Answer Engine Optimization issues we check — and how to fix them
When someone asks ChatGPT to recommend a product in your category, is your store in the answer? Often it isn't. We check the structured data, page structure, and brand signals that help search and AI understand your products and describe them accurately — and we measure whether they actually cite you, or a competitor.
17 catalogued Answer Engine Optimization issues, each with step-by-step, platform-specific fixes.
- Aeo schema client renderedModerate effortMove your JSON-LD structured data from client-side JavaScript injection to server-rendered HTML so that AI crawlers and search engines can read it in the raw page source.
- Article missing authorQuick winAdd a structured-data author field (schema.org Person) to every article or blog post so AI engines and Google can identify and trust who wrote the content.
- Faq schema not visibleModerate effortRender all FAQ answers in the server-delivered HTML so that both Google and your FAQ structured data can see every question and answer — not just the one currently open in a JavaScript accordion.
- Invalid rating valueModerate effortFix the AggregateRating.ratingValue in your structured data so it is a valid number between 1 and 5 (or your declared scale's minimum and maximum).
- Low answer first scoreModerate effortRestructure page content to lead with a direct, concise answer, use question-format headings, and add FAQ structured data so search engines and AI assistants can surface your answers prominently.
- Low review countModerate effortCollect at least 5 published reviews so Google will display star ratings in search results alongside your product listings.
- Missing schema articleModerate effortAdd Article schema markup (JSON-LD) to every blog post and editorial page so Google can identify and rich-result-enhance your content in search.
- Missing schema breadcrumblistModerate effortAdd BreadcrumbList structured data (JSON-LD) to every page so Google can display your site's navigation path directly in search results.
- Missing schema faqpageQuick winAdd FAQPage schema markup to any page that contains a Frequently Asked Questions section so Google can display your answers as rich results directly in search.
- Missing schema howtoModerate effortAdd HowTo structured data (JSON-LD) to any page that walks customers through a multi-step process, so Google can display your instructions as rich results in search.
- Missing schema localbusinessQuick winAdd LocalBusiness JSON-LD structured data to your store so search engines and AI answer engines can surface your business name, address, phone number, and hours in rich results and direct answers.
- Missing schema organizationQuick winAdd an Organization schema markup block to your store's homepage (and/or sitewide template) so search engines and AI assistants can definitively identify your brand.
- Missing schema productModerate effortAdd Product schema markup (JSON-LD) to every product page so search engines can display rich results — including price, availability, and ratings — directly in search.
- Missing schema webpageModerate effortAdd WebPage schema markup to every page so search engines and AI answer engines can precisely understand and describe your content.
- Non iso dateQuick winChange every datePublished (and dateModified) value in your structured data from a human-readable string to a strict ISO-8601 date — formatted as YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss+hh:mm — so search engines can reliably parse your content's freshness.
- Org missing sameasQuick winAdd a `sameAs` array to your Organization schema, linking to your verified social profiles, Wikipedia page, LinkedIn, and other authoritative sources so search engines can confidently identify your brand as a known entity.
- Page unreachableModerate effortEnsure every page that should appear in AI-powered answers and rich results is actually reachable by crawlers, then add structured data so search engines and AI systems can read and surface its content.
Answer Engine Optimization — common questions
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?+−
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content and schema markup so AI systems and answer engines can extract accurate information from your pages and surface it in featured snippets, AI Overviews, rich results, and voice search answers.
Why does AEO matter for ecommerce stores?+−
Complete product schema enables rich results — price, availability, and rating stars directly in search listings. Rich results have significantly higher click-through rates than standard results. AI systems also use schema to understand product relationships and attributes for shopping recommendations and comparison features.
What are the most common AEO gaps on ecommerce sites?+−
The most common AEO issues are: incomplete Product schema (missing offers.availability, gtin, brand, aggregateRating), missing BreadcrumbList schema, no Review or AggregateRating schema despite having review data, category pages with no introductory content, and absent FAQPage schema on product and category pages.
How does SEOLZ handle AEO?+−
After every audit SEOLZ builds a schema coverage matrix: every page type checked against every schema type it should carry, with coverage percentages and gap counts. AEO findings are triaged alongside SEO findings and include paste-ready schema JSON-LD for your specific platform and template.