Summary
To earn citations in AI features like AI Overviews, you need pages that are useful for humans and legible to machines. Google explicitly recommends achieving good Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) and a strong page experience because these align with what core ranking systems seek to reward. Combine that with clear information architecture, author identity, and evidence-rich content and you create pages an AI is comfortable linking to. This piece provides a practical UX checklist for AEO—Answer Engine Optimisation—backed by Google’s page-experience guidance and classic UX research.
1) Why UX matters specifically for AEO
Google’s AI features documentation repeats a simple idea: there are no extra requirements for appearing in AI Overviews/AI Mode, but SEO fundamentals and page experience still matter. If your page is slow, unstable, or confusing, users bounce—and AI features that link to your page may indirectly underperform because the landing experience is poor. Achieving good CWV and providing accessible, readable content supports both human satisfaction and system confidence.
2) Core Web Vitals: the measurable foundation
Google “highly recommend[s]” site owners achieve good Core Web Vitals and notes this aligns with what core ranking systems aim to reward. Focus on:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Perceived load speed—optimise images, critical CSS, and server TTFB.
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Now the responsiveness metric, replacing FID in March 2024; target ≤ 200 ms at the 75th percentile across devices.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Visual stability—reserve space, avoid layout jumps.
Read Google’s page-experience primer, which ties CWV to Search outcomes, and remember that good report scores don’t guarantee top rankings—content quality still matters.
Deep dive on INP: Chrome and web.dev confirm INP is officially a Core Web Vital (replacing FID). Learn how it’s calculated and how to improve it (event timing, main-thread work, input delay).
3) Information architecture and readability (what users see first)
- Answer-first structure: Match AIO’s pattern—concise summary, then steps, thresholds, tables, and citations. This raises the chance your page is quotable and linkable.
- Descriptive headings & scannability: Google’s Search Essentials explicitly advise using the words people would use and placing them in prominent locations (titles, headings, alt text, link text).
- Plain English & chunking: Short paragraphs, bulleted lists for procedures, and visible “Updated on” badges.
4) Usability heuristics that reduce friction
The Nielsen Norman Group heuristics remain a practical checklist to reduce cognitive load: visibility of system status, match to the real world, user control, consistency, error prevention, recognition over recall, flexibility, minimalist design, error recovery, and help/documentation. Applying these to web content means predictable navigation, format consistency, and safe recovery from errors (e.g., guardrail forms).
NN/g also curates current UX research on IA methods (e.g., card sorting to match mental models) that you can use to validate your navigation labels and page groupings.
5) Accessibility is non-negotiable
- Semantic HTML: Headings reflect content hierarchy; lists for steps; alt text describes purpose (Search Essentials also recommend descriptive text).
- Interactive targets and focus order: INP improvements often come from event handling and predictable focus management—accessibility and performance often align.
6) Page patterns that perform for AEO
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Decision guides
- Top-line verdict with caveats; decision thresholds; comparison table; primary citations.
- UX keys: A sticky table of contents, jump links, and expandable sections prevent cognitive overload.
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Troubleshooters
- Ordered steps, preconditions, version notes, safety/rollback steps.
- UX keys: Code/command copy buttons, inline warnings, and success criteria per step.
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Policy explainers (YMYL)
- Plain-English summary, who’s affected, timelines, and links to the official text.
- UX keys: “What changed on [date]” box, and a glossary panel for defined terms.
These patterns align with how Google describes AI features: giving users the gist, then links to learn more. Designing your page for fast comprehension makes it a safer source to cite.
7) Technical UX checklist (90-day plan)
Days 1–30
- Audit LCP assets (hero images, video poster frames); ship responsive images and preload critical CSS.
- Measure INP in the field; fix long tasks; defer non-critical JS; reduce hydration cost; address event-handler bloat. (Use web.dev INP optimisation guidance.)
- Stabilise CLS: reserve media space, avoid late-loading fonts and ads.
Days 31–60
- Rework page templates to answer-first; add author cards and update stamps.
- Rewrite headings to mirror user phrasing (Search Essentials).
- Implement structured data that matches visible text (no AIO-specific schema; stick to supported types).
Days 61–90
- Validate accessibility flows; test with keyboard and screen readers.
- Run card sorts on navigation and FAQs to sync with mental models (NN/g).
- Establish a maintenance cadence: monthly factual checks on top pages.
8) Measuring the impact
- Core Web Vitals: Track field data (Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report) to confirm real-user improvements.
- Search Console Performance (“Web”): Because AI features’ traffic is counted here, monitor clicks/CTR to upgraded pages.
- AIO presence & citation coverage: If you use an AIO tracker, watch trigger rate and cited-domain share for target queries. (See our companion article on AIO rank trackers.)
9) Pitfalls to avoid
- Chasing lab scores over humans. Google notes good report scores don’t guarantee top rankings; content quality still leads.
- Heavy, JS-blocked pages. Poor INP degrades usability; aim for ≤ 200 ms.
- Opaque authorship. For sensitive topics, lack of identity erodes trust and reduces citation likelihood (SQRG expectations).
Bottom line
Good UX isn’t a cosmetic extra—it’s part of the evidence that your page is a safe, satisfying answer to link. Hit Core Web Vitals, structure content for fast comprehension, show authorship and updates, and align navigation with users’ mental models. That’s how you build pages that both people and AI prefer to cite.
References
Google. Understanding Core Web Vitals in Search results. Google Search Central.
Google. Understanding page experience in Google Search results. Google Search Central.
Google. Search Essentials. Google Search Central.
Google. AI features and your website. Google Search Central.
web.dev. Interaction to Next Paint is officially a Core Web Vital; Optimize INP.
Nielsen Norman Group. 10 Usability Heuristics; UX Articles & Research.
Google. Core Web Vitals report (Search Console Help).