How do answer engine optimisation (AEO) and UX work together to improve healthcare digital experiences?

30th Jan 2025
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and User Experience (UX) are becoming inseparable for healthcare brands aiming to deliver impactful online experiences.
CEO of Varn Health, Tom Vaughton, was recently interviewed by the team at Graphite Digital to share insights on how these two disciplines intersect, to transform how patients and healthcare professionals access critical information online.
In the article, Tom explains what Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is, how it is impacting healthcare search and how it is intersecting with UX to transform digital experiences within the healthcare and pharma sectors.
Tom also shares expert knowledge on how AEO will impact the way that digital healthcare content is created and structured, as well as actionable insights to align your content with both user needs and search visibility:
- Research audience intent: Uncover the primary questions your target audience is searching for and align your content to address them. Tools like Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ and ‘Answer the Public’ can help uncover these key queries.
- Leverage structured data: Ensure your SEO team applies schema markup and other formats to clearly communicate your content’s context and importance to search engines.
- Enhance clarity: Deliver information in a simple, accessible way. Use features like concise paragraphs, bulleted lists, and summaries to make content more digestible.
- Target specific long-tail phrases: Focus on longer, detailed keyword phrases that align with users’ niche questions or immediate concerns.
- Adapt for Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG): Organise content to be RAG-friendly by ensuring it’s detailed, well-structured, and factual. Use internal links, descriptive headings, and metadata to help AI retrieve and combine relevant information effectively.
- Refine through testing: Continuously monitor how your content performs and engage users to make iterative improvements for both search rankings and user experience.
In the article Tom also covers a number of other questions:
- Why is understanding and answering user intent critical for healthcare brands looking to deliver better digital experiences?
- How can organisations strike the right balance between providing detailed, compliant content and concise, user-friendly answers?
- How does AEO support optimisation for voice search?
- Trust is non-negotiable in healthcare. How does AEO help build credibility, and what role does UX play in this?
- What trends or innovations do you see shaping the future of AEO and UX in healthcare? What’s on the cards for the months or years ahead?
Read the full article on Graphite Digital to find out how AEO and UX work together to improve healthcare digital experiences.
If you are looking for an expert team to help you stay ahead of the rapid changes in search, get in touch. We are happy to help.