How Does AEO Strengthen Paid Search Campaigns?
AEO’s question-first pages improve ad relevance, landing-page experience, and conversion. That combination raises Quality Score, lowers CPC, and boosts ROAS while expanding profitable coverage into long-tail question queries.
Why AEO Improves Paid Search Performance
Paid + AEO Metrics & Formulas
Metric | Formula | Target/Range | Where | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Quality Score | Platform QS (1–10) | +1–3 pts after alignment | Google/Microsoft Ads | Driven by CTR & landing experience |
CPC Change | (Old CPC − New CPC) ÷ Old CPC | Declining trend | Ads Platform | QS gain typically lowers CPC |
CTR Lift | New CTR ÷ Baseline CTR | 1.1–1.5× | Ads Platform | Use question phrasing in RSAs |
Landing CVR | Conversions ÷ Clicks | Upward trend | GA4/Ads | Intent-matched CTAs per page |
ROAS / CPL | Revenue ÷ Spend / Cost ÷ Lead | ROAS up / CPL down | Ads + CRM | Report by question cluster |
5-Step Playbook to Combine AEO with Paid
Group paid keywords by intent (“how, what, cost, compare”) and select the corresponding AEO landing page.
Use the AEO page H1 in RSA headlines; pull bullets into descriptions; add sitelinks to sibling question pages.
Match CTAs to intent: guide/checklist for “how,” demo/pricing for “compare/cost,” calculator for “budget.”
Feed paid search terms into the question map; add negatives from organic “bad intent” signals.
Track QS, CPC, CTR, CVR, and ROAS by ad group → landing AEO page. Refresh pages losing QS or CVR.
Operations: Who Owns What
Role | Responsibility | Cadence | Output |
---|---|---|---|
AEO Strategist | Maintain question map and page templates | Weekly | Updated cluster & links |
Paid Media Manager | Map ad groups to pages; mirror copy; manage bids | Weekly | Aligned RSAs & sitelinks |
Analytics/RevOps | Join GA4/Ads/CRM; report ROAS & CPL | Biweekly | Performance scorecard |
Content Lead | Refresh low-performing pages based on QS/CVR | Biweekly | Refresh backlog shipped |
For deeper strategy, start with the AEO overview and the in-depth Complete Guide to AEO.