✦ Website Optimization
What Content Format Works Best for AEO?
Question headings with direct answers in the first sentence. AI systems extract first-sentence content when generating answers — answers buried three paragraphs in are rarely cited. The format that consistently performs best: H2 or H3 question headings, followed immediately by the answer in plain language.
The pattern that produces AI citations: 'What does kitchen renovation cost in Edmonton? Kitchen renovation in Edmonton typically costs $35,000–$95,000 for a mid-range project...' The question is in the heading, the answer is in the first sentence, and the detail follows. AI systems extract the heading and the first sentence as a unit — if the answer comes later, it often doesn't get cited.
FAQ sections amplify this effect. A page with a body section and a FAQ section gives AI systems two extraction opportunities: the body content for broad context, and the FAQ pairs for specific question-answer extraction via FAQPage schema. Pages with no FAQ sections and no question-format headings require AI systems to infer answers from narrative content — inference produces less confident citations than direct Q&A extraction.
✦ FAQs
Questions about what content format works best for aeo?
✦ Get Started
Find out where you stand
We test your AI search visibility and tell you exactly what to fix first.