A New Form of SEO: The Complete AEO Implementation Guide
On May 14th, I built a custom AEO setup for one of my clients in the enterprise software space.
At that point: 0 visitors from ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Overviews.
By May 24th: we had traffic from all three.
That wasn’t a coincidence. We didn’t run ads. We didn’t rank for new keywords.
We just made their site easier for LLMs to crawl, understand, and surface as a legitimate answer.
This guide is everything I’ve learned—and how to set this up for your own site in under 48 hours.
AEO is SEO for AI
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is about becoming the source an AI pulls from when someone asks a question. Not just ranking for keywords, but being the answer.
It’s just getting started. Brands have built their GTM channels around SEO. This is like SEO in the early 2000’s.
With AI search ramping up fast (90% of Google searches now include an AI overview, ChatGPT gets over a billion queries a day), if you’re not AEO-optimized, you’re invisible in the places people are starting to look.
And no, SEO alone won’t cut it anymore.
How These AIs Actually Pull Answers
ChatGPT pulls from its training data and sometimes live web data. It favors big brands and content that’s been seen a lot. If your site isn’t in the training cut or isn’t visible via Bing, you won’t show up.
Perplexity uses Bing to crawl real-time pages and summarizes from those. It cites sources. It’s a great test—if Perplexity starts citing you, your AEO is working.
Google AI Overviews pull content from indexed pages. Structure, schema, and clarity matter. Google has confirmed it uses structured data as a signal in AI summaries.
Bottom line: if your site’s messy, vague, or missing markup, you won’t get picked. These tools scan, parse, and pick.
AEO in 48 Hours: What To Do
Here’s your game plan:
1. Write the Answers
List out the top 5-10 questions your customer would ask an AI about your space.
Turn each one into a page or section that answers it directly.
Use the question as the headline. Give the answer in the first 1-2 sentences.
Keep it short and useful. If the AI only reads two lines, did it get what it needed?
Helpful Tip:
Use Perplexity or Google’s “People Also Ask” box to find real questions. Then answer better and faster than what’s already out there.
2. Add Structure
- Use FAQ or HowTo schema depending on the content.
- Wrap your question/answer pairs in JSON-LD.
- Validate it with Google’s Rich Results Test.
Helpful Tip:
Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to speed this up.
Extra Visibility Move:
Submit a pull request to llms-txt.site to feature your site and your LLM-friendly content. LLMs scan and use this type of index.
3. Push It Live and Get It Indexed
- Add the content to your site.
- Update your sitemap. Submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
- Use IndexNow if you can (Bing supports it).
Helpful Tip:
Make sure your robots.txt isn’t blocking anything dumb. Crawlers need to see it all. Fast-loading, public, and minimal JS reliance helps too.
4. Format for AI Readability
- Break up the page. Use headings, bullets, and short paragraphs.
- Bold the answer up top. Don’t bury it halfway down the page.
- Make sure each Q&A stands on its own.
Helpful Tip:
Paste your article into a plain-text editor. Does it still make sense? That’s how an LLM sees it.
Bonus Move:
Add a summary at the bottom of each answer page that rephrases the solution. Some AIs will quote that if it’s clearer.
5. Test and Tweak
- Ask your target question on Perplexity. See who it cites.
- Run your brand through Profound, Goodie, or HubSpot’s AI Search Grader.
- If you’re not showing up, tighten the answer. Resubmit. Try again. It might take a few tries, even weeks.
You’re an LLM—how would you find this answer?
Write for that context, not a human scanning your homepage.
Tool Stack
- Profound — visibility dashboard that shows AI mentions
- Goodie AI — great for formatting, tracking, and visibility alerts
- HubSpot AI Search Grader — free and simple performance score
- Google Structured Data Helper — build your schema fast
- llms-txt.site — optional but useful for surfacing to LLM indexes
What AEO Doesn’t Fix
- Big brands get default trust — you’ll need to be sharper and faster to get picked up.
- No guaranteed traffic — your answer might get quoted with no click. That’s fine. Presence matters.
- SEO still matters — AEO is layered on top of it. Don’t neglect page speed, links, or technical basics.
- Tracking’s fuzzy — AEO wins don’t always show up in Google Analytics. Look for indirect signs: more branded queries, more direct traffic, higher perception.
Client Case Study: Enterprise Software Implementation
For my client in the enterprise software space, we focused on their core value proposition: workflow automation for mid-market companies.
The Challenge: They had great SEO but zero AI visibility. Their content was buried behind JavaScript and their answers were scattered across multiple pages.
The Solution:
- Created 8 dedicated FAQ pages answering specific automation questions
- Implemented structured data markup on all answer pages
- Moved critical content from dynamic components to static HTML
- Optimized for the exact questions their prospects were asking AI tools
The Results:
- Perplexity citations within 3 days
- ChatGPT mentions by day 7
- Google AI Overview inclusion by day 10
- 23% increase in branded search queries within 30 days
The key was understanding that their prospects weren’t asking “What does [Company] do?” They were asking “How do I automate approval workflows?” and “What’s the ROI of workflow automation software?”
We answered those questions directly, with clear structure, and the AI systems picked it up immediately.
Final Note
I built this and it worked. Not based on theory—actual AI citations and traffic results.
If you want help doing this for your brand, DM me or shoot me an email. I’ll either walk you through it or handle the implementation for you.
Or just comment “AEO” and I’ll send over additional resources and case studies.
If you’re reading this, you’re ahead. Let’s keep it that way.
— Michel