Answer engine optimisation (AEO) for featured snippets and voice
AEO is about being the single answer: the box at the top of the results, the expanded question, the sentence a voice assistant reads out. You can't mark a page up to win it, but you can write pages that deserve it.
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Quick answer
Answer engine optimisation (AEO, or answer engine optimization) is structuring pages so search engines can lift a direct answer from them into featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes and voice answers. Google says its systems decide whether a page makes a good featured snippet and that you can't mark a page up to become one, so AEO comes down to clear questions as headings, a direct answer straight after each, and the right format for the answer: a paragraph, a list or a table.
Key takeaways
- Google chooses featured snippets; no markup can make a page one.
- Answer the question in the first sentence under a question-style heading.
- Match the format to the answer: paragraph, list, table or steps.
- FAQ rich results stopped appearing in Google Search in May 2026.
What AEO covers, and what it doesn't
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank a page in the results | Be the single answer shown or read out | Be cited in an AI-generated answer |
| Where it shows | Standard results | Featured snippets, People Also Ask, voice | AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT search, Perplexity |
| Unit that wins | The page | A passage that answers one question | A page an AI answer draws on and links |
Being cited in AI answers is covered in generative engine optimisation. AEO builds on normal SEO: a page has to rank before its passage can be chosen.
How Google picks featured snippets
Google's featured snippets documentation says its systems determine whether a page would make a good featured snippet for a search, and answers the question "How can I mark my page as a featured snippet?" with "You can't."
| Common claim | What Google's documentation says |
|---|---|
| Special markup gets you a featured snippet | You can't mark a page up to become one |
| FAQ schema wins answer boxes | FAQ rich results stopped appearing in Google Search from 7 May 2026 |
| A short max-snippet setting stops featured snippets | It doesn't guarantee they stop |
Find the questions worth answering
- Search your main topicsNote the People Also Ask questions and the featured snippet shown, if any.
- Read your Search Console queriesQuestions starting with how, what, why, can and does are answer opportunities.
- Ask your sales and support staffThe questions customers ask before buying are the ones worth ranking for.
- Assign each question to one pageThe page that best fits the question's intent; don't scatter one answer across several pages.
Write answer blocks for each format
Put the question as a heading, then answer it in the very next sentence, completely enough to stand alone. Detail and caveats come after.
| Answer type | Example question | Page pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | What is a canonical tag? | One or two sentences that define it, under the question |
| Steps | How do I verify a Business Profile? | A numbered list, one action per step |
| List | What should an SEO audit include? | A bulleted list with the items named plainly |
| Comparison | Shopify or WooCommerce for SEO? | A table with the options as columns |
People Also Ask and voice answers
People Also Ask boxes expand into short answers taken from pages, so the same answer-block pattern applies. Voice assistants often read out a single answer, which makes the first sentence under each question even more important: it has to make sense on its own, without the paragraph around it.
Write questions the way people ask them aloud, in Australian or American English to match your market: "how much does a plumber cost in Perth" rather than "plumber pricing Perth".
Structured data in 2026: what still matters
| Markup | Status in Google Search |
|---|---|
| FAQPage | FAQ rich results no longer shown, from 7 May 2026 |
| HowTo | Rich results restricted in 2023; not an AEO lever |
| Speakable | Beta, US English Google Home only, meant for news |
| Article, Organization, Breadcrumb | Still used to understand pages and show rich results |
Markup helps Google understand a page, but none of it wins an answer box. The answer itself, in the visible text, does. Sources: Google's search updates log and speakable documentation.
Controlling snippets
- nosnippet: no snippets at all for the page, including featured snippets.
- data-nosnippet: keeps specific text out of featured and regular snippets.
- max-snippet: limits snippet length, but Google says a low value doesn't guarantee featured snippets stop.
Use these only when a snippet would mislead or give away paid content. Blocking snippets also removes the page from AI features that need a snippet.
Measuring AEO
- Search Console: impressions and clicks for question queries, by page.
- Manual checks: search your target questions and note who holds the snippet and the People Also Ask answers.
- Repeat monthly, because answer boxes change hands often.
Common questions
What is answer engine optimisation?
Structuring pages so search engines can use a direct answer from them in featured snippets, People Also Ask and voice answers, with a question heading and a complete answer straight after it.
Is AEO different from SEO?
It's part of it. A page has to rank before a passage from it can be chosen as the answer; AEO is how that passage is written and structured.
Can I mark up my page to get a featured snippet?
No. Google's documentation says you can't mark a page as a featured snippet; its systems decide.
Does FAQ schema still help?
Not for rich results in Google: FAQ rich results stopped appearing from 7 May 2026. A visible FAQ still helps readers and can be used for answers.
How do I optimise for voice search?
Answer common spoken questions directly in the first sentence under a question heading, in the language and spelling your customers use.
How do I stop Google showing a snippet from my page?
Use the nosnippet rule for the whole page, or data-nosnippet on specific text. A low max-snippet value doesn't guarantee featured snippets stop.
Where to next
If you would rather have someone do this than read about it, the commercial page for this work is SEO copywriting.
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