If you’ve noticed your rankings holding steady while clicks feel softer, you’re not imagining it. The search experience has evolved from “ten blue links” into a page full of instant answers: featured snippets, People Also Ask, and now AI-generated summaries like AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google positions these AI features as a faster way to get the gist and a jumping-off point to explore links.
The shift for marketers is simple: you’re not just competing to be clicked. You’re competing to be selected as a supporting source in the answer layer.
What “answer blocks” actually are
When we say “answer blocks,” we’re talking about any SERP element that tries to satisfy intent before the user clicks:
- Featured snippets (the “position zero” box)
- People Also Ask (related questions)
- AI Overviews and AI Mode (AI-generated responses with supporting links)
Google’s documentation frames featured snippets and PAA as special snippet presentations, and it describes AI Overviews / AI Mode as AI experiences that surface relevant links—often using a “query fan-out” technique to gather supporting pages.
The part everyone overcomplicates
There’s no secret “AI markup” that guarantees inclusion. Google explicitly says there are no additional requirements and no special optimizations needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond solid SEO fundamentals and being eligible to show with a snippet.
So what should you do? Focus on the thing that answer blocks reward relentlessly: clarity.
The core principle: write so your best answer is easy to extract
Google explains featured snippets come from websites it finds and selects based on how well they answer the question and how helpful they are. That means your page should make the “best possible snippet” obvious. In practice, that’s less about cleverness and more about structure.
Here’s what “extractable clarity” looks like on a modern page.
1) Put the answer where a machine (and a human) expects it
For queries that have a definable answer, don’t bury the lede. Your first 6–10 lines should do the work.
A high-performing pattern is:
- 1–2 sentence direct answer (plain language, no throat-clearing)
- A short “why it matters” line (context)
- Then the deeper explanation (details, exceptions, examples)
This is not “writing for robots.” It’s writing like someone who respects time.
2) Use question-style subheads that match real queries
Answer blocks are often triggered by question-shaped intent (“what is…”, “how do I…”, “why does…”). Use that.
A simple but powerful structure is:
- H2: the question
- First paragraph: the direct answer
- Then: proof, nuance, examples
If your headings read like a table of contents someone would screenshot and send to a coworker, you’re close.
3) Turn sequences into numbered steps (don’t hide processes in prose)
Whenever you’re explaining a sequence, switch to a numbered list. It reduces ambiguity and increases “liftability.”
For example:
- State the goal (what success looks like)
- List the inputs required
- Walk through the steps in order
- Add “common failure points”
- Explain how to validate the result
You’re creating an answer unit that can be summarized accurately.
4) Use tables for comparisons and decisions
If the query implies tradeoffs (“best,” “vs,” “which,” “should I”), a table often outperforms paragraphs because it forces precision.
Strong table use cases:
- Option A vs Option B
- “Use this when / avoid this when”
- Pricing tiers (if you can publish them)
- Feature availability by platform
- Pros/cons with constraints
This is especially helpful for AI Mode–style comparisons, which Google describes as a use case for deeper exploration.
5) Add “friction reducers” that keep you credible
Answer blocks favor content that feels safe to trust. Two easy credibility boosters:
- Define terms the first time you use them (especially jargon)
- Call out constraints (timeframes, edge cases, “this depends on…”)
This is the difference between a page that sounds confident and a page that sounds correct.
Page design choices that help (without changing your brand)
Structure isn’t only headings. It’s the page experience.
A few design choices that consistently support answer-block performance:
- A clean table of contents for long pages (helps scanning)
- Short paragraphs (2–4 lines) with frequent subheads
- “Key takeaways” bullets near the top (not 12—think 4–6)
- A dedicated FAQ section when the topic naturally branches
Just be careful not to chase outdated rich result gimmicks. Google has scaled back certain rich result types (notably HowTo on desktop, and limited FAQ rich results in many cases), so treat those formats as user-experience tools and not guaranteed SERP enhancements.
Don’t ignore technical eligibility: you can’t be cited if you’re not indexable
Google is clear that to be eligible as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode, a page needs to be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet.
So the boring basics still matter:
- Don’t block crawling (robots/CDN accidents happen)
- Make key content available as text (not just images)
- Ensure internal linking makes the page easy to discover
And if you’re using structured data, follow the rule that it must match what’s visible on the page. Google’s structured data guidelines are explicit about eligibility and policy compliance.