Stop guessing at Answer Engine Optimization. This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to implement AEO, with templates, tools, and proven strategies that get you recommended by AI.
If you only have 5 minutes, here's how to start AEO right now:
These five actions will improve your AI visibility within 30 days. Ready for the complete strategy? Keep reading.
Before optimizing, understand your starting point:
Document responses in a spreadsheet with columns for: Query | AI Response | Your Mention | Sentiment | Competitors Mentioned
AI needs to understand WHO you are before it can recommend you:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Your Company Name",
"url": "https://yoursite.com",
"logo": "logo-url",
"description": "Clear one-sentence description",
"foundingDate": "2020",
"founders": [{
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Founder Name"
}],
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "Your Address",
"addressLocality": "City",
"addressRegion": "State",
"postalCode": "ZIP",
"addressCountry": "US"
}
}
Restructure existing content to lead with answers:
| ❌ SEO Structure | ✅ AEO Structure |
|---|---|
|
1. Catchy intro 2. Background context 3. Problem description 4. Building to solution 5. Finally, the answer |
1. Direct answer (first paragraph) 2. Supporting evidence 3. Structured breakdown 4. Examples/cases 5. Additional context |
AI loves balanced comparisons. Create these pages:
# [Product A] vs [Product B]: Complete Comparison
## Quick Answer
[Direct statement of which is better for what use case]
## Comparison Table
| Feature | Product A | Product B | Winner |
|---------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| Pricing | $X | $Y | Product A/B |
| [Key Feature] | Yes/No | Yes/No | Product A/B |
## When to Choose [Product A]
- Use case 1
- Use case 2
## When to Choose [Product B]
- Use case 1
- Use case 2
## The Bottom Line
[Balanced conclusion with clear recommendation]
Become the source AI cites for industry terms:
AI loves citing statistics. Create:
Add to all FAQ sections
FAQPage, Question, Answer
For all product pages
Product, Offer, AggregateRating
Blog posts and guides
Article, Author, DatePublished
Tutorial content
HowTo, Step, Direction
Customer testimonials
Review, Rating, ReviewBody
Video content
VideoObject, Duration, Thumbnail
| Platform | Action Required |
|---|---|
| LinkedIn Company | Update description, add all products, verify info |
| Wikipedia | Create/update if notable, add citations |
| Crunchbase | Complete profile, add funding, team info |
| G2/Capterra | Optimize listings, gather reviews |
| Industry Directories | Claim all relevant listings |
AI trusts certain sources more than others. Priority targets:
Create interconnected content covering every aspect of your category:
Test queries directly in ChatGPT Plus
Free/Paid: $20/monthCheck citations and sources
Free/Pro: $20/monthTest enterprise AI responses
Free/Pro availablePreview Google AI responses
FreeAudit current visibility, fix entity issues, restructure content
Key Milestone: Consistent NAP, schema implementedCreate comparison pages, FAQ sections, definition content
Key Milestone: 10+ AEO-optimized pages liveStatistical compilations, use cases, methodology docs
Key Milestone: Complete topical coverage achievedAdvanced schema, site structure, cross-platform consistency
Key Milestone: All technical elements implementedEarn citations, create research, build backlinks
Key Milestone: 5+ high-authority citationsAnalyze results, iterate on what works, expand coverage
Key Milestone: Measurable increase in AI recommendationsWikipedia is one of AI's most trusted sources. If you're notable enough for a Wikipedia page:
Become the source AI cites for industry data:
Own the comparison space in your category:
Become the educator AI references:
Wrong: Repeating "best CRM software" 50 times
Right: Natural language with semantic variety
Wrong: Exaggerating features or capabilities
Right: Factual, verifiable claims AI can trust
Wrong: Pages that only make sense to machines
Right: Human-first content that's also AI-parseable
Wrong: Never mentioning competitors
Right: Fair comparisons that build trust
Wrong: Optimizing once and forgetting
Right: Continuous testing and iteration
Wrong: Only optimizing for ChatGPT
Right: Universal principles that work everywhere
Wrong: "Schema doesn't matter for AI"
Right: Comprehensive schema implementation
| Metric | How to Measure | Success Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Mention Rate | % of relevant queries where you appear | 30%+ within category |
| Recommendation Position | Average position in AI responses | Top 3 mentions |
| Sentiment Score | Positive/neutral/negative mentions | 80%+ positive |
| Share of Voice | Your mentions vs competitors | Above market share |
| Citation Quality | Authority of sources citing you | .edu, .gov, Wikipedia |
| Pipeline Influence | Deals sourced from AI discovery | 10%+ of pipeline |
## AEO Performance Report - [Month]
### Executive Summary
- Mention Rate: X% (↑/↓ from last month)
- Top Position Achieved: [Query]
- New Citations: [Count]
### Query Performance
| Query Type | Mentions | Position | Sentiment |
|------------|----------|----------|-----------|
| Category | X/10 | #X | Positive |
| Comparison | X/10 | #X | Positive |
### Competitive Analysis
- Us: X mentions
- Competitor A: X mentions
- Competitor B: X mentions
### Action Items
1. [Optimization needed]
2. [Content to create]
3. [Technical fixes]
Unlike SEO which can take 6-12 months, AEO results often appear within 30-60 days as AI systems update their responses. However, getting into training datasets for long-term benefit requires consistent optimization over 3-6 months.
Basic AEO can be done without coding—focus on content structure and clarity. However, implementing schema markup and technical optimizations requires some HTML knowledge or developer support.
Start with ChatGPT and Google (largest user bases), then expand to Perplexity and others. Core AEO principles work across platforms, so optimize universally rather than platform-specific.
Quality over quantity. 20-30 well-optimized pages covering your category comprehensively beats 200 thin pages. Focus on comparison, definition, and statistical content first.
Yes! While Wikipedia helps, it's not required. Focus on other authority signals: industry directories, review sites, press mentions, and creating citable resources.
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