AI Visibility pillar / check question-headings-answered
Question headings answered at once
Our editorial guideline, not a Google rule: when a heading asks a question, the first sentence under it should answer it. We flag deferrals, fragments, run-ons and answers that never mention the topic.
By Shimon Carroll, Founder, SEO for AI Agents · Last updated
What this check measures
Every h2 or h3 phrased as a question (it ends with a question mark, or reads as one, such as "How much does it cost"). For each, we read the first text block before the next heading and judge its first sentence: does it open with a deferral such as "Great question" or "In this article", is it a real sentence rather than a fragment or a run-on, and does the answer mention a topic word from the heading? A "Yes." or "No." opener counts as a direct answer. The evidence lists each question with its first sentence and the reason.
Why it matters
Bing's Webmaster Guidelines advise placing essential information near the top and avoiding long introductions before addressing the main topic. A heading that asks a question promises its answer right below it; readers who skim and answer engines that quote a passage both reward the answer coming first.
How we score it
Editorial guideline. When most question headings on the page are not answered at once, it is a LOW finding; otherwise it passes. It is never higher and never takes the first action-plan slot while a measured defect exists. Pages with no question headings are not measured.
Confidence-flag rules
MEDIUM. The topic-word test is deliberately loose (any shared word in the answer block counts), so a miss means the answer really does not name what was asked.
Common mistakes
- Starting every FAQ answer with "Great question!".
- Answering with a story before the answer.
- Using a question heading as a section label with no answer under it.
How to fix it
Under each question heading, make the first sentence the answer in plain words that repeat the topic, then add the detail.
Primary sources
Changelog
- · Initial publication. Editorial, low ceiling. Section labels that only start with "How" or "Why" ("How We Help") are not treated as questions.