Landing Pages Should Target Question Clusters

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is a new strategic channel for product visibility that leverages how large language models (LLMs) surface content in response to user queries. Unlike traditional SEO, AEO focuses on getting your product mentioned across multiple citations rather than just ranking at the top of search results.

The AEO Opportunity

AEO traffic converts at significantly higher rates than traditional search traffic
- Webflow saw a 6x higher conversion rate from LLM traffic compared to Google search traffic
- By January 2023, Webflow was getting 8% of their signups from LLMs
- Traffic is more qualified because users have built intent through conversation with the LLM
Early-stage companies can win at AEO faster than SEO
- Traditional SEO requires domain authority which takes time to build
- With AEO, you can get mentioned in citations immediately and start showing up in answers
- "You can get mentioned by a citation tomorrow and start showing up immediately"
The key difference between SEO and AEO is in how content surfaces
- In Google, ranking #1 with your URL means you win
- In LLMs, being mentioned most frequently across multiple citations is what matters
- "The LM is summarizing many citations and so you need to get mentioned as many times as possible"

Tactical AEO Implementation Framework

1. Question Research

Transform your high-value search keywords into questions
- Take your paid search terms and competitor terms
- Use ChatGPT to transform keywords into likely questions
- Mine questions from sales calls, customer support, and Reddit

2. Track Performance

Set up an answer tracking system (similar to keyword tracking)
- Monitor how often you appear in answers
- Track across multiple question variants
- Measure across different LLM platforms

3. Citation Analysis

Identify which sources are appearing in answers for your target questions
Different industries have different citation patterns:
- B2B: TechRadar and similar review sites
- Commerce: Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping
- Marketplaces: Eater, Yelp, TripAdvisor

4. On-Site Optimization

Create landing pages that answer primary questions and follow-up questions
- Focus on topics rather than individual keywords
- Answer all potential follow-up questions on the same page
- Optimize help center content (move from subdomain to subdirectory)
- Create content for the "long tail" of specific use cases

5. Off-Site Citation Strategy

YouTube/Vimeo videos
- Create video content for high-value B2B topics that have less competition
- Videos are easily controllable and face less community moderation
Reddit optimization
- Create authentic, helpful responses from real company representatives
- "Find a thread that is part of a citation that you want to show up in, say who you are, say where you work, and then give a useful piece of information"
- Avoid spam tactics which get filtered out
Other citation sources
- Get mentioned in affiliate content
- Appear in blogs and industry publications
- Leverage user-generated content platforms

6. Run Experiments

Set up proper test and control groups
- Take 200 questions - intervene on 100, leave 100 untouched
- Track performance over several weeks
- Compare test group against control group
- Reproduce successful experiments to validate findings

B2B vs. Consumer Strategy Differences

For B2B:
- Citations will be different (more technical review sites)
- Answers are often not directly clickable, making attribution harder
- Must use post-conversion surveys to measure impact
- Focus on answering specific technical questions and use cases
For commerce:
- Optimize for shoppable cards that appear in answers
- Schema markup becomes important
- Direct referral traffic is more measurable
For early-stage companies:
- Skip traditional SEO, focus exclusively on AEO
- "Don't do any of the mid-SEO stuff, just get cited and answer really specific questions"
- Target the long tail of specific questions where you can be the only source