to enumerate and discuss steps that answer the question.
- End the article or post with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), requiring yes or no answers with the rationale for each.
Include several questions and answers that may disclose the topic in detail.
- Write in a conversational way.
It can help you optimize content for voice searches. Do not use complex words. The flow of thought should sound naturally.
- Include short definitions of key concepts.
Highlight these definitions in content as separate parts. First, write a question and then a definition.
- Add comparison tables.
Such tables are a great too for commercial user intent. Compare products or services based on several characteristics.
5. How Does Answer Engine Optimization Fit into the Time Economy?
What is the time economy?
The time economy refers to the sphere of business activities with focus on time as a valuable resource. All products and services are sold with the purpose to save buyer’s time. For example, these may be courses (saving time on searching and gathering information, worksheets, or planners.
How does AEO serve the time Economy?
AEO content helps to save time taken by the user to fulfill their search intent because it:
- Provides a direct answer,
- Is consumed instantly due to optimization for voice search tools,
- Delivers value (information) to the user in several seconds,
- Saves time that could have been spent on scrolling in case of reading SEO articles.
Therefore, it is an important strategy for an eBusiness operating within the time economy.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
You can search on Reddit and find questions that may be the most interesting to the target audience. Add questions that require yes or no answers. For example, “Can my post achieve position zero in Google with just 500 words?” Answer yes or no and explain why.
It is characterized by the use of question-based keywords, conversational tone, structured content, and simple language.
7. Why AEO is important in the age of google AI Overview rise?
AI Overviews appear in 13% of cases of users searching for information, as found by Semrush (Garanko, 2025). Although this percentage may seem relatively low, AI tools are developing rapidly, requiring marketers, content writers, and publishers to adapt to these changes.
The purpose is to make links to posts and information appear in AI search results. See the image below. By pressing the links in AI Overviews, you can see references to articles and posts to get more information. Unlike featured snippets that refer to one source, AI Overviews and AI-powered searchers collect data from different sources.
References
Garanko, J. (2025, May 4). Semrush AI Overviews study: What 2025 SEO data tells us about Google’s search shift. Semrush. https://www.semrush.com/blog/semrush-ai-overviews-study/#why-should-you-care-about-ai-overviews
Sharma, A., & Dhiman, M. P. (2025, April 5). The impact of AI-powered search on SEO: The emergence of answer engine optimization. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390498377_The_Impact_of_AI-Powered_Search_on_SEO_The_Emergence_of_Answer_Engine_Optimization
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