Can Answer Engine Optimization Save the Internet?

Ever wondered why, in recent years, Google search results have become less and less useful? The answer is blog spam in the name of search engine optimization (SEO): To show up high in Google's search rankings, businesses blast the internet with articles written for bots, not humans. Which is why a recipe website makes you scroll through an ungodly amount of fluff and backstory before telling you that, yes, a Negroni is equal parts gin, campari, and sweet vermouth.

Crafty SEO experts are always a step ahead of how Google indexes and ranks pages. The Verge has a great long writeup about their illustrous and, at times, shady dealings.

But! There's a glimmer of hope. Now that people often skip Google and ask ChatGPT directly for advice, or rely on Google's AI summary at the top of a search, businesses want to know how they can rank high in these answer engines (hence Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO).

A quick search, summarized by AI, gives some heartening advice:

• Use the Q&A Format: Use questions as headings (H2/H3) and provide direct, concise answers immediately below (40–60 words).

• Add TL;DR Sections: Place "Key Takeaways" or a summary at the top of long-form content.

Or, in other words: Get to the point already. There's no longer a reward for endless, keyword-crammed fluff. In fact, that is more likely than not to trip up the AI when it scans and indexes the page.

I expect that the rankings and mechanisms can still be gamed, but now with a more intelligent engine behind the search results, there's a chance that low-quality results don't clog up your results.