Practical Ecommerce Merchant

June 18, 2025

Answer engine optimization

Answer Engine Optimization, Explained

Answer engine optimization is not new. Google has answered queries directly in search results since 2014 when it launched featured snippets, and a year later with “People also ask.”

Now, with the rise of ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and other generative AI platforms, optimizing content for sources and citations is crucial.

Research questions

Use keyword research tools that filter shoppers’ questions.
Expand those queries via fan-out techniques.
Monitor dialogue and feedback. Keep an eye on Reddit and similar social sites for discussions of your products and company. Track direct customer support queries. Whatever shoppers share on social media and with internal support is likely what they ask on search engines and genAI.

Journeys, not keywords

Don’t try to answer all the questions you’ve identified. Respond instead to specific problems.

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