The Shift: From Keywords to Questions

You know SEO. For twenty years, we optimized websites around keywords and Google's 200+ ranking signals. Now there is a parallel shift. Buyers — especially in B2B — are going to their AI of choice and asking questions. "Who is the best lab supply company for universities?" "What fractional CTO firms work with e-commerce?"

AI does not return a list of ten blue links. It returns one answer. If your business is not in that answer, you do not exist in that conversation.

How We Approach AEO

AEO is new. There are no textbooks, no certifications, no established playbooks. Our approach is research-driven, not theory-driven. We analyze what actually works by studying which sites appear in AI search results and which do not.

  • Phase 1: Discovery — Analytics, ad campaigns, social media, content strategy, existing SEO work
  • Phase 2: Competitive Intelligence — Who AI recommends instead of you, and why
  • Phase 3: Gap Analysis & Strategy — Hybrid strategy serving both AEO and SEO
  • Phase 4: Implementation — Schema.org, FAQ architecture, header restructuring, content formatting
  • Phase 5: Monitoring & Adaptation — Monthly AI search tracking as platforms evolve

The Three Biggest AEO Wins

For most B2B sites, three changes have the biggest immediate impact:

  1. FAQ Structured Data — Restructure your knowledge into question-and-answer pairs with FAQPage Schema.org markup that AI can cite directly.
  2. Content Freshness — AI models weight recency heavily. Strategic updates keep your site active in AI indexes.
  3. Header Tag Architecture — Your H1, H2, H3 structure tells AI what your page is about. A broken hierarchy confuses both Google and AI.

One Key Difference Between SEO and AEO

Google's search bots can read JavaScript-rendered content. Most AI crawlers cannot. If your website loads content through JavaScript after the page renders, Google may see it, but AI models will see a blank page. We verify that your content is visible in raw HTML.

Published Pricing

ServicePriceWhat's Included
AEO Audit$5,000 one-timeAI citation gap analysis, cross-platform visibility audit, competitor AEO research, recommendations report
AEO Audit + Implementation$10,000 one-timeFull audit PLUS implementation — Schema.org, FAQ restructuring, header tags, content formatting
AEO Ongoing Retainer$3,000/monthContinuous optimization, monthly AI search monitoring, content freshness, adaptation
AEO + SEO Combined$10,000 setup + $5,000/monthFull SEO + AEO — technical SEO, content strategy, Schema.org, citation tracking

Why a Retainer?

AI is evolving faster than any technology we have seen in 30 years. One AI platform pushed five to six updates in a single day. A one-time audit gives you a snapshot. A retainer ensures your site adapts as fast as the AI platforms themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
AEO is the practice of optimizing your website so that AI-powered search tools — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude — cite your business in their answers. Unlike traditional SEO which focuses on ranking in search results, AEO focuses on being the answer AI provides directly.
How is AEO different from SEO?
SEO optimizes for Google's ranking algorithm. AEO optimizes for AI extraction. Some elements overlap — page titles, header tags, clean URLs. The key differences are content structure (Q&A format), data format (Schema.org structured data), and technical requirements (content must be in raw HTML, not JavaScript-rendered).
Why does AEO matter now?
More buyers are searching with AI instead of Google. When they ask AI for recommendations, AI returns one answer — not ten links. If your business is not in that answer, you are invisible to a growing segment of your market.
What does an AEO audit include?
We analyze your current AI visibility across multiple platforms, compare your site to competitors who appear in AI results, identify structural gaps, and deliver a prioritized action plan including competitive intelligence most businesses have never seen.
How long before AEO shows results?
Perplexity and ChatGPT can show changes within 2-4 weeks. Google AI Overviews typically take 4-8 weeks. Training-based models like Claude update less frequently and may take months. We monitor all platforms monthly.
Do you offer AEO for any industry?
Our deepest expertise is B2B e-commerce — distributors, manufacturers, and SaaS companies. However, the AEO methodology applies to any business that wants to be cited by AI search.
How much does AEO cost?
AEO Audit: $5,000 one-time. Audit + Implementation: $10,000. Ongoing retainer: $3,000/month. AEO + SEO combined: $10,000 setup + $5,000/month. Published pricing — no 'contact us for a quote.'
Can you guarantee my business will appear in AI search?
No. Just as no legitimate SEO firm guarantees #1 rankings, we do not guarantee specific AI citations. What we guarantee is proven best practices, monthly monitoring, and continuous adaptation.

Ready to find out if AI is recommending your competitors instead of you?

The AEO audit starts with one question: when someone asks AI about your industry, does your business appear in the answer? If you don't know, that's exactly why the audit exists.

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AEO for B2B Commerce

Free course on Answer Engine Optimization — making your business visible to AI search.

5 lessons · Free · No registration required

1

What Is AEO?

Answer Engine Optimization is the practice of making your business visible when people search using AI instead of Google. AEO focuses on being cited in AI-generated answers.

2

How AI Search Differs from Google

Google's bots can read JavaScript-rendered content. AI crawlers cannot. AI promotes structured Q&A content over keyword-optimized pages.

3

The Three Biggest AEO Wins

FAQ structured data, content freshness, and header tag architecture deliver the biggest immediate impact for most B2B sites.

4

Schema.org for AEO

Schema.org structured data tells AI models what your page is about in a machine-readable format. FAQPage, ProfessionalService, and Organization are most impactful.

5

Measuring AEO Results

Search the same terms on the same AI platforms monthly. Perplexity shows changes in weeks, Google AI Overviews in 4-8 weeks, Claude in months.

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