AEO
Publish Answers, Not Slogans
Most small business blogs say 'we are passionate about quality' and nothing else. A short page that explains what a landing page includes, and what it costs, does far more. Here is how to write posts that answer a question.
Why don't slogans work as content?
A slogan answers no question. 'We care about our customers' could sit on any business site in the country, so nobody searches for it, nobody quotes it, and nobody makes a decision because of it.
People search with questions: how much does it cost, what is included, how long does it take, who does the work. Search tools and AI answers are looking for a clear reply to those same questions. A post that gives the reply is useful. A post that circles it is filler.
A good test: could a competitor paste your post onto their site without changing a word? If yes, it is a slogan, not an answer.
How do you find the questions worth answering?
You already know them. They are the things customers ask on the phone, in emails and at the start of every quote. Keep a running note for a fortnight and write down every question you hear.
Sort that list by how often it comes up and how close it sits to a buying decision. 'What does a switchboard upgrade involve?' is worth more than 'What is the history of electrical safety?'
- Questions about price and what is included.
- Questions about how the job works, step by step.
- Questions about what to prepare before you arrive or start.
- Questions comparing two options, such as repair versus replace.
- Questions about what happens after the job is finished.
What does an answer-first post look like?
Answer the question in the first two sentences, then explain. We call this answering the question in the first lines, before the pitch. It helps the busy reader and it gives an AI answer something clean to quote.
Here is the shape. The title is the question. The opening lines give the direct answer, including a price or range where you can. Then a few short sections cover what is included, what is not, and what the customer needs to do. Finish with a short list of related questions.
Keep it short. If the answer takes four paragraphs, write four paragraphs. If it takes eight hundred words, break it up with plain headings. Do not pad.
Can you give an example?
Take a made-up Brisbane bookkeeper. A slogan post would be 'Why we love helping small business'. An answer post would be titled 'What does a bookkeeper do each month?' and open with: 'We reconcile your bank accounts, code your transactions, prepare your BAS figures and send you a summary you can read in five minutes.'
The rest of the post walks through each task, says what the customer needs to send and when, and names the price structure honestly. That one page can be found by a person searching, quoted by an answer engine and read by a nervous new customer deciding whether to ring.
It is an invented example, but the same approach suits a plumber explaining a hot water replacement or a cleaner explaining an end-of-lease clean.
How often should you publish?
Less often than you think, if each post is useful. One honest answer a fortnight beats a weekly post nobody needs. Over a year that builds a library of replies to the questions your customers actually have.
Link each answer to the service page it relates to, and link back from the service page. Update old answers when your prices, process or service areas change. An out-of-date answer is worse than none.
Where does HoneyPot come in?
We write copy so Google and answer engines can quote the offer, with SEO and answer-engine copy included in our builds. Copywriting is $149 per page, and a blog or news section can be set up for $199.
Questions people ask
Should I put prices in a blog post?
If you can, yes. A starting price or a clear explanation of what changes the price is the most useful thing a reader can find. If every job is quoted, explain what the quote depends on.
How long should an answer post be?
As long as it needs to be to answer the question properly. Put the direct answer first, then add only what helps.
Get a clear quote
Tell us what the business does and where. We reply with what is included and what it costs. You own the site.