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AEO Best Practices & Techniques

15 proven strategies to maximize your AI citations and recommendations

1. Create Comprehensive FAQ Pages

AI systems love FAQ format because it directly matches question-answer patterns. Create dedicated FAQ pages targeting your industry's most common questions.

Implementation: Research "People Also Ask" on Google, compile 20-50 questions, provide direct answers in 2-3 paragraphs each, implement FAQPage technical code that helps AI understand your business.

2. Answer Questions in First 100 Words

AI systems prioritize content that provides immediate answers. Don't bury your answer under paragraphs of preamble - lead with the answer, then provide supporting detail.

Formula: Question → Direct Answer (2-3 sentences) → Context → Supporting Evidence → Related Information

3. Implement Schema Markup

Schema markup provides machine-readable context that AI systems use to understand your content. Essential types: FAQPage, Article, Organization, Person, Product, HowTo.

Priority schemas: FAQPage (highest ROI for AEO), Article (for blog posts), Organization (for brand entity recognition)

4. Build Topic Clusters

Create comprehensive pillar content on core topics, then develop 8-12 supporting articles that link back to the pillar. This establishes topical authority AI systems recognize.

Structure: Main Pillar (3,000+ words) → Sub-Pillars (1,500-2,000 words each) → Internal linking with descriptive anchor text

5. Include Verifiable Statistics

AI systems prioritize content with cited statistics and data. Include specific numbers with credible sources (research firms, government data, industry reports).

Format: "According to [Source], [Statistic]" or "[Statistic] ([Source], [Year])"

6. Update Content Regularly

Freshness is a major ranking factor for AI systems. Review and update your top-performing content every 3-6 months with new statistics, examples, and insights.

Best practice: Add publication and last-modified dates, update statistics annually, refresh examples to current year

7. Display Author Credentials

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) matters for AI. Prominently display author credentials, expertise, and qualifications.

Include: Author bio with relevant experience, credentials/certifications, Person technical code that helps AI understand your business, link to LinkedIn profile

8. Write in Natural Language

Optimize for how people actually ask questions, not keyword-stuffed phrases. Use conversational tone and long-tail question-based keywords.

Good: "How do I choose project management software?" Bad: "Project management software selection criteria methodology"

9. Create Comparison Content

"X vs Y" content performs exceptionally well in AEO because it directly answers comparative queries. Create comparison pages for competitors and alternatives.

Format: [Your Product] vs [Competitor] - Detailed Comparison [Year]

10. Allow AI Crawler Bots

Ensure your robots.txt explicitly allows GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, CCBot, Claude-Web, anthropic-ai, PerplexityBot, and Google-Extended.

Critical: Many sites accidentally block AI crawlers - verify your robots.txt configuration

5 More Advanced Techniques

  • 11. Semantic HTML5: Use article, section, nav, aside tags for better content structure
  • 12. Internal Linking: Connect related content with descriptive anchor text to establish topic relationships
  • 13. Mobile Optimization: AI systems favor mobile-friendly, fast-loading content
  • 14. Multimedia Integration: Include images, videos, and infographics with descriptive alt text
  • 15. Original Research: Publish unique data, case studies, and insights that don't exist elsewhere
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