Use Answer Engine Optimization With Strong Internal Linking
Internal linking is still important in an AI-search environment.
Suppose you publish a major guide about studying abroad.
That page could naturally link to supporting articles about:
- Scholarship applications
- Student visas
- Education loans
- International universities
- Student accommodation
- Travel insurance
This creates a connected information structure.
A visitor can move from one relevant topic to another.
Search systems can also use internal links to discover relationships between pages.
Google’s guidance for AI features specifically recommends making content easily findable through internal links.
Don’t force links into every paragraph.
Link when another page genuinely helps the reader.
Optimize Answer Engine Content With Clear Comparisons
Comparison content is particularly suited to conversational search.
People don’t always ask:
“CRM software.”
They ask:
“Which CRM is better for a small business?”
or:
“What is the difference between HubSpot and Salesforce?”
A useful comparison should clearly explain:
Factor⇔Option A⇔Option B
Best for⇒Small teams⇒Larger organizations
Pricing⇒Explain current structure⇒Explain current structure
Ease of use⇒Describe⇒Describe
Key features⇒Describe⇒Describe
Limitations⇒Describe⇒Describe
Avoid declaring a universal winner when the answer depends on the user’s situation.
Explain why one option may suit one type of user while another may suit a different user.
That creates genuinely useful decision-support content.
Use Structured Data Carefully in Answer Engine Optimization
Structured data can help search engines understand certain types of content, but don’t treat schema as an AEO magic button.
Google’s current documentation says there is no special schema markup required specifically for generative AI features. Normal structured-data best practices still matter where applicable.
For a WordPress site, the practical approach is to continue using appropriate SEO and structured-data features rather than installing a collection of plugins promising “AI ranking.”
Your priority should remain:
Good content + crawlability + clear structure + useful internal linking + trustworthy information.
Track Answer Engine Optimization Performance
One of the frustrating parts of AI search is that visibility can be harder to interpret than traditional rankings.
A page may be referenced in an AI response without behaving exactly like a conventional Google ranking.
This means you should monitor broader signals.
Track:
- Organic search traffic
- Referral traffic
- Brand searches
- Direct traffic
- Conversions
- Time spent on important pages
- New backlinks
- Mentions and citations
- Queries that bring qualified visitors
Google also says its Search Console reporting includes traffic from AI features within the overall Web search reporting, and its current guidance discusses measuring performance in generative AI search experiences.
Don’t obsess over one third-party “AI visibility score.”
No external tool has a guaranteed window into another company’s internal ranking systems.
First-Hand Editorial Review: How I Would Approach AEO
If I were optimizing a website for ChatGPT and Perplexity today, I wouldn’t create a separate “AI SEO” strategy completely disconnected from traditional SEO.
I do strengthen the website I already have.
I’d start by finding the pages that already answer valuable questions and improve them.
Then I do ask:
Does this page actually contain something worth citing?
If the answer is no, adding another 20 keywords probably won’t fix it.
I’d add original observations, better examples, stronger sources, clearer explanations and useful comparisons.
I do also make sure the important information is not hidden behind unnecessary scripts, confusing navigation or inaccessible pages.
Most importantly, I wouldn’t chase every new AEO trick appearing on social media.
The technology is changing too quickly for that to be a sensible long-term strategy.
The fundamentals are much more durable.
Create something useful.
Make it easy to discover.
Make it easy to understand.
Give people a reason to trust it.