How to win AEO with content

Large language models (LLMs) are changing how information is presented online in a way that reshapes brand narratives and drives less organic traffic to websites. In a recent Webflow study, only one in four marketing practitioners acknowledged that they understood AEO, even though 93% of CMOs believe AEO will be critical to their company’s success in the next two years. For CMOs and the SEO leaders who support them, the challenge is clear: how do you build brand presence and drive revenue in an era where AI increasingly influences the search experience?

At Webflow, we believe the answer lies in focusing on the four pillars of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): content, technical, authority, and measurement. In our previous post, we introduced the AEO maturity model. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the content pillar, and explore what it takes to optimize the owned content that fuels long-term visibility and growth.

If you take away one thing

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: AEO shifts content from simply targeting keywords to answering buyer questions, and ultimately delivering personalized, relevant experiences.

In this post, we’ll walk through that evolution, outlining five levels of progression that show how teams move from keyword-driven content to fully programmatic, personalized AEO.

Level 1: Keyword focused content

At this stage, content strategy is anchored in page-focused SEO. Most efforts center on keyword-heavy, product-oriented pages like homepages, landing pages, product pages or About Us sections.

Content is typically created as one-off pieces, with little connection to an ongoing narrative, and rarely updated. Blogs and FAQs, which LLMs often favor for their digestible, well-structured answers, are either missing or stale.

The result? Organic traffic at this level is mostly branded search, implying that your content primarily captures people who already know you or are close to buying.

The challenge at Level 1 is to shift from counting keywords to answering real buyer questions. 

Playbook for practitioners

A sampling of practical steps that SEO practitioners can take to move toward Level 2:

• Identify the top ten questions buyers are asking (via sales calls, support tickets, or email threads).
• Create or update five pages that directly answer one of these questions in plain, clear language.
• Refresh five high-traffic but outdated pages with current information, clearer language, and a visible “last updated” date.

Playbook for leaders

Strategic questions CMOs can use to guide progress:

• What questions do buyers consistently ask in deals that we win?
• Where is the content we’ll update or create to start answering them comprehensively?

Level 2: Some answer oriented content

At Level 2, content starts to shift from keyword repetition to directly answering buyer questions. A handful of pages may appear in featured snippets or “People Also Ask” results. Content freshness improves, with about half visibly updated in the last year, and writing is clearer and more comprehensive. Still, much of the strategy remains keyword-driven.

The challenge at Level 2 is scale. Answers exist, but they’re scattered and isolated rather than forming clusters that cover a topic comprehensively.

Playbook for practitioners

• Choose five high-priority buyer questions and create multiple answer pages around each one.
• Focus on high “visit website” intent questions, such as templates, competitor comparisons, or time/resource-related queries.
• Rewrite answer pages into shorter, extractable passages with clear subheads.
• Improve readability for all new content to a Flesch score of 80+.

Playbook for leaders

• For our top buyer questions, what related questions should we also be answering? Show me two clusters we’ll build this quarter to establish authority.
• How are we planning content across the next two quarters to ensure consistent storylines?
• As we scale, how do we make sure our voice stays consistent and on-brand?

Level 3: Answering clusters of questions

At Level 3, content evolves from scattered answers to structured clusters. Pages are semantically rich, easy to read, and designed in chunks that AI engines can readily surface. Competitor comparison pages begin to appear, and your authority on certain topics becomes clearer.

The challenge at Level 3 is discipline. To progress, you need to connect clusters under a hierarchy so you own entire topics, not just isolated pockets.

Playbook for practitioners

• Choose one core topic and map questions across the full funnel (awareness → consideration → purchase → advocacy).
• For example: “CRM software” could include “What is a CRM?” (awareness), “CRM vs. Email Marketing Tools” (consideration), “How to implement a CRM” (purchase), and “Advanced CRM strategies” (advocacy). 
• Create a flagship piece of content (e.g., an annual report or research study) as an anchor for the topic.
• Create multiple levels of answers that comprehensively answer all of these questions and the related questions that prospects might ask.
• Ensure concise, extractable passages under H2/H3s for AI readability.
• Establish an update cadence: refresh high-priority pages every 3-6 months, none older than 12 months.
• Localize content and raise readability to a Flesch score of 90+ (conversational English).

Playbook for leaders

• Which priority topic will we comprehensively own next?
• What will our flagship annual piece of content be?
• How are we systematically building clusters of answers that position us as the go-to authority?
• Where can we add original insights or data to differentiate from competitor content?

Level 4: Hierarchy-driven content

At Level 4, content is structured around intentional hierarchies that span the entire funnel, from awareness through purchase to advocacy. Each major topic is anchored by a flagship piece and surrounded by supporting answers. Updates are consistent, content is localized, and underperforming content is pruned.

The challenge at Level 4 is moving beyond coverage to personalization. Tailoring content by industry, persona, or use case becomes the next area of focus.

Playbook for practitioners

• Create segmented landing pages (by industry, persona, or use case).
• Personalize examples, visuals, proof points, and CTAs for each audience. 
• Introduce at least one new format — like video, animation, or interactive graphics. 

Playbook for leaders

• Which content assets are most used by prospects and would benefit from personalization? 
• What flagship format or asset will set us apart this quarter?
• How are we aligning campaigns and hierarchies so every funnel stage is covered consistently?

Level 5: Programmatic, personalized content

At Level 5, teams practice Programmatic AEO: a fully developed content program that delivers personalized, relevant experiences for each segment, persona, account, and even individual. 

Traffic may be lower, but conversion rates rise thanks to tailored storytelling, experimentation, and 1:1 personalization. Flagship content becomes referenceable across your industry, accelerating sales cycles and strengthening brand authority. At this level, you are likely experimenting with advanced formats like interactive tools, calculators, animations, and AI-driven experiences. 

The challenge at Level 5 is sustaining innovation. Teams must keep personalizing, experimenting, and monitoring how AI engines surface their answers.

Playbook for practitioners

• Expand personalization as new segments emerge.
• Expand interactivity with tools, calculators, or visual benchmarks.
• Monitor AI outputs to confirm your answers are appearing in search experiences.
  

Playbook for leaders

• How is our content being personalized for the segments that matter most this quarter?
• What new formats are we testing to stay ahead of competitors?
• How are we ensuring our flagship assets remain industry-defining and relevant?

Evolve your content for AEO success

Each level of content maturity builds on the last, evolving from keywords, to answers, to clusters, to hierarchies, and finally to personalization. For marketing leaders, this blog provides guidance to set the strategic direction of your AEO work by asking the right questions. For SEO practitioners, it’s full of project ideas and recommendations to put those strategies into action, driving the kinds of initiatives that move the organization one level higher in AEO maturity. 

The payoff is greater control of your brand narrative in AI-driven search, and the ability to drive more growth from your existing content.

Curious where your organization stands today? Take our quick AEO maturity assessment and see how your content stacks up, with tailored recommendations to accelerate your progress.