Ever noticed how Google now answers your questions before you’ve even clicked on a link?
You ask something like “best time to sell my home in Perth” or “how much does a family lawyer cost in WA?”, and the answer just pops up — usually at the top of the page, or spoken aloud by your voice assistant. That’s not SEO magic anymore — that’s Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) at work.
So what is Answer Engine Optimisation, really? And does it matter if you’re a local service provider or small business in Perth?
Let’s unpack it together.
What Is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?
Answer Engine Optimisation is the process of structuring your content so that search engines and AI tools can extract and display direct answers to specific user questions. That means your content isn’t just designed to rank, it’s designed to be read out loud, quoted in full, or summarised immediately by platforms like:
- Google’s featured snippets
- Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant
- ChatGPT and other AI agents
- Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), which is being rolled out in Australia progressively through 2024 and beyond
Where traditional SEO helps your page appear on search engine results, AEO helps your answer become the result.
And yes — they are different.
What’s the difference between AEO and SEO?
Think of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as putting up big, clear road signs so people can find your business – online. It’s about making sure Google understands what your website is about, so it can list you in search results.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), on the other hand, is about what happens when someone walks into your business and asks a question, like:
- “Can I represent myself in family court?”
- “Is it legal to film someone in public in WA?”
- “What’s the average cost of building inspections in Perth?”
With AEO, the structure of your content matters just as much as what’s written. The goal is to give search engines a clear, concise, and confident answer that they can surface instantly.
Why AEO matters, especially for local service providers
As you may have noticed if you haven’t been under a rock (no judgement here…), the way people search has changed. Voice search has grown rapidly in Australia, with one in four people now using voice assistants weekly.
When someone asks their phone “how much does a plumber cost in Perth” — they don’t want to scroll. They want a short, trustworthy answer. AEO makes sure that answer is yours.
And with Google’s shift towards AI-powered summaries through the new SGE platform, the stakes are even higher. If your content isn’t AEO-ready, it risks being left behind — even if your SEO is solid.
How to optimise for AEO without “losing your voice”
So if you’re thinking that Answer Engine Optimisation means stripping out your personality or making everything “for the robots”, know that Google is smarter than that already. So you can absolutely stay helpful and human while still meeting the AEO brief. Here’s some tips:
1. Know what people actually ask
Use tools like Google’s “People Also Ask”, AnswerThePublic, or even live chats (I know right – actually talking to people) and FAQs from your own clients to find natural-language questions.
These then become the backbone of your content.
2. Answer clearly. Up top. No fluffy Stuff.
If someone Googles “what is answer engine optimisation”, give them a direct answer within the first few sentences (like we did in the first sub-heading of this blog — see what we did there — sneaky eh). You’ll still go deeper in the article — but that top-level clarity is key to being featured in snippets.
For example:
“Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the process of structuring your content so that search engines and AI tools can extract and display direct answers to specific user questions.”
(Yes — we’re optimising this article too.)
Update: Within a day of posting this article this article is being served as a featured snippet, which demonstrates this very nicely…
3. Use structured data (Schema)
This is a more technical step, but it helps search engines understand the structure of your content. You can add schema for FAQs, how-to content, reviews, and more.
If you’re using WordPress, plugins like Rank Math and Yoast make this relatively straightforward.
4. Keep it natural — not robotic
Google is smart. It wants useful answers written for humans, not keyword-stuffed paragraphs. So make sure your content still sounds like you. Just be clear, and get to the point early. And don’t be afraid to have a little fun along the way… 😛
5. It’s not just about your website
AEO isn’t only won through clever content on your site. It’s also about being consistently visible and trustworthy across platforms that feed into AI and search engines, like your Google Business Profile, online directories, reviews, and even structured data on third-party sites.
We’ll unpack that more in an upcoming post, but know that visibility off-site plays a bigger role than most people realise.
Real examples of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) in action (in Perth, Australia)
Let’s say you run a legal service in Perth. You’ve published content relating to:
“How do you help to lower the cost of divorce and separation in Australia?”
If your content starts with a clear answer — “The cost of a lawyer to prepare a simple and straightforward Application for Consent Orders typically ranges between AUD $2,000 and $5,000 if not more. This is a lot of money which many people can’t afford or do not want to spend, particularly when trying to conserve resources after a breakup.” — that’s AEO-friendly content.
Even better if you’ve added a bulleted checklist, or answered follow-up questions like “What forms do I need?” or “Can I do it online?”
This approach works across industries — from asbestos removal to personal training. It’s about anticipating intent and delivering clarity.
Where should AEO live on your website?
AEO works best in:
- Blog posts
- FAQs
- Service pages with a “common questions” section
- Video transcripts (especially when paired with text summaries)
And don’t forget internal linking. For example, if you’re discussing AEO but also have a service page that talks about your Local SEO Services, link to it naturally. That might look like:
“We often help clients reframe their content with a question-first mindset — like we do on our Local SEO Services page.”
Final thoughts — and why this matters now
So we hope we’ve helped to scratch the surface by answering what is Answer Engine Optimisation? in layman’s terms. It’s your chance to be the answer, not just a suggestion.
In a world moving fast towards AI-assisted search, where “zero-click” results are the new normal, ensuring your content is optimised to answer your customer’s questions is essential.
If you’re looking for the latest ways to stay relevant, useful, and visible to your audience and the people searching for what you do — AEO is one of the best tools at your disposal.
Want a hand making sure your site is ready for how people search today — and tomorrow? We can help you think through it clearly and implement it properly.