I’ve been having conversations with Taboola about DeeperDive and ProRata about Gist.ai and the move to answer engines and how to monetise them leading up to INMA’s Media, Tech and AI week.

This morning, I typed my kids’ dentist into Google Maps — and instead of a map or list, I was met with a friendly prompt: “What would you like to know?” Suggested questions popped up below.

Later, scrolling Amazon (as one does), I was invited to ask about the product rather than hunt for answers. Even WhatsApp is nudging me to ask, not search, as if every screen wants to spark a conversation.

And suddenly, across the places we default to for navigation, shopping, chatting … asking has snuck in. Asking questions is becoming a standard part of our experience.

Why does this matter for news media?

1. Consumer behaviour is changing — fast. Readers are trained to expect conversational, on‑site answers. The search box is evolving into a question box. Welcome to the age of the answer engine.
   

2. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the next frontier. For years, we’ve optimised headlines and SEO; now we’ll optimise — or not — for how questions are asked and how answers are delivered.
   

3. Affordances shape behaviour. UX prompts, like “Ask us…”, are influencing habits. If the environment makes asking easy, readers will ask.
   

4. Answering becomes a product in its own right. Providing answers shouldn’t just support content; it is your value proposition. Answering itself becomes the service.

The bottom line

“Search” is no longer the interface we default to: asking is.

As this becomes a standard behavioural pattern across high‑traffic platforms like Google Maps, Amazon, and WhatsApp, news media must adapt. Shift from optimising for visibility to optimising for answers — from content to conversation.

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