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AEO FAQ Pages: The 8 Questions That Win AI Answers

Feb 17, 2026

Full Transcript

Be the Answer — Emarketed's AEO Show

Episode: AEO FAQ Pages — The 8 Questions That Win AI Answers

Host: Alex | Format: Solo | Runtime: ~8 min

[INTRO MUSIC]

Hey, welcome back to Be the Answer, I'm Alex from Emarketed, and today we're getting tactical about one of the most underrated pages on your entire website — your FAQ page.

Here's the thing. If you're a founder or a marketer in 2026, you've probably noticed something weird happening with search. People aren't clicking ten blue links anymore. They're getting answers directly from ChatGPT, from Perplexity, from Google's AI Overviews. And those AI models? They need to pull their answers from somewhere. The question is: is that somewhere your website?

That's what Answer Engine Optimization is all about. And today, I'm going to hand you a dead-simple framework — eight specific question types that, when you build them into your FAQ pages, dramatically increase your chances of being the source AI cites. Not page two of Google. The actual answer.

Let's get into it.

Why FAQ Pages Matter More Than Ever

So first, let's talk about why FAQ pages matter more now than they ever have. Traditional SEO was about ranking. You'd write a blog post, optimize for a keyword, build some links, and hope to land on page one. But with AI-driven search, the game has changed. AI models don't rank pages — they extract answers. They're looking for clean, well-structured, question-and-answer formatted content that they can confidently pull into a response.

And what format does that perfectly? A well-built FAQ page.

FAQ pages are essentially pre-packaged answers sitting on your site, ready for AI to grab. When you add schema markup on top of that, you're basically handing the AI a cheat sheet. You're saying: here's the question, here's the answer, it's authoritative, use it.

But here's where most people mess up. They throw five generic questions on a page — "what are your hours," "do you offer refunds" — and call it done. That's not going to win you AI citations. You need to be strategic about which questions you answer.

So here's the framework. I call these the AEO Eight — the eight question types that consistently win AI answers. Let's go through each one.

The AEO Eight Framework

1. Define

This is your "What is" question. What is answer engine optimization? What is predictive analytics for e-commerce? These are the questions people ask when they're learning something new, and AI loves serving up clean definitions. Your job is to answer in two to three sentences max, followed by a slightly deeper explanation. Think of it like a dictionary entry plus context.

2. Compare

What's the difference between AEO and SEO? HubSpot vs Salesforce for startups? Comparison questions are gold because they show up constantly in AI conversations. Structure your answer with a brief intro, then a clear side-by-side breakdown. Bullet points or a simple table work great here.

3. Cost

How much does a brand audit cost? What's the average price of AEO consulting? People ask about cost all the time, and AI models struggle to find good cost data because most sites avoid putting prices on their pages. If you can provide transparent ranges and context, you become the go-to source.

4. Alternatives

What are the best alternatives to Ahrefs? Top competitor analysis tools? This is a huge category in AI search. People want options. If you can create a fair, well-structured list of alternatives — including your own product where relevant — AI will reference it because it's exactly the format these models like to surface.

5. Setup

How do I set up Google Analytics 4? How to implement FAQ schema on WordPress? Step-by-step, how-to questions are the bread and butter of AI responses. Use numbered steps, keep each step to one or two sentences, and front-load the action verb. AI models eat this up.

6. Timeline

How long does it take to see results from SEO? What's the typical timeline for a website redesign? Timeline questions are incredibly common and criminally under-answered on most websites. Give a realistic range, mention what factors affect the timeline, and you'll own this space.

7. Risks

What are the risks of ignoring AEO? Common mistakes with FAQ page SEO? Risk and mistake questions tap into loss aversion — people want to know what to avoid. Frame your answers clearly: here's the risk, here's why it happens, here's how to prevent it. AI loves this format because it's structured and actionable.

8. Best Practices

What are the best practices for AI-optimized FAQ pages? Best practices for landing page conversion? This is your chance to be the authoritative voice. Give five to seven concrete, specific best practices. Not vague fluff like "be authentic" — real tactical advice that someone can implement today.

Quick Examples

Example 1 — Marketing Agency (AI Visibility):

  • What is Answer Engine Optimization? → Define
  • How is AEO different from traditional SEO? → Compare
  • How much does an AEO audit cost? → Cost
  • How long until we see results from AEO? → Timeline

Example 2 — SaaS Founder (Project Management Tool):

  • What are the best alternatives to Asana for small teams? → Alternatives
  • How do I set up automated workflows in our tool? → Setup
  • What are common mistakes when migrating project management platforms? → Risks

The key is that each of these question types matches a different stage of how people interact with AI. Some are learning, some are comparing, some are ready to buy. You want to cover all eight.

Your Action Checklist

  1. Audit your current FAQ page. Do you even have one? If not, create one today. If you do, count how many of the eight question types you're covering.

  2. Fill the gaps. Write at least one strong Q&A for each of the eight types that's relevant to your business. Prioritize Define, Compare, and Cost — those are the highest volume in AI search.

  3. Structure for extraction. Lead every answer with a direct two-to-three sentence response. Then add supporting detail below. Use headers, bullet points, and keep paragraphs short.

  4. Add FAQ schema markup. This is non-negotiable. Without schema, you're leaving visibility on the table. If you're on WordPress, plugins like Yoast or RankMath make this straightforward.

  5. Update quarterly. AI models reward freshness. Set a calendar reminder to review and refresh your FAQ content every ninety days.

  6. Test it. After you publish, go ask ChatGPT or Perplexity the exact questions on your FAQ page. See if you show up. If not, refine your answers until you do.

CTA

Now, if you're listening to this and thinking, "okay I need to know where I actually stand with AI visibility," I've got two things for you.

First, head to emarketed.com and check out our free AI Visibility Score. It'll show you exactly how visible your site is to AI answer engines right now, what's working, and where the gaps are.

And second, we've built a free llms.txt generator. If you haven't heard of llms.txt, it's a new standard — a simple text file you put on your website that helps AI models better understand and cite your content. Think of it like a sitemap, but for AI. Our generator creates it for you automatically. Just go to emarketed.com.

That's it for today's episode of Be the Answer. I'm Alex, and I'll see you in the next one. Go build those FAQ pages.

[OUTRO MUSIC]