AI Engine Optimization (AEO): How to Get Your Brand Cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity & AI Search
SEO got you to Google. AEO gets you into ChatGPT. Here's the complete playbook for optimizing your content so AI systems cite you as a trusted source.
What Is AI Engine Optimization (AEO)?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing your content to be cited by AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.
While traditional SEO focuses on ranking in search results, AEO focuses on being included in AI-generated answers. The goal isn't position #1 — it's being the source the AI trusts enough to quote.
The Key Insight
AI search doesn't show you 10 blue links. It gives you one synthesized answer — built from sources it trusts. If you're not one of those sources, you're invisible.
How AI Search Actually Works
According to a recent interview with Perplexity AI, modern AI search uses sub-document processing. Instead of retrieving whole pages, the AI retrieves ~26,000 small text snippets (2-4 words each, converted to tokens) and fills its entire context window.
The key insight: when the context window is saturated with relevant snippets, the AI has no room to hallucinate. It becomes more accurate because it's synthesizing real sources, not generating from scratch.
This is fundamentally different from traditional search. Two users asking the same question can get different answers based on their personal context and conversation history.
What Each AI Engine Trusts
Analysis of 8,000+ AI citations across 57 queries reveals distinct preferences:
ChatGPT (GPT-4o)
The Authority Seeker
- • Wikipedia: 27% of citations
- • News sites (Reuters, FT): ~9%
- • Blogs: ~21%
- • Avoids UGC entirely
Perplexity AI
The Expert Curator
- • Blogs/editorial: ~38%
- • Expert review sites: ~9%
- • News: ~23%
- • Always cites sources
Google Gemini
The Balanced Synthesizer
- • YouTube: #1 cited domain
- • Blogs: ~39%
- • News: ~26%
- • Community content: ~2%
Google AI Overviews
The Broad Aggregator
- • Reddit: #1 cited domain
- • Blogs: ~46%
- • LinkedIn articles cited
- • 82.5% link to deep pages
12 Proven Tactics for AI Visibility
These tactics come from industry experts Lily Ray, Kevin Indig, Steve Toth, and Ross Hudgens:
1. Write Answer-First Content
Stop burying the lead. If someone asks "What is AEO?" your first sentence should answer it. Give the AI a snippet at the top of every page.
2. Structure for Chunking
AI models love "chunks." Break content into logical segments with descriptive H2/H3 subheadings. Think textbook, not stream-of-consciousness.
3. Use Schema Markup (JSON-LD)
Schema is the skeleton that tells AI exactly what your content represents — prices, ratings, FAQs, how-tos. It bridges human language and machine-readable data.
4. Don't Hide FAQs
FAQs should be visible, not hidden in accordions. 8-10 well-answered questions signals expertise to both users and LLMs.
5. Go Multimodal
Repurpose content across text, video (YouTube), audio, and imagery. Build brand recognition across all sources an LLM may pull from.
6. Freshness Matters Disproportionately
Recent content performs especially well. LinkedIn posts can appear in AI search within hours. But don't artificially "refresh" without meaningful updates.
7. Build on High-Authority Platforms
Publishing on respected industry sites can lead to LLM inclusion within hours. Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn, and niche publications are high-trust sources.
8. Optimize Your Homepage
Your homepage should clearly communicate who you serve and what you do. LLMs parse homepage content far more easily than navigation menus.
9. Create Pages for Every Use Case
Brands that create clearly defined pages for each audience, industry, and use case are better positioned as AI search becomes more personalized.
10. Shape Your Brand Narrative
It takes ~250 documents to meaningfully influence how an LLM perceives a brand. Publish consistently or let others define your narrative.
11. Include Lists and How-Tos
Analysis shows 35% of cited articles are lists, 30% are "how-to" style. Structure content with clear, scannable formats.
12. Get on Wikipedia (If Legitimate)
ChatGPT cites Wikipedia 27% of the time. If you're notable enough, a Wikipedia presence dramatically increases ChatGPT visibility.
Platform-Specific Strategies
YouTube
Gemini's #1 cited domain. Optimize video descriptions with keywords, timestamps, and links back to your site. Include transcripts. YouTube content can appear in AI answers within hours.
LinkedIn articles and posts appear in Google AI Overviews. Accounts with strong followings see content indexed within minutes. Pulse articles are particularly effective.
Google AI Overviews' #1 cited domain. Authentic participation in relevant subreddits can drive AI visibility. Focus on genuinely helpful answers, not promotion.
The Bottom Line: Good AEO Is Good SEO
As Google's John Mueller confirmed: "AI systems rely on search. There is no such thing as GEO or AEO without doing SEO fundamentals."
Modern LLMs use Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) — they query search engines in real-time before answering. If you want LLM visibility, you need to show up in search first.
Key Takeaways
- Write answer-first content with clear structure and visible FAQs
- Use schema markup to help AI understand your content
- Go multimodal — YouTube, LinkedIn, and Reddit are high-trust sources
- Publish consistently to shape your brand narrative (~250 documents needed)
- Freshness matters — keep content updated and publish regularly