What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?

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You’ve heard of search engine optimisation (SEO), but what is Answer Engine Optimisation?

AEO is changing how we find information online – and this includes your business.

"Hey Siri, find me the best cafe near me!" Sound familiar? We're all using voice search to find things these days, and that's changing how businesses need to think about getting found online. Forget just keywords – it's time to embrace Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)!

What is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?

AEO is all about giving people the exact answers they're looking for, right when they need them. Think of it like this: Google, Siri, Alexa (does anyone in Australia use Alexa?) – they're not just search engines anymore, they're answer engines. They want to provide quick, direct answers, not just a list of websites.

Traditional SEO was about getting your website to the top of the search results page. AEO is about getting your business into the "answer box" – that featured snippet at the top where Google highlights the best answer.

How AEO Works (The Nitty-Gritty)

AEO digs deeper than keywords. It looks at the meaning behind what people are searching for (their intent). It uses things like:

Structured Data: This is like giving Google a cheat sheet about your business – your address, phone number, services, etc. – in a way it can easily understand.
Knowledge Graphs: These are massive databases that connect information together. AEO uses them to understand the relationships between things and provide more complete answers.
Semantic Search: This helps answer engines understand the nuances of language, like synonyms, context, and even the sentiment behind a search.

Answer engines use all this info to find the most relevant, accurate, and concise answer to a user's question. That answer could be in the form of:

Featured Snippets: Those little boxes at the top of the search results page with a direct answer.
Knowledge Panels: Boxes that appear on the right side of the search results with key information about a business or topic.
Voice Search Answers: The spoken responses you get from Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

Why AEO Matters for Your Business (aka, Why You Should Care)

Be Seen: AEO helps your business stand out from the crowd and grab those top spots in search results.
More Clicks: When you're providing the best answer, people are more likely to click on your link.
Build Trust: Being the go-to source for information makes you look like an expert in your field.
Happy Customers: Giving people what they want, quickly and easily, makes for happy customers (this one is super important for service based businesses).
Win at Voice Search: With more people using voice search, AEO is key to getting your business heard.

A man is standing behind a counter in a restaurant.

Key comparisons: SEO vs AEO

Feature	AEO	SEO
Main Goal	Provide direct answers	Rank for keywords
Content Style	Clear, concise, and to-the-point	Keyword-rich, informative
How to Optimise	Focus on user intent, natural language, structured data	Build backlinks, optimise website code
Where You'll Appear	Answer boxes, featured snippets, voice search results	Top of the search results page

So ... what does that all mean? Here's our conclusion.

AEO is the future of search. By focusing on providing valuable answers and optimising for answer engines, you can boost your online visibility, attract more customers, and stay ahead of the curve.