Most Common Challenges of AEO & How to Overcome Them

The advent of AEO has given marketing strategists a new and seemingly endless realm of opportunity. Of course, it comes with its own issues and pitfalls. AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overview, and more are reshaping how people discover and interact with content. These platforms don’t just link to results; they generate answers, pulling from a range of structured and unstructured sources to deliver what users are looking for instantly.

That shift is forcing marketers, content strategists, and SEO professionals to adapt. Enter Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): the practice of shaping your digital presence to ensure your brand, product, or service gets surfaced directly in AI-generated answers.

But AEO isn’t just traditional SEO with a new name. It comes with its own set of challenges, from getting your structured data right to building visibility in LLMs that don’t always cite sources. Since this space is evolving rapidly, many organizations are still figuring out where to start (or why their current efforts aren’t gaining traction).

This article breaks down the most common AEO challenges brands face today; and how to overcome them. These insights will help you stay ahead and build a more resilient, future-proof search strategy.

Challenge #1: Lack of Structured Data & Schema Markup

Structured data helps AI-powered engines understand what your content is, not just what it says. Without it, you’re far less likely to show up in AI-generated answers, voice search, or rich SERP features like featured snippets. Goodie has compiled a resource outlining the importance of understanding the role of structured data in AEO. 

How Structured Data Supports AEO (in Short)

Proper schema improves:

• Eligibility to rank for featured snippets, FAQs, and AI Overviews
• Your brand’s presence in knowledge graphs
• Voice search and assistant compatibility

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Most websites either don’t use schema at all or implement it incorrectly. Missing, outdated, or overly basic markup prevents answer engines from surfacing your content (especially for fact-based or product-related queries).

How to Fix It

• Audit your markup using tools like Schema Markup Validator or Google’s Rich Results Test.
• Implement specific types like FAQPage, HowTo, or Product with complete, accurate fields.
• Use JSON-LD, the preferred format for most engines.
• Keep it updated and free of conflicts. Review quarterly.

Tip: Tie your schema to known entities (e.g. Wikidata) to boost credibility in LLMs.

Challenge #2: Poor Content Structure & Answer Formatting

Answer engines aren’t looking for long-winded blog posts; they’re looking for clear, direct answers.

Content that’s buried in fluff, lacks headings, or fails to address common questions head-on often gets skipped by AI platforms. If your content doesn’t look like an answer, it won’t be treated like one.

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Most web content is written for human readers, not AI models. Without tight structure, consistent formatting, or scannable sections, engines struggle to extract useful responses.

How Poor Formatting Hurts AEO

• Missed opportunities for featured snippets or “People Also Ask”
• Lower inclusion in AI-generated answers or voice responses
• Weaker performance in zero-click search environments

How to Fix It

• Lead with the answer and use the inverted pyramid: answer first, context second.
• Use clear headings, especially for question-based queries (e.g., H2: “What is X?”).
• Format for scanners by incorporating lists, short paragraphs, and bolded key terms help AI models and users alike.
• Include FAQs, as they are high-performing AEO elements, especially for voice and featured snippets.

Tip: Target ~30–50 word answers where possible. That’s the sweet spot for most answer engines.

Challenge #3: Missing or Misaligned Search Intent

It’s not enough to include the right keywords; your content has to match why someone is searching.

Answer engines prioritize intent over exact match. If your content doesn’t directly solve the user’s problem or answer their question, it won’t get surfaced, even if it’s technically “optimized”.

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Many pages are built around broad, high-volume terms without considering the actual question behind the query. This disconnect makes your content invisible in AI-generated answers.

How Intent Impacts AEO

• Engines will skip generic or misaligned content
• Long-tail, conversational queries often go unanswered
• Click-through and engagement suffer when content doesn’t meet expectations

How to Fix It

• Group content by intent, such as informational, transactional, navigational; write for what the user wants.
• Use natural language as a way to match how users actually ask questions (e.g., “How do I…” or “What’s the best way to…”).
• Cover the full journey. Don’t just define—explain, compare, and guide next steps.

Tip: Use AI search results (like ChatGPT or Perplexity) to reverse-engineer how queries are being answered, then spot where your brand can do better.

Challenge #4: Inconsistent or Weak Topical Authority

Answer engines want trusted sources. If your site only touches a topic here and there (or lacks internal depth); it’s unlikely to be pulled into AI-generated results.

Topical authority signals to AI that your brand knows the subject, making it more likely to be cited or featured.

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Many brands publish scattered, one-off content without building a strong content ecosystem. This limits visibility across both traditional search and answer engines.

How Authority Impacts AEO

• Engines favor sites with consistent, in-depth coverage
• Thin or disconnected content weakens credibility
• Inability to rank for a cluster of related queries

How to Fix It

• Build topic clusters and create a hub of related articles around core themes.
• Strengthen internal linking by connecting content meaningfully to reinforce authority.
• Keep high-performing pages fresh with new stats, sources, and insights.

Tip: Use E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) as your guiding framework for content creation.

Challenge #5: Low Brand Visibility in AI Indexing

Even if your content is great, answer engines won’t surface your brand if they don’t know it exists.

Many AI platforms (especially closed models like ChatGPT or Google SGE) rely on internal datasets, knowledge graphs, and external citations. If your brand isn’t present in those ecosystems, you’re effectively invisible.

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Smaller or newer brands often struggle to break into the AI index due to limited mentions, weak domain authority, or a lack of citations from trusted sources.

How Visibility Impacts AEO

• Brands with more citations show up more in AI answers
• Lack of entity recognition means more missed mentions
• Low visibility makes it harder to compete with established players

How to Fix It

• Earn high-authority mentions by prioritizing PR, guest posting, and gaining backlinks from reputable sites.
• Optimize entity presence; use consistent naming, structured data, and tie content to known entities (e.g., Wikidata).
• Monitor visibility with tools like Goodie to track brand appearance across AI platforms.

Tip: Don’t just publish. Promote. Distribution across credible domains is key to training the algorithms on you.

Challenge #6: Inability to Track & Attribute AEO Impact

One of the biggest challenges with AEO is knowing whether your efforts are actually working.

Traditional tools like Google Analytics and Search Console weren’t built to track AI-generated answers, voice mentions, or zero-click impressions, making AEO performance feel invisible.

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Without clear visibility into where or how your brand appears in answer engines, it’s hard to optimize, prove ROI, or prioritize next steps.

How This Hurts AEO Strategy

• It creates blind spots in attribution
• There’s difficulty tying visibility to conversions
• It creates missed optimization opportunities

How to Fix It

• Use AEO-specific tools like Goodie track brand mentions, prompt appearances, and share of voice across AI engines.
• Build custom dashboards and tag content designed for AEO and monitor engagement through landing page behavior.
• Track prompts, not just queries; focus on the actual language users (or AI) use to surface your brand.

Tip: Treat AI visibility like a performance channel; measure it, test it, and iterate like you would with paid or SEO.

Challenge #7: Not Optimizing for Voice Search & Conversational Interfaces

AI-powered voice assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa now answer millions of queries daily. However, most content isn’t built to speak.

Voice search relies on concise, natural-language responses. If your content doesn’t match how people talk, it likely won’t be selected.

Why This Is a Common AEO Problem

Long blocks of text, jargon, or indirect answers make it harder for voice interfaces to extract clean, spoken replies.

How This Impacts AEO

• Voice assistants pull from a narrow set of well-structured sources
• Long or overly complex content gets skipped
• Fewer opportunities to appear in “Position Zero” or audio snippets

How to Fix It

• Write conversationally and use simple, natural phrasing and answer the question like a human would.
• Keep it short; aim for 30–40 word answers (ideal for spoken delivery).
• Use FAQs and lists, formats that work well across voice and screen.

Tip: Read your answers out loud. If they sound awkward or robotic, rewrite them.

Conclusion

As search evolves beyond links and into answers, AEO is becoming essential.

From structured data gaps to intent mismatches and tracking blind spots, the challenges of AEO are real; but they’re also solvable. With the right content strategy, formatting, and tools in place, brands can not only adapt to AI-powered search—they can lead it.

The key is consistency: structure your content clearly, match how users ask questions, build topical authority, and monitor how and where your brand shows up. As answer engines continue to reshape the search landscape, the brands that prioritize AEO now will have a serious edge in visibility, engagement, and trust.