This presentation is an integral part of SEMrush webinar: https://www.semrush.com/webinars/

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Answer Engines are here to stay
Questions -> Experts -> Answers
Andy Drinkwater Barry Schwartz Craig CampbellJason Barnard

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Search Engines
Answer Engines

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Search Answer Mix

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
AEO
SEO

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Three step process

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Q
1 - Understanding the question

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
2 - Understanding available answers

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
3 - Ranking the best answer(s)

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A
Q

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Old-school SEO

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Understanding the question

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
What keywords does the user type ?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Understanding the available
answers

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
What keywords does the page contain ?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Ranking a selection of
possible answers

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Manually coded algorithms - keywords + links

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Result:

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A choice

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
New-School AEO

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Answers
(and related questions)

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Often providing a single answer
(and increasingly creating conversational search)

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
A
Q
Making all the difference

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
oogle’s view:
Understanding
the Question

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
AEO - Q1
Understanding the question => user intent
(whether typed or voice search)
What are the keys to
understanding user intent?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
oogle’s view:
Understanding
the available answers

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
AEO - Q2
Understanding the available answers
in a chaotic web is a phenomenal challenge.
How are answer engines
going about the task ?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
oogle’s view:
Choosing the best answer(s)

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AEO - Q3
Choosing the answer = algorithms to rank the “best”.
Is Is it realistic to think Google
can truly identify the “best”?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Marketer’s approach:
Understanding
the question

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AEO - Q4
Google seems to be dealing with
understanding the question just fine.
Why should marketers worry
about user intent?

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Marketer’s approach:
Communicating
the answers

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AEO - Q5
I know my offers from top to bottom, and A to Z.
How can I help Google
understand MY answers?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Marketer’s approach:
Being the “best” and adapting
to device specifics

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
AEO - Q6
If Google succeeds in giving give just one “best” answer...
What opportunities
today / for the future?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
The Players

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Understanding the query

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
AEO - Q7
4 major players in the “understanding the question” sphere...
Is Google losing its place
anytime soon?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Providing the answer

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AEO - Q8
Confusing list of players vying for a place
understanding, ranking and (importantly) presenting
the “best” available answer.
Where are the opportunities
short and long term?

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Quick conclusion

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Search Engines = Vertical
Answer Engines = Horizontal

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Marketer’s approach
to Answer Engines

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
The User’s Question
1 - can you answer the question

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
1 - can you answer the question
2- is your answer in a suitable format
The User’s Question

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
1 - can you answer the question
2- is your answer in a suitable format
3 - can you feed your answer to the service
(Google / Alexa / Bing...)
The User’s Question

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
1 - ensure the service understands you
The “best” Answer

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
1 - ensure the service understands you
2- ensure the service sees you as most credible
The “best” Answer

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
1 - ensure the service understands you
2- ensure the service sees you as most credible
3 - provide the content in the format they need
The “best” Answer

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AEO - Q9
That adds up to a seismic shift in SEO
Should we panic?
#SEOisAEO

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#SEOisAEO - Answer Engines are here to stay
Answer Engines are here to stay
Questions :-)
Andy Drinkwater Barry Schwartz Craig CampbellJason Barnard

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#SEOisAEO
Episode 2 - Next Tuesday same time
Voice Search is Changing the Game
Dawn Anderson Juliana Turnbull Eric EngeJason Barnard