For businesses in high-stakes industries like finance and health, being found on Google is not just about marketing—it’s about establishing trust. As search engines evolve into intelligent “answer engines,” the old playbook for visibility is becoming obsolete. Success in this new era requires a more disciplined strategy: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).

This guide provides a clear, seven-step framework for optimizing your website for AEO, ensuring your expertise is not just seen, but recognized as the definitive answer.

What makes AEO challenging?

The primary challenge of AEO lies in a fundamental shift in user behavior. The goal is no longer to earn a click, but to become the source of the answer itself. This is because a staggering 65% of Google searches are now “zero-click,” meaning the user finds their answer directly on the results page without ever visiting a website.

For finance and health brands, this is a critical threat and a massive opportunity. If your content isn’t clear, authoritative, and structured enough for an AI to use, you become invisible. But if you master AEO, your expertise can be featured at “Position Zero,” earning an unparalleled level of trust and authority.

7 Steps to Optimize Your Website for AEO

Here’s how we optimize your YMYL website for AEO at Monastic Media. 

Step 1.) Set Goals and Metrics

The first step is to redefine what success looks like. While traditional SEO focuses on traffic and keyword rankings, AEO requires a more nuanced set of goals.

• Goal: Become the cited authority for your core topics.
• Key Metrics:
  • SERP Feature Ownership: Track how often your content is featured in AI Overviews, “People Also Ask” boxes, and featured snippets.
  • Brand Mentions: Monitor how often your brand is mentioned as a source within AI-generated answers.
  • Branded Search Volume: An increase in people searching for your brand name directly is a strong indicator of growing authority.

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Define “Position Zero” SERP features as the primary goal.
• [ ] Set up tracking for SERP feature ownership (AI Overviews, Snippets).
• [ ] Monitor branded search query volume over time.

Step 2.) Developing A Strategy

A successful AEO strategy is built on a deep understanding of your audience’s most complex questions.

• Adopt an Interview-First Process: Your greatest asset is your internal expertise. Our process begins by interviewing your experts to extract the genuine, first-hand knowledge that AI is trained to prioritize.
• Identify High-Intent Questions: Research the nuanced, multi-step questions your potential clients are asking. Instead of targeting “best crypto wallet,” focus on answering, “What is the safest way to store crypto assets long-term?”

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Conduct interviews with internal experts to gather unique insights.
• [ ] Perform keyword research focused on long-tail, conversational questions.
• [ ] Create a content map to build topical authority and fill knowledge gaps.

Step 3.) Double Down on EEAT

For “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) topics, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is non-negotiable.

• Showcase Experience: Infuse your content with real-world case studies, personal anecdotes, and first-hand insights from your experts.
• Highlight Expertise: Create detailed author bios that list credentials, qualifications, and relevant experience.
• Build Authority: Secure mentions and quotes in reputable industry publications.
• Signal Trust: Ensure your site is secure (HTTPS), has clear contact information, and features positive client testimonials or patient reviews.

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Create detailed author bios with credentials for all content.
• [ ] Integrate real-world case studies and personal experiences into articles.
• [ ] Ensure the website has clear contact information and is secure (HTTPS).

Step 4.) Create Content

AEO requires creating content that aims to be the single best resource on a given topic.

• Focus on “Pillar Pages”: Develop comprehensive, in-depth guides on your core topics. These long-form articles should answer every conceivable question a user might have.
• Answer, Don’t Just Describe: Structure your content to provide direct, clear answers. Use headings that are phrased as questions and begin the section with a concise, direct answer before elaborating.
• Incorporate Multimedia: Use original images, diagrams, and videos to explain complex concepts. This not only enhances user experience but also provides more signals for AI to interpret.

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Develop comprehensive “pillar pages” for core business topics.
• [ ] Structure articles with question-based headings and direct answers.
• [ ] Produce original multimedia (images, videos, diagrams) to support text.

Step 5.) Optimizing Onsite

On-site optimization for AEO is about making your content as easy as possible for both users and AI to understand.

• Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup): This is critical. Use schema to “label” your content. Identify your author bios with Person schema, your Q&As with FAQPage schema, and your articles with Article schema. This provides clear signposts for answer engines.
• Use a Logical Heading Structure: Organize your content with a clear hierarchy of headings (H1, H2, H3). This creates a logical flow and makes your content scannable.
• Prioritize Readability: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and bolded text to break up complex information and highlight key points.

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Implement FAQPage, Article, and Person schema markup.
• [ ] Ensure a logical H1 -> H2 -> H3 heading hierarchy on all pages.
• [ ] Improve readability with short paragraphs, bullet points, and lists.

Step 6.) Optimizing Offsite

What other authoritative sources say about you is a powerful signal of trust.

• Earn High-Quality Backlinks: Focus on earning links from reputable industry websites, educational institutions, and respected news outlets.
• Become an Expert Source: Actively seek opportunities to be quoted or featured in articles written by journalists and bloggers in your niche.
• Manage Your Reputation: Encourage satisfied clients or patients to leave detailed reviews on trusted third-party platforms like Google Business Profile.

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Launch an outreach campaign to earn backlinks from reputable industry sites.
• [ ] Pitch internal experts as sources for journalists and bloggers.
• [ ] Implement a system to encourage and manage client/patient reviews.

Step 7.)Evaluating Performance

AEO is an ongoing process of refinement.

• Monitor Your Key Metrics: Regularly track your performance against the goals you set in Step 1. Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to monitor your ownership of SERP features.
• Analyze User Engagement: Look at metrics like time on page and scroll depth for your pillar content. High engagement signals to Google that your content is valuable and satisfying user intent.
• Stay Informed and Adapt: The world of AI search is evolving rapidly. Continuously learn and be prepared to refine your strategy as answer engines become more sophisticated.

Action Checklist:

• [ ] Schedule monthly reviews of AEO metrics (SERP features, brand mentions).
• [ ] Analyze user engagement data (time on page, scroll depth) for key content.
• [ ] Stay updated on SGE and AI search trends to adapt the strategy.