Think about ever playing that old game called 20 Questions. The trick is you ask just the right thing, the right way. Answer Engine Optimisation, or AEO, seems to follow that same rule, only now the players are companies trying to write replies that answer engines will grab. Instead of dumping a ton of links, those engines look for the single reply that fits a user’s ask. Like in the game, a vague or half‑finished answer probably won’t get picked – you have to be clear, organized, and to the point if you hope to stay in the mix.
People don’t type stiff keywords no more. They type things like “What’s the best insurance for families?” or “How do I start a side hustle without money?” That feels like a 20 Questions clue: “Is it an animal?” If your copy sounds like a conversation and is broken up into easy pieces – short FAQs, bite sized paragraphs, bullet points – an answer engine can line it up with what the user meant. The clearer you make the path, the more likely the engine will pick you as the best match.
In the end, getting AEO right seems less about outsmarting a bot and more about becoming the best answer player. Companies that think like a user – guess their most natural question and give a short, trustworthy reply – may stay ahead of the crowd. So whenever you sit down to draft a page, imagine you’re sitting across an answer engine in a game of 20 Questions. The one with the sharpest, most useful reply walks away with the win.
The clearest answer, in AEO, usually takes the prize.
It’s simple, yet powerful for every brand to grow.