- AI Overviews · AI Mode
- Answer-first content
- Official measurement
AEO · Google's answer surfaces
Answer engine optimization agency: be the source behind Google's answers
As an answer engine optimization agency, we prepare your site so Google can lift direct answers from it into AI Overviews, AI Mode and featured snippets: eligibility, answer-first structure, the data Google's AI reuses and official measurement.
Personal reply, No obligation, English, Español
What it is
What AEO is, and why it matters in Spain
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) means structuring a website so Google can extract direct answers from it for AI Overviews, AI Mode and featured snippets. It turns your pages into a citable source inside the results, not just another link.
Google is by far the dominant search engine in Spain, so these surfaces are often the first thing searchers see. When the answer is resolved on the results page itself, fewer people click the classic links, so what counts is being part of it.
AEO doesn't replace SEO; it specialises it. Here we work on Google's surfaces; ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Copilot belong to GEO, and side-by-side definitions live in Insights.
In depth
Where Google answers: AI Overviews, AI Mode and snippets
Google now answers in three places, all fed by its index: AI Overviews, AI-generated summaries on the results page; AI Mode, a conversation that lets people keep asking; and featured snippets, a single page's excerpt at the top.
In Spain, AI Overviews launched on 25 March 2025, in Spanish and English, for signed-in users aged 18 and over. AI Mode has been available in Spanish since October 2025 as an option beside the classic results, which remain the default view.
In May 2026, the preferred sources each user picks began rolling out to AI Overviews and AI Mode. And as of October 2026, ads in Spain can appear above or below AI Overviews but not inside them; we plan that through Google Ads.
In depth
How pages earn eligibility for AI answers
The only technical requirement for AI Overviews and AI Mode is a page that's indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. No special files, markup or “AI text” are needed; beyond that, the quality of the answer decides.
Google's AI uses query fan-out, running parallel searches on a question's subtopics and combining the results. So we cover the topic and its follow-up questions on useful pages, never with a page per query variation, which Google treats as scaled content abuse.
Answer-first writing isn't chunking text for AI, which Google calls unnecessary; it's writing for busy people. Google's guide names non-commodity, first-hand or expert content as the most influential long-term factor; our content marketing team produces it.
In depth
Structured data in 2026: what still works
Structured data isn't a requirement for Google's AI answers, but it still supports other rich results and describes your business unambiguously.
Since 7 May 2026, Google no longer shows FAQ rich results, and HowTo rich results have gone too; existing markup does no harm but no longer earns space. We implement the types that still add value: Organization, LocalBusiness, Product, Article, Event and Video.
Google's AI also draws on other sources: its guide names Business Profiles and Merchant Center feeds, and in December 2025 profile Q&A gave way to a Gemini-powered Ask feature. We cover both through local SEO and ecommerce.
In depth
Controls: how to limit or exclude your content
You decide how much of your content Google uses in its AI answers, through snippet directives and a Search Console control; blocking Google-Extended won't do it.
Google-Extended governs Gemini training and grounding in the Gemini apps, not inclusion in Search. To limit AI Overviews and AI Mode, use nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet or noindex, which also change how you appear in classic results.
The Search Console control, available worldwide by 31 August 2026, excludes your content from AI Overviews, AI Mode and Discover's generative AI features. Inclusion is the default, using it doesn't affect your rankings elsewhere in Search, and changes take a day or two. We review it alongside technical SEO.
What's included
What our AEO service includes
Seven workstreams, scaled to your site and markets.
Answer query map
Searches in your sector that trigger AI Overviews or snippets, whom Google cites and which page of yours should answer.
Eligibility audit
Indexing, snippet eligibility, directives, rendering and cannibalisation.
Answer-first architecture
Key pages with the answer up front, plus definitions, lists, steps or tables where intent calls for them.
Useful structured data
The types that still add value, validated, with obsolete markup cleaned up.
Profile and feeds aligned
Google Business Profile and Merchant Center consistent with what your site says.
AI controls review
Snippet directives and the Search Console control set to match what you want shown.
AI visibility report
AI Overview and AI Mode impressions, snippets won and conversions, with conclusions.
How we work
How we approach AEO
Five phases, reviewed quarterly, as set out in our method.
Phase 01 / 05
Answer inventory
Queries triggering AI Overviews and snippets in your sector, in both languages, and who appears today.
Phase 02 / 05
Eligibility diagnosis
Indexing, snippets, directives and controls checked page by page.
Phase 03 / 05
Rewrite and structure
Pages with the most commercial value first, rebuilt answer-first with first-hand expertise.
Phase 04 / 05
Data and sources
Structured data, profile and feeds that say the same as your site.
Phase 05 / 05
Measure and review
AI reports, snippets and conversions reviewed to reset priorities.
The SERMAN approach
Why do AEO with SERMAN
Focused on Google
Google dominates search in Spain; its answer surfaces deserve a dedicated service, not a footnote.
No myths for sale
No FAQ schema promises, special files or pages per variation: only what Google documents.
Native English and Spanish
AI Overviews run in Spain in both languages; we write and measure each version separately.
What it is not
What AEO isn't
- Not a guarantee: nobody can promise Google will include you in an AI Overview, AI Mode or a snippet.
- Not a markup trick: FAQ schema no longer earns rich results, and no file makes you eligible.
- Not advertising: as of October 2026, ads in Spain don't appear inside AI Overviews.
- Not a replacement for SEO: if your site isn't indexed properly, we start there.
What we measure
What we measure in Google's answers
Official data and established tools, with their limits explained.
Generative AI impressions
AI Overview and AI Mode impressions by page, country and device, from Search Console.
Pages present in AI answers
Which URLs appear in answers, and which key pages don't yet.
Featured snippets
Queries where your site holds the snippet, according to SEO tools.
Organic clicks and conversions
Traffic to commercial pages and the sales or enquiries it brings, measured with reliable analytics.
Eligibility health
Indexing, snippet directives and the status of the AI control.
Tools & platforms
Tools we work with
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics 4
- Looker Studio
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- Semrush
- Ahrefs
- Rich Results Test
- Schema Markup Validator
- Google Business Profile
- Google Merchant Center
Who it's for
A particularly good fit if…
- Key searches in your sector already show AI Overviews and your site isn't cited.
- You publish guides or help content: software, education, health and wellness or professional services.
- You run an online shop and want products in Google's answers.
- You're losing clicks on informational queries even though your rankings hold.
- You work in English and Spanish and want presence in both versions.
Compliance
Rules and policies we apply
Applied by default; not a substitute for legal advice.
Google spam policies
No pages per variation or mass-produced content; since May 2026 the policies also cover generative AI responses in Search.
AI-assisted content
AI speeds up research and drafts; a person reviews and approves every text. Article 50 of the EU AI Act, applicable since 2 August 2026, weighs that human review when setting which texts must be labelled.
Consent-based measurement
No analytics cookies before consent, and rejecting as easy as accepting, per the AEPD cookie guide.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How can I appear in Google's AI Overviews?
There's no switch. Your page must be indexed and eligible to show a snippet, then compete on quality: a clear answer to the question and its follow-ups, first-hand expertise and trustworthy sources. Google says there are no requirements beyond SEO best practice.
What is Google's AI Mode and how does it affect my site?
It's a conversational way to search, available in Spanish since October 2025 beside the classic results, where Google answers with AI and takes follow-up questions. For your site, it can mean fewer clicks on informational queries and more value in being a linked source.
Do I need structured data to appear in Google's AI answers?
No. Google says it isn't required for its AI features. It still describes your business and supports other rich results, so we implement the useful types.
Can I see how often my site appears in AI Overviews?
Yes, as impressions. Since 31 August 2026, Search Console has given every site generative AI reports by page, country, device and date. Clicks and CTR aren't included; those clicks sit, unseparated, in the standard Performance report (Web search type).
Can I stop Google using my content in its AI answers?
Yes, with nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet or noindex, or with the Search Console control that excludes your content from Search's generative AI features. Blocking Google-Extended won't remove you from AI Overviews. We weigh up the trade-offs with you first.
Is FAQ schema still worth it in 2026?
Not for rich results: Google stopped showing them on 7 May 2026. Existing markup does no harm, and FAQs remain valuable as content that answers real customer questions.
What does an AEO service include?
As an answer engine optimization agency, we cover a map of answer-triggering queries, an eligibility audit, rewrites of key pages, useful structured data, aligned profiles and feeds, a review of AI controls and measurement in Search Console. For ChatGPT or Perplexity, pair it with GEO.
Related services
Pairs well with
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
GEO so ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Copilot can find, understand and cite your brand, built on solid SEO.
SEO
Organic visibility on Google and in AI answers: a solid technical base, bilingual content and genuine authority, run as one measurable programme.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO audits and fixes for crawling, indexing, Core Web Vitals, structured data and AI crawler access.
Content Marketing & SEO Content
Expert content in English and Spanish that answers your customers, built to rank on Google and be cited by AI, with human editing on every piece.
Local SEO & Google Business Profile
Local SEO for businesses with premises or a service area in the Balearics: an optimised Google profile, genuine reviews and consistent data.
Insights
Go deeper
1 Oct 2026 · 11 min read · Search & AI visibility
What is generative engine optimization (GEO)? How it differs from SEO and AEO
What GEO is, where the term comes from, how it differs from SEO and AEO, and which levers genuinely help AI answers cite your brand.
1 Oct 2026 · 12 min read · Search & AI visibility
How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode
Seven steps to help ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode find, understand and recommend your business: crawlers, indexing, data, content, reviews and measurement.
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