Almost everyone is trying to use AI now, and that's led to a wave of poor-quality content often referred to as "AI slop". It's the kind of content that's vague, padded, and offers little real value to the reader. But when AI is guided by detailed prompts and backed by a clear content strategy, it can be used to create informative, user-focused articles that actually help people. One approach that worked well for us was building content specifically designed for Featured Snippets and Google's AI Overviews. We focused on answering the main question right at the top of the page in a short, helpful sentence, followed by a more detailed explanation. For a client in the home organisation space, we reworked a blog post titled "How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed". We restructured it to start with a clear, direct answer, added subheadings framed as real search questions, and included internal links to key service pages. The results were clear. The post began showing up as a Featured Snippet and was later pulled into the AI Overview. In just 30 days, impressions increased by 117 per cent, clicks went up by 52 per cent, and the client saw a noticeable rise in leads through the contact form. Good Answer Engine Optimisation comes down to understanding the user's question, giving them a straight answer quickly, and supporting it with clear, well-structured content. That's what makes a difference.
One approach that's worked particularly well is building structured Q&A hubs with schema markup around core topics. Instead of scattering answers across multiple blogs, I centralised the most searched-for questions into dedicated hub pages, each marked up with FAQ and HowTo schema. That gave search engines and answer engines a clear, structured source of truth to cite. The impact showed up in two ways: first, I tracked a rise in featured snippets and AI Overview mentions for branded and non-branded queries. Second, I measured assisted conversions in analytics—organic sessions that started from those hubs were more likely to progress deeper into the site and complete a goal. It wasn't just about visibility; it positioned the brand as the "default answer," which compounds authority across both traditional SEO and emerging generative engines.
One AEO approach that moved the needle: I turned vital sites into "answer systems," favoring LLM content and answer boxes while serving humans and spiders. The system had three layers: 1. Question Graph to Intent Coverage: Search Console long-tails, site search logs, support emails, and Reddit and Quora conversations provided queries. I grouped them by purpose—definition, how-to, comparison, troubleshooting—and created a page layout. Every high-value page became an "Answer Hub" with sub-sections for each objective. 2. Atomic Answer Blocks: Each segment starts with a simple 45-70-word answer with numbers and a position. A deeper investigation includes steps, edge cases, images, and pertinent internal linkages. To help models extract clear portions, I used question-style H2/H3 headers, a brief "verdict" paragraph, a short 3-5-step mini-procedure, and a simplified inferred comparison table. 3. Entity-Rich Markup & Retrieval Formatting: I added FAQ Page/HowTo where appropriate, About/Mentions for important entities, a full Organization/Person schema (author E-E-A-T signals, sameAs), and consistent IDs for each Q/A to preserve response stability across revisions. A concise first phrase, specific nouns, and consistent language aid passage retrieval. We created internal jump links for each query and hub cross-linking. How I measured the impact (beyond rankings): - Answer Surface Share: Tracking Google, Bing, Copilot, and Perplexity inquiries that yielded Featured Snippets, People Also Ask sections, and AI-generated summaries. - GSC Answer KPIs: Insights on impressions and click-through rates for inquiry-based searches; an increase in the "discoverable" long-tail keywords per hub. - Zero-Click Value: Engagement through phone calls, directional clicks, and the initiation of lead forms linked to response pages (persistent calls to action and server-side event monitoring). - Engagement Quality: Examine the scroll depth to the atomic block, engage with tables, and assess the time to the first meaningful answer. - Revenue Lift: Conversions facilitated by answer hubs compared to traditional posts. Results: In 90 days, we saw a threefold increase in PAA coverage, regular citations in AI-generated responses for key inquiries, a 28-45% increase in organic leads across the hubs (depending on the industry), and a significantly improved CTR on long-tail keywords, even with zero-click answers, Thanks to our atomic block that aligned with and expanded on the summary.
Rewriting FAQ Sections to Match How People Actually Ask Questions One AEO tactic that significantly improved our content visibility was rewriting FAQ sections to mirror real, conversational queries—especially those triggered by voice search and AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Bing AI, and Google's SGE. Instead of using generic headers like "Benefits of Invisalign" or "Tooth Extraction Recovery," we restructured them into full, natural-language questions like: "How long does it take to recover from a tooth extraction?" "Is Invisalign painful during the first week?" "What foods should I avoid after dental surgery?" We pulled these directly from: - Google Search Console (filtered by long-tail queries) - Google's People Also Ask boxes - Our own call center and live chat transcripts Each question became a dedicated FAQ block with a clear, concise answer in the first sentence, followed by a bit more detail. We also wrapped these in FAQPage schema markup, ensuring they were machine-readable. How we measured the impact: - Our impressions and clicks for long-tail queries increased in GSC (especially mobile and voice-driven queries) - Our content began appearing in "People Also Ask" sections - On some pages, featured snippet capture improved without changing the overall page rank - We also tracked increased visibility in AI-generated summaries via tools simulating Bing Chat and Google's Search Generative Experience AEO isn't just about being accurate—it's about being immediately useful. If your content can answer a question better than an AI or voice assistant can, you're not just optimizing for SEO—you're becoming the default source for real user queries.
One of the most effective steps we took was optimizing content to directly address the exact questions people type into search, especially around safe and convenient ways to recycle or sell their devices. Instead of focusing only on high-volume phrases, we built resources that gave clear, trustworthy answers to queries like "how do I recycle my phone for cash near me." That shift aligned our content with real consumer intent and positioned us as the direct answer in search results. We measured success by tracking how often our pages earned answer box placements and monitoring downstream actions like kiosk locator usage and device quote requests. The lift we saw in qualified traffic and the higher percentage of visitors moving into those next steps told us the strategy was working. It wasn't just about visibility, it translated into more people choosing a sustainable path for their used devices.
We found significant improvement in our content visibility by shifting our strategy to focus on creating middle and bottom-of-funnel content that AI systems cannot easily summarize. Our approach prioritizes comparative, action-oriented pieces that encourage user click-throughs rather than content that might be completely answered by AI overviews. While tracking the impact, we've monitored organic traffic patterns specifically for these deeper content pieces compared to our previous top-of-funnel approach, which has allowed us to maintain stronger user engagement metrics despite the growing prevalence of AI-generated results.
My suggestion is to flip the script and see how you are currently performing for REAL searches that are already happening in AI engines. Firstly, you should set up the query below as a regex filter in Google Search Console. This will display long-tail conversational queries that are being used in AI tools. Then paste these queries into ChatGPT (non logged in) and see what it says. By doing this we were able to see how our site was currently postitioned and create more content to address gaps, misinformation, and misunderstandings. This in turn increased our presence in AI tools but the content was also fantastic for organic search. The regex query was too long to provide in the word count, it is available in this doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sSL4JjOQuUnMwEfF5PnQ59SsKMZzaflVY82-GmltQbQ/edit?tab=t.0
One approach that significantly improved our content's visibility in AI-driven results was structuring articles to directly answer clusters of related questions, using clear headings, concise answers, and schema markup for FAQs. For a client in the custom clothing niche, we optimized product guides and how-to content with targeted, intent-driven queries, which allowed our content to appear in AI Overviews and featured snippets. We measured impact through increased impressions and clicks in Google Search Console, noting a 25% uplift in organic traffic and higher engagement on pages included in AI-generated responses. The key was aligning content structure with user intent while ensuring Google and AI systems could easily parse and surface the answers.
One approach that significantly improved our content's visibility was optimizing for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) by structuring content around clear, specific questions our audience actually asks. We made sure each answer was concise, accurate, and trustworthy, while providing deeper explanations, examples, and supporting data below. By focusing on experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, we reinforced the authenticity of our content, which is critical for search engines and readers alike. To measure impact, we tracked featured snippet impressions, click-through rates, and increases in organic traffic, as well as engagement on pages with rich, authoritative answers. Over time, this approach boosted our visibility, built credibility with our audience, and strengthened overall SEO performance.
One effective way we optimize for Answer Engine Optimization is by using Surfer SEO. It helps us find the exact questions people ask and the content structure that grabs attention. Surfer's SERP analysis shows us what search engines reward in answer boxes, so we can tailor headings and concise responses to match. The results are clear: more featured snippets, better visibility in AI results, and a boost in organic clicks. Plus, this happens without adding more words. Surfer essentially takes the guesswork out of structuring content for AEO.
We have a custom approach that has significantly improved our content's visibility, using our colleague Mert Azizoglu's ( query fan out tool - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-683d56ab031c8191a91b7dc9e103e9f9-ai-overviews-ai-mode-topic-finder ) and another extension called ChatGPT path. Our AI Search Approach: We use multiple tools together with our query fan out method. ChatGPT Path helps us see what content works best in ChatGPT and why. Our Lead AI SEO Mert built a custom tool called AI Overviews & AI-Mode Topic Finder that helps us create content ideas and optimize for AI search engines like Google's AI Overviews. Scaling Content Ideas: Mert's tool automatically creates lots of related questions and topic variations that trigger AI search results. Instead of brainstorming content ideas manually, we can quickly expand our content to cover all the search patterns that make AI engines respond. Covering All AI Platforms: We don't just focus on one AI search engine. ChatGPT Path shows us what works in ChatGPT, while Mert's tool helps us optimize for Google's AI Overviews which has gained major popularity since it's launch and will continue to grow etc. Learning What Works: ChatGPT Path lets us see exactly what types of content and structure get cited most in ChatGPT answers. We then use those insights with our query fan out approach. Mert's tool finds related topics we should cover, helping us create content that answers everything users might ask about a topic. How We Use Everything Together: We combine these tools in a cycle: Mert's tool gives us content ideas for AI search optimization, we create content using query fan out, and ChatGPT Path shows us what's actually working.
One approach that significantly improved our content visibility was focusing on Answer Engine Optimization through intent-based content. We structured blogs and landing pages around real user questions, used FAQ and How-To schema, and added concise, conversational summaries at the top of each article. This helped our content rank in featured snippets and voice search results. We measured success through Google Search Console by tracking increases in impressions, click-through rate, and featured snippet positions. Within 90 days, we saw a 35% increase in organic visibility and a notable boost in traffic quality from long-tail, question-based queries.
Optimizing for AI Overviews and Conversational Search A strategy that has improved our content visibility is structuring it for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), which emphasizes how tools like Google AI, ChatGPT, and Perplexity summarize online content. Instead of lengthy paragraphs, we use short answers with headings and data to meet search intent. We begin each article by identifying common questions users might ask, like "What is the best time to post on LinkedIn?" and answering these questions succinctly within the first 100 words using a straightforward and factual tone. This format enables Google and AI models to extract our content as a "trusted snippet." To measure impact, we track: Featured snippet successes and People Also Ask visibility through Google Search Console. Enhancing AI visibility through tools. Engagement metrics focus on boosting click-through rates (CTR) and the average time users spend on the page. In just 60 days of implementing the AEO framework, we experienced a 22% rise in organic impressions and a 17% increase in CTR for informational pages. What is the key takeaway? Focusing on human-centered writing while optimizing for machines brings together the advantages of both realms.
To gain visibility using Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), one of the primary tactics was optimising content to get cited in featured snippets. We achieved it by answering questions in a user-friendly way. We targeted questions (problems) instead of keywords. Therefore, we answered user queries with clean, simple, and structured formats such as lists (bulleted or numbered) or short paragraphs. Next, we took advantage of Semantic SEO through related topics and structured content to focus on user intent instead of working to match keywords. We produced extensive pillar pages outlining broad topics and linking to cluster content, responding to specific, longer-term queries. These steps, when implemented correctly, made it easier for the search engine to identify and pull our content into an answer box. The results were apparent. We saw a 20% increase in organic numbers and an increase in the number of keywords ranking in featured snippets. We tracked impressions and click-through metrics using Google Search Console and SEMrush and saw an improvement. This showed a positive and strong upward trend for SEO performance.
We adopted an "answer-first, explain-later" model, front-loading a concise, 40-60 word declarative answer right after a conversational question header and backing it with FAQ schema markup. The impact was measured by tracking our "AI Share of Voice"—the frequency our brand was cited in Google AI Overviews and other LLM responses—which correlated with a significant rise in branded organic search volume, proving our content earned zero-click authority.
An approach that works best for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), which increased our content visibility at Naxisweb, was sharpening our focus on structured data and succinct conversational answers. AEO content was zeroed in on user intent and optimized in clear paragraphs, FAQ markup, and schema. This allowed Google and other search engines easier access to our content for displayed answers in featured snippets and for voice search. The impact was tracked in changes to CTRs, impressions, and snippets visibility in Google Search Console. In a couple of months, we had visibility increases on question-based queries, especially long-tail variants of service-related keywords. Best of all, high-intent traffic increased as we did not need to increase content volume. AEO signifies how users search these days through voice and advanced AI tools. In lower bounce rates along with AEO-driven increases in engagements, proof was provided that optimizing for "answers" rather than merely "keywords" will reinforce an SEO strategy as effective as any in these times.
I've improved visibility for Answer Engine Optimisation by structuring content into concise answers. Instead of big blocks of text, I break the content down into short, digestible responses. The goal being to addres search queries directly. Bascially, this method mimics the way AI retrieves content to create AI summaries. I combine this with authority signals such as first-party data, expert quotes and schema markup. In practice, this means adding relevant FAQs, including stats, and marking up with structured data. Here's how I measure the impact: 1. AI citation rate — how often the content appears in AI Overviews and LLMs. 2. Branded search impressions and clicks in Google Search Console
Our most visible Answer Engine Optimization win has been an article we published in 2018 on "What are social impact companies?" It was not a quick hack. What gave it traction was time, consistency in our brand content, and supporting resources that reinforced our expertise. That article earned the featured snippet and placement in Google's People Also Ask section, which significantly increased our exposure when users searched for related topics. That is the reality of AEO: there is no perfect formula for going viral or ranking quickly. Established brands benefit from domain authority, but for new brands the best approach is to stake your flag early, own your content, and build from there. We have cross-posted on other platforms, but ultimately content rooted on our own domain and supported by reputable PR that points back to it has been the key to both visibility and trust. Having a trusted tech team who cared about details like schema markup also worked in our favor, because sometimes the real magic is behind the curtain, and it looks like a team that knows how to pull the right levers. We continue to measure the impact of this post and how it supports other articles on our website. Interestingly, our success has been not only in rankings but also in increased time on page and resource downloads. That shows us that visibility is translating into meaningful engagement.
Structuring content with conversational, question-style queries has been one of the soils in which the seeds of my SEO for Answers blossomed to enhance visibility. Instead of going traditional on keywords, I created large, detailed FAQ sections and provided the answer immediately, within 40 to 50 words, followed by more elaborate details. This was an ideal format for Google's answer engine, featured snippets, and AI-powered assistant-style display of answers. With all this effort around it, measuring the impact, I really could track impressions and click-throughs from SERP features in Search Console, and I also kept an eye on the share of organic traffic for those long-tail queries, which really propelled visibility for zero-click queries. Direct engagement metrics corroborated the proposition: time on page and lower bounce rate demonstrated users were not merely getting the answers but staying to read through more content.
Focusing on online visibility isn't about using a corporate "Answer Engine Optimization" strategy. The one approach that significantly improved my business's online standing was simple: we committed to honestly answering the three most urgent questions our customers panic about. The process is straightforward. We identified the top three local questions—like "How do I know if my hail damage is covered?"—and published direct, simple answers on our website and social media. We told them the truth: they must call their insurance adjuster first, not us. This gave away free expertise and eliminated the client's initial, massive anxiety. I measure the impact on my business not by website traffic, but by the Quote-to-Close rate of new clients. When a client calls me, I ask how they found us. If they say, "I called you because you were the only company that told me the honest truth about insurance first," I know the content worked perfectly, because I earned their trust before the sales call even started. The key lesson is that the best "optimization" is earned trust. My advice is to stop trying to use fancy tricks to impress a search engine. Focus instead on answering the hardest, most urgent local questions simply and honestly. That direct, trustworthy communication is the only thing that builds true authority in the market.