Over the years, businesses have been working hard with search engine optimisation (SEO) to ensure that their content is a prominent feature on search engine results pages (SERPs). However, with the introduction of answer engine optimisation (AEO) and changes in how users consume content online, there has been increasing importance on optimising content to appear as concise answers to user queries.
In this article, we’ll explain what AEO is, its link with SEO, how zero-click searches can benefit your business and provide actionable tips to optimise your content for answer engines.
Why Users Leave SERPs Without Clicking
Continuous changes in search algorithms and user behaviour have led to an increase in what’s known as zero-click searches. Zero-click searches happen when users get all the information at the top of the SERP, without needing to click on any of the results.
For example, a search for “how many km in a mile” will clearly show the answer in the SERP, without having to click on another site. This shift in user behaviour and how search engines display results in the SERPs will lead to a noticeable decrease in clicks. However, there are still ways that we can make the most of AEO.
Dominate Search Results with Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)
Although searchers might not be clicking on your page directly, there are some key benefits to ensuring that you’re optimising for answer engines:
Good for brand recognition
Secures featured snippets
Helps to be seen as an expert on a given topic
Increases click-through rate as users have likely already come across your brand
The Impact of Brand Recognition on User Click Behaviour
Brand recognition plays a significant role in user click behaviour and user engagement. Although users might not click on your website initially, they’re more likely to recognise your brand when performing a similar search.
When users recognise and trust a brand, they’re more likely to click on search results featuring that familiar brand. Here’s how brand recognition impacts user behaviour:
Higher click-through rates: When users recognise a brand, they’re more likely to click on the page.
Better user engagement: When users trust a brand, they’re more likely to stick around and explore what it has to offer.
Better conversion rates: When users trust a brand, they’re more willing to become loyal customers.
What is Answer Engine Optimisation?
AEO is how a website’s content directly answers a searcher’s query, much like Google’s rich snippets. However, AEO goes one step further by providing AI generators like ChatGPT, generative AI in search and voice assistants with direct answers to what people seek in the digital sphere.
As an example, when using Mac’s voice assistant to ask what the tallest mountain in the world is, the answer engine promptly provides the information source, the mountain’s height and other relevant information.
Another example of how answer engines provide users with information is by using sources like Google My Business. Below, we asked Mac’s voice assistant what the opening hours of the nearest Tile Giant were. By providing up-to-date information on business listings, the answer engine was able to provide me with directions from my current location, the address of the nearest Tile Giant, a link to the website, Yelp reviews and even an image of the specific Tile Giant. By clearly formatting key elements that users want answers to, answer engines can efficiently provide answers to user queries.
The Rising Importance of Answer Engine Optimisation in SEO
AEO is becoming extremely important if you want your content to be seen, whether that’s in the SERPs or any other answer engine platform. However, your content will only be returned in an answer engine if it provides a relevant, direct response to the query.
While SEO focuses on being at the top of the search results, AEO focuses on serving direct answers to user queries. Thanks to semantic search, natural language processing (NLP) and AI, search engines are becoming answer hubs and searchers are expecting to see direct answers straight away.
To excel in AEO, you need to understand your audience and what they want to see. You need to understand what questions they’re asking, making sure your content directly answers the question to meet their demands.
It’s all about knowing your audience inside and out and tailoring your content to their search habits, as well as being the best answer in the eyes of answer engines.
Answer Engine Best Practices
When it comes to AEO, here are some key tips to help your content to be the top result:
Develop an AEO strategy: Tailor your content to provide direct answers to users’ queries. If you’d like help in optimising your content, get in touch – our team will conduct a thorough content audit, providing content recommendations and suggestions.
Structure your content effectively: Directly answer frequently asked questions to maximise your chances of appearing for question-based queries.
Create quality content: Ensure that your content is informative, relevant, valuable and up-to-date to improve credibility.
Optimise for featured snippets: Provide clear and concise answers. Use bullet points, tables and structured data to increase your chances of being featured
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes AEO Different from Traditional SEO?
AEO focuses on providing answers to what users are asking for instantly by targeting user intent, search queries and specific questions. Traditional SEO focuses more on the ranking of the entire website for a range of queries.
How Can Businesses Adapt Their SEO Strategy for AEO?
AEO is a crucial element of modern SEO strategies. At Proof3, we can tailor your existing SEO strategy to optimise specific pages that might trigger answer engine results. With the help of various tools like SEMrush, Google Search Console and many more, we can conduct thorough research to understand what terms people search for in relation to your business. We will then provide recommendations on how you can optimise your site to be picked up by answer engines.
Although answer engine results are less likely to get initial clicks, they enhance user experience and increase brand recognition. If you want to dominate search results with AEO strategies that boost your online visibility and drive traffic, drop us a line.
About the author
Henry Jones
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