AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): How to Make Your Business the Answer People Find

Pop quiz: When was the last time you scrolled past the first Google result to find what you needed?

If you’re like most people, the answer is… well, almost never. And increasingly, you’re not even clicking on that first result anymore because the answer you need is right there at the top of the page. Or you’re asking Alexa, chatting with ChatGPT, or saying “Hey Siri” while driving.

Welcome to the Answer Economy, where the goal isn’t just to rank well in search results. It’s to be the answer.

This is where AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) comes in. Before you roll your eyes at yet another marketing acronym to keep track of, hear us out. This one actually matters for your business, maybe more than any trend we’ve seen in the past decade.

Because here’s the thing: People don’t want to search anymore. They want answers. And the businesses that figure out how to provide those answers quickly, clearly, and authoritatively are going to dominate their local markets while competitors are still wondering what happened.

So let’s talk about what AEO actually is, why it matters for small businesses, and most importantly, how to implement it without needing a computer science degree or a massive budget.

What Is AEO (And Why Should Local Businesses Care)?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. Basically, it’s the practice of optimizing your content to be selected as the direct answer to people’s questions, regardless of where they’re asking.

Think about all the places people look for answers now. Voice assistants respond when someone asks “Alexa, who’s the best property manager in Des Moines, Iowa?” AI chatbots provide recommendations when people ask ChatGPT or Claude for help. Featured snippets appear in those answer boxes at the top of Google. People Also Ask boxes expand with accordion-style questions on search results. Smart speakers deliver answers while people cook dinner. AI Overviews generate Google’s new AI-generated summaries.

All of these are “answer engines,” platforms that don’t just point you to information but provide the answer directly. If your business isn’t optimized to be that answer, you’re losing customers to competitors who are.

Understanding how content marketing and SEO work together becomes even more critical when you add AEO to the mix, because all three strategies support and amplify each other.

The Numbers Tell the Story

Here’s why this matters right now. Over 50% of all searches result in zero clicks, meaning people get their answer without visiting a website. Voice shopping is expected to hit $80 billion by 2025 as people make buying decisions based on voice search results. Additionally, 71% of consumers prefer to conduct queries by voice rather than typing. Featured snippets get 35% of all clicks when they appear. ChatGPT has over 200 million weekly active users who are asking it for recommendations every day.

Translation: If you’re only optimizing for traditional search rankings, you’re missing more than half your potential customers.

But here’s the good news. Local businesses have a massive advantage in AEO. Why? Because answer engines prioritize specific, local, authoritative answers. Nobody’s more specific or local than a business that lives and breathes their community.

How the Answer Engine Landscape Looks in 2025

Let’s get oriented. When we talk about answer engines, we’re talking about several different platforms and features working together to provide direct answers to user queries.

Voice Assistants

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and others represent the first wave of answer engines. People ask them questions while multitasking, and they read back a single answer. If you’re not that answer, you don’t exist to that searcher.

Example query: “Who does property management in Perrysburg?”

What voice assistants want: One clear, authoritative answer they can read back in 10-15 seconds.

AI Chatbots

ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and others are changing how people research. Users ask conversational questions and expect comprehensive, helpful answers rather than a list of links to click through.

Example query: “I need help managing my rental property in Toledo. What should I look for in a property management company and who would you recommend?”

What AI chatbots want: Comprehensive, trustworthy information they can synthesize into helpful recommendations.

Featured Snippets (Position Zero)

Those answer boxes appear at the very top of Google search results, above all the traditional results. They extract a direct answer from a webpage and display it prominently.

Example query: “How much does property management cost?”

What featured snippets want: Clear, concise answers formatted in easily extractable ways like paragraphs, lists, or tables.

People Also Ask Boxes

Those expandable questions appear in Google search results. When you click one, it expands to show an answer extracted from a website, and more related questions appear below.

Example query: “How to choose a property manager”

Related PAA questions: “What does a property manager do?” “How much does property management cost?” “Is hiring a property manager worth it?”

What PAA boxes want: Direct, thorough answers to specific questions that lead naturally to related questions.

Knowledge Panels

Information boxes appear on the right side of Google results (or at the top on mobile) with key facts about a business, person, or place.

What knowledge panels want: Structured, verified information from authoritative sources about your business.

All of these answer engines are looking for the same basic thing: content that directly, clearly, and authoritatively answers people’s questions. Provide that, and you can dominate your local market regardless of how big your competitors are.

Content Formatting That Wins in AEO

Here’s how to structure your content so answer engines love it.

The Question-Answer Format (Your New Best Friend)

This is the foundation of AEO. Structure your content around actual questions people ask, with clear, direct answers.

Here’s the formula. Use the question as a heading (using H2 or H3 tags). Provide a direct answer in the first 40-60 words. Add supporting details with context, examples, and specifics. Include related information that naturally leads to additional questions.

Example:

How much does property management cost in Iowa?

Property management in Iowa typically costs between 8-12% of your monthly rent for single-family homes, or $80-150 as a flat monthly fee. For a $1,200/month rental, that’s about $96-144 per month using the percentage model.

Most property management companies structure their fees to cover essential services like tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance coordination, and monthly financial reporting. Additional services such as lease renewal processing ($150-300), initial tenant placement (often one month’s rent), and maintenance markups (typically 10-15%) may cost extra.

The exact cost depends on several factors: your property type (single-family homes vs. multi-unit), property location, condition and age of the property, the specific services you need, and whether you have multiple properties with one company.

See how that works? The answer engine can extract that first paragraph as a complete answer, but readers who want more detail can keep reading. Everybody wins.

Create Comprehensive FAQ Pages

FAQ pages are AEO gold. They’re literally pre-formatted in the question-and-answer structure that answer engines crave.

But here’s the key: don’t just throw together five generic questions and call it a day.

Create substantial FAQ sections that cover real questions customers actually ask. Go through your email, listen to sales calls, think about what comes up in consultations. What do people really want to know?

Provide complete, helpful answers with each answer being 3-5 sentences minimum. Give real information, not vague marketing speak.

Group questions by topic and organize your FAQ into sections like “Pricing Questions,” “Service Questions,” “Getting Started Questions,” etc. This helps both readers and answer engines find relevant information.

Update regularly by adding new questions when they come up (and they will). When laws change or your services evolve, update the answers accordingly.

Example of good FAQ structure:

Getting Started with Property Management

How do I know if I need a property manager?

What’s the first step in hiring a property manager?

How long does it take to onboard a new property?

Pricing and Fees

How much does property management cost in Toledo?

Are there any hidden fees I should know about?

Do you charge for maintenance work?

Services and Responsibilities

What does a property manager actually do?

Will you handle emergency maintenance calls?

How often will I receive financial reports?

This structure makes it easy for answer engines to find and extract exactly what they need.

Use Lists and Tables Strategically

Answer engines love structured data they can easily parse. Lists and tables are perfect for this purpose.

Use numbered lists when explaining a process or steps, ranking options or priorities, providing sequential instructions, or sharing tips or best practices.

Bullet points work well when listing features or benefits, showing options or alternatives, breaking down complex information, or highlighting key points.

Use tables when comparing options or services, showing pricing tiers, displaying specifications, or organizing data that has multiple attributes.

Example table that answer engines love:

Service	What’s Included	Typical Cost
Basic Management	Rent collection, tenant communication, annual inspection	8-10% of rent
Full Management	Everything in Basic + maintenance coordination, 24/7 emergency calls	10-12% of rent
Premium Management	Everything in Full + quarterly inspections, landscaping oversight	12-15% of rent

Voice assistants can read this table data cleanly, AI chatbots can reference it easily, and featured snippets often display it directly.

Write Concise, Scannable Definitions

When someone asks “What is property management?” they don’t want a 500-word essay before getting to the point. They want a clear, concise definition first, with the option to read more if they want details.

The definition formula includes a one-sentence definition (the absolute core answer), a two-sentence elaboration (key details that make it complete), and supporting paragraphs (the full context and details).

Example:

What is property management?

Property management is when a person or company handles the day-to-day operations of a rental property on behalf of the owner.

A property manager finds and screens tenants, collects rent, coordinates maintenance and repairs, handles tenant complaints, and ensures the property complies with local rental laws. Essentially, they take over the landlord responsibilities so property owners can earn rental income without the headaches of hands-on management.

[Continue with more detailed sections about specific responsibilities, benefits, costs, etc.]

That first paragraph? Perfect for voice assistants to read aloud and AI chatbots to cite. The rest? There for people who want to dive deeper.

Optimize for Natural Language and Conversational Queries

People don’t talk to voice assistants or AI chatbots the way they type into search boxes. They use natural, conversational language.

Text search: “property management cost Iowa”

Voice search: “How much would it cost me to hire a property manager in Toledo for a three-bedroom house?”

Your content needs to address both types of queries. Include long-tail, conversational phrases naturally throughout your content.

Examples of conversational phrases to include: “If you’re wondering whether…” “Here’s what you need to know about…” “The short answer is…” “Most people ask us…” “It depends on a few factors…” “Here’s how it works…”

Write the way you actually talk to customers. That’s the language answer engines are trained on.

Local AEO Strategies That Drive Business

Now let’s talk about how to apply AEO specifically to local businesses. This is where you can really outshine bigger, national competitors.

Target Location-Specific Questions

The more specific your content is to your location, the more likely answer engines will cite you for local queries.

Generic content: “Property management typically costs 8-12% of monthly rent.”

Location-specific content: “Property management in Toledo, Ohio typically costs 8-12% of monthly rent, though prices can vary based on whether you’re in the downtown area, the Old West End, or the suburbs like Sylvania or Perrysburg.”

See the difference? The second version is much more useful to someone specifically searching for Toledo information, and answer engines recognize and reward that specificity.

Location-specific questions to target include “What are rental laws in [your city]?” “Average rent prices in [your city/neighborhood]?” “Best neighborhoods for rental properties in [your city]?” “Do I need a landlord license in [your city]?” and “What makes [your city] different for [your industry]?”

Create “Best of” and Recommendation Content

When people ask voice assistants or AI chatbots “Who’s the best [type of business] in [location]?” they want recommendations. Create content that positions you as the authority making those recommendations.

Example approach: Create a blog post titled “How to Choose the Best Property Management Company in Iowa” where you explain what makes a great property management company (objectively), outline the criteria people should use to evaluate options, provide questions to ask during consultations, note red flags to avoid, and naturally position yourself as meeting all the criteria you outlined.

This isn’t about being pushy or sales-y. It’s about providing genuinely helpful information that also happens to showcase your expertise. Learning about different digital marketing services helps you understand how recommendation content fits into your broader marketing strategy.

Optimize for “Near Me” and “Around Me” Searches

These queries are exploding in voice search. “Property manager near me,” “best pizza around me,” “emergency plumber close by” are all increasingly common searches.

To optimize for these, make your location crystal clear by including your city, neighborhoods you serve, and service radius explicitly on every service page.

Use “near” language naturally in your content like “If you’re looking for property management near Perrysburg,” or “We serve landlords throughout the Toledo area, including…”

Create neighborhood-specific content with individual blog posts or pages about serving specific neighborhoods: “Property Management in the Old West End,” “Rental Properties in Sylvania Township,” etc.

Optimize your Google Business Profile because this is critical for “near me” searches. Make sure every field is filled out, you’re posting regularly, and you’re in the right categories.

Answer the Follow-Up Questions

People rarely stop at one question. They ask follow-ups. If you can anticipate and answer those follow-up questions in your content, you become the authoritative source for the entire topic.

Example question flow:

“How much does property management cost?” leads to “Is property management worth the cost?” which leads to “What’s included in property management services?” which leads to “How do I choose a property manager?”

Create content that flows through this natural progression, answering each question as it would naturally arise in a conversation.

Technical AEO Implementation

Time to get into the behind-the-scenes stuff that makes your content easy for answer engines to find and use.

Optimize for Mobile and Speed

Most voice searches happen on mobile devices. Most AI chat happens on mobile. If your site doesn’t work well on phones or loads slowly, you’re out of the running for answer engine features.

Essential mobile optimizations include responsive design that works on all screen sizes, large touch-friendly buttons and links, readable text without zooming (minimum 16px font size), fast loading (under 3 seconds on mobile), and no intrusive pop-ups that cover content.

Test your site on your actual phone. If you’re frustrated by the experience, your customers (and answer engines) are too.

Implement Schema Markup

Schema markup is code that helps answer engines understand your content structure and meaning. For answer engines, the most important schema types are FAQ schema (for question-and-answer content), HowTo schema (for process or instructional content), LocalBusiness schema (for your business information), and Review schema (for customer reviews and ratings).

If you’re using WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO Premium, Rank Math, or Schema Pro can add this markup without you needing to touch code. If you have a developer, ask them about implementing JSON-LD schema.

Structure Your Heading Hierarchy Properly

Answer engines pay close attention to heading structure to understand content hierarchy and importance.

Use one H1 per page (your main title). Then H2s for major sections. H3s for subsections within those major sections. We use H4s for minor subsections if needed to break up larger sections.

Don’t skip levels (going from H2 to H4, for example) and don’t use headings just to make text bigger and bold. Use actual HTML heading tags because they signal importance to answer engines.

Creating Your AEO Content Strategy

You can’t optimize every page for every question tomorrow. Here’s how to build a practical, sustainable AEO strategy.

Step 1: Research the Questions People Are Asking

Before you create content, you need to know what questions people actually want answered.

Here’s how to find them.

Mine your own customer interactions by identifying what questions come up in every sales call, what people email about before they hire you, what confusion or objections prospects have, and what clients ask during onboarding.

Keep a running document of every question a customer or prospect asks you. These are pure gold for AEO content.

Use AnswerThePublic because this free tool (with limited searches) shows you questions people are searching for around any topic.

Type in “property management” and you’ll get hundreds of actual questions like “Will property management find tenants?” “Can property management evict tenants?” “How property management works?” and “Why property management is important?”

Check “People Also Ask” boxes by searching your main services on Google and looking at the “People Also Ask” section. Click to expand each question and more questions appear. These are real questions people are asking right now.

Explore Reddit and local Facebook groups to see what people are asking in communities. Search for your industry in local subreddits and community groups. The questions people ask when they think no businesses are listening are often the most honest.

Use Google Search Console to look at what queries are already bringing people to your site. Sort by impressions to see what people are searching for, even if they’re not clicking through yet.

Step 2: Organize Questions into Topic Clusters

Once you have a list of questions (aim for at least 30-50), organize them into related groups.

Example topic clusters for property management:

Cluster 1: Getting Started

Do I need a property manager?

When should I hire a property manager?

How do I choose a property manager?

What questions should I ask a property manager?

Cluster 2: Costs and Fees

How much does property management cost?

What fees do property managers charge?

Is property management tax deductible?

Are property management fees negotiable?

Cluster 3: Services and Responsibilities

What does a property manager do?

Will property managers handle maintenance?

Do property managers find tenants?

What happens if a tenant doesn’t pay rent?

Cluster 4: Legal and Compliance

What are landlord responsibilities in Ohio?

Do I need a rental license in Toledo?

How does eviction work in Ohio?

What can I legally ask rental applicants?

Create comprehensive content for each cluster, answering all related questions in one place.

Step 3: Create or Update Content

For each topic cluster, create one comprehensive piece of content (1,500-2,500 words) that addresses all the questions in that cluster.

Structure each piece with an introduction explaining why this topic matters and what questions you’ll answer, a section for each major question using the question as H2 with a direct answer and supporting details, related questions as H3s that follow-up questions naturally nested under main questions, and a conclusion that recaps key points with a clear call-to-action.

Make sure each piece includes clear, direct answers in the first 40-60 words of each section, natural conversational language, local specifics wherever relevant, lists, tables, or structured data where appropriate, internal links to related content, and clear contact information and CTA.

Step 4: Implement Technical Optimizations

Once your content is created, add the technical elements that help answer engines find and use it.

Add FAQ schema to Q&A content and HowTo schema to process content. Verify your heading structure is proper and check that it’s mobile-friendly. Test page speed and optimize if needed. Add alt text to images and include location information. Link to and from related content throughout your site.

Step 5: Promote and Monitor

Creating great content isn’t enough. You need to give it visibility so answer engines discover and trust it.

Promotion strategies include sharing on your social media channels, including in your email newsletter, submitting to Google Search Console, building links from other local sites, getting it cited by local media or industry publications, and updating your Google Business Profile with a link to new content.

Monitoring metrics should track featured snippet appearances (in Google Search Console), “People Also Ask” inclusions, voice search rankings (using tools like LocalFalcon), direct traffic increases (people finding you and going direct), branded search growth (more people searching your business name), and phone calls and form submissions from organic traffic.

Common AEO Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve seen businesses make these mistakes over and over. Learn from their (and our!) missteps.

Mistake #1: Being too vague. “We offer comprehensive property management solutions” tells answer engines nothing useful. Be specific about what you do and who you serve.

Mistake #2: Burying the answer. If someone has to read through 300 words of fluff to get to the actual answer, answer engines will skip your content. Lead with the answer, then elaborate.

Mistake #3: Keyword stuffing. “Property management Iowa property management services Ankeny, Iowa property manager…” This doesn’t work for traditional SEO and actively hurts your chances with answer engines. Write naturally.

Mistake #4: Ignoring structure. Walls of text with no headers, no lists, and no clear organization? Answer engines can’t parse that effectively. Structure matters tremendously.

Mistake #5: Forgetting local context. Generic national content won’t beat local-specific content for local searches. Always include location-specific information, examples, and context.

Mistake #6: Not updating content. Outdated information (especially prices, laws, or processes that have changed) will get your content deprioritized. Review and update your content at least annually.

Mistake #7: Making it all about you. Answer engines want content that serves the searcher, not content that’s a thinly veiled sales pitch. Provide genuine value first, earn the business second.

Real Talk: What This Means for Your Business

Okay, let’s bring this home. You might be thinking, “This sounds like a lot of work. Is it really worth it?”

Here’s the honest answer: Yes, but not all at once.

You don’t need to implement a comprehensive AEO strategy this week. But you do need to start, because this is only going to become more important. Voice search is growing. AI chatbots are becoming mainstream. Featured snippets are appearing in more results. Answer engines are the present, not just the future.

The businesses that win in the next five years will be the ones that position themselves as the authoritative answer to their customers’ questions. Not the best at SEO tricks. Not the ones with the biggest ad budgets. The ones who genuinely, helpfully answer questions better than anyone else.

And here’s what’s beautiful about that: Small, local businesses are uniquely positioned to do this. You know your community, and understand your customers’ specific challenges. You have real experience and expertise and just need to share it in a way that answer engines can find and use.

Start Small, Build Momentum

Here’s your realistic action plan:

This Week: Make a list of the 10 questions customers ask you most often. Check if your website has a FAQ page (if not, create one). Write clear, direct answers to those 10 questions. Add them to your FAQ page.

This Month: Implement FAQ schema on your FAQ page (use a plugin if you’re on WordPress). Create one comprehensive blog post answering a cluster of related questions. Optimize your Google Business Profile with detailed service descriptions. Start tracking if you’re appearing in featured snippets.

This Quarter: Create topic clusters for your main services. Write comprehensive content for each cluster. Build out 20-30 thoroughly answered questions on your site. Implement proper schema markup across your site. Optimize all content for mobile.

Ongoing: Add one new Q&A to your site each week. Update existing answers when things change. Monitor which questions are bringing traffic. Look for new questions customers are asking. Track your featured snippet and voice search presence.

We’re Here to Help You Get Heard

Look, we get it. You didn’t start your business to become an expert in answer engines and schema markup. You started it to serve your customers and build something you’re proud of.

But in today’s world, being great at what you do isn’t enough if people can’t find you. Increasingly, “finding you” means being the answer that voice assistants read, that AI chatbots recommend, and that featured snippets display.

That’s where we come in.

At Wasson Management Marketing, we help local businesses like yours become the answer their customers are looking for. We’re a team of marketing professionals who also happen to be Midwest moms who get that you need solutions that actually work in the real world, not just in theory. We keep it straightforward, we keep it local, and we get it done.

Want to see how your business is positioned for answer engines? Get a free SEO audit and we’ll show you exactly where you’re appearing (or not appearing) when people ask questions about your industry, and what opportunities you’re missing.

Ready to become the go-to answer in your market? Let’s create your AEO strategy with a practical plan to position your business as the authoritative answer for your community.

Not ready for full-service support? Check out GrowthIQ for DIY resources and templates that help you optimize for answer engines at your own pace.

Because at the end of the day, you have expertise worth sharing and answers that can help people. We just want to make sure those answers get heard.

Let’s make you the answer your community is looking for.