AEO: Get Your Business Cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the practice of structuring your content so AI engines cite your brand when customers ask relevant questions. When a patient asks ChatGPT "best hormone therapy clinic in Phoenix" or a buyer asks Perplexity "top Shopify stores for organic supplements" — your business appears in the answer.
What is AEO?
Traditional SEO gets you to page 1 of Google's link list. AEO gets you cited inside the AI answer that appears before the link list. In 2026, that AI answer intercepts 48% of commercial searches. Both are required.
The AEO signals that matter most
Named credentials (Dr. Jane Smith, MD) attributed to clinical claims. Required for YMYL topics.
Citing specific data with attribution. "4 in 10 patients research in ChatGPT (2026)" outperforms vague claims.
Linking to research, studies, or authoritative sources within the body of content.
Structured Q&A markup tells AI engines exactly which content is a question and which is the answer.
The same data in a comparison table is extracted by AI at 81% vs 23% for paragraph form.
44.2% of AI citations come from the first 30% of a page. Lead with the answer, always.
Platform-specific optimization
Cites pages from position 21+ in Google — not just top 10. Requires: entity recognition, comprehensive content, Wikipedia/Crunchbase presence.
82% citation rate for content updated in last 30 days. Has own index. Reddit content = 46.7% of top citations. Requires fresh updates monthly.
76.1% of citations also rank in Google top 10. Schema markup + top-10 ranking is the primary path. Traditional SEO matters most here.
Prefers balanced, nuanced content that acknowledges complexity. Weights review aggregators (Clutch, G2) 2-4x more than other platforms.
Who AEO is for
| Vertical | AEO opportunity | Query types we target |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare practices (med spas, plastic surgeons, dentists, longevity clinics) | <10% have optimized for AI search — massive first-mover advantage | "best hormone therapy [city]", "who does rhinoplasty in [city]", "top med spa for body contouring near me" |
| D2C ecommerce brands (Shopify/WooCommerce) | Buyers ask Perplexity for product comparisons before visiting any store | "best protein powder for endurance", "top supplement brands for [goal]" |
| Professional services (law firms, financial advisors, accountants) | High-value clients research in ChatGPT before booking consultations | "best PI lawyer in [city]", "CPA for small business [city]" |
Our AEO process
- AI Visibility Audit — We run your brand and top queries through ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude before touching anything. You see exactly where you appear and don't.
- Technical Foundation — AI bot permissions (robots.txt), Organization + Service schema markup, entity registration (Google Business Profile, Crunchbase, Clutch).
- FAQPage Schema Implementation — Added to every key service/procedure page. This is the single highest-impact technical fix.
- Content Restructuring — We reformat existing pages so AI engines can extract direct answers. Every H2 gets a 50-100 word answer block. Data comparisons go into tables (81% extraction rate vs 23% prose).
- Expert Attribution — Named credentials added to all clinical and technical content. Essential for YMYL topics (healthcare, legal, financial).
- Monthly Citation Tracking — We track your citation rate across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews monthly for your top queries. You see the trend.
Pricing
- AI visibility audit (4 platforms)
- FAQPage schema on 5 key pages
- robots.txt + entity registration
- Organization + Service schema
- Monthly citation report
- Everything in Foundation
- Full content restructuring
- Author credential attribution
- 2 new AEO-optimized content pieces/mo
- Competitor citation monitoring
- Clutch + G2 setup + review requests
- Everything in Growth
- 4 content pieces/month
- Digital PR for authority building
- AEO prompt bank by vertical
- Weekly reporting
90-day money-back guarantee. We run the AI visibility audit before starting. If we can't see a clear path to citations, we tell you and don't charge. If you don't see measurable improvement in 90 days, full refund.
Frequently asked questions
What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?
AEO is structuring your content so AI engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews — cite your brand in their answers. Pages with proper AEO structure (FAQPage schema, direct answer blocks, named credentials) achieve 41% citation rates vs 15% without (Relixir 2025).
What's the difference between AEO and GEO?
The terms are used interchangeably. AEO emphasizes Q&A answer extraction; GEO emphasizes appearing across all generative AI platforms. Same tactics, different labels. AltorLab uses both.
How long does AEO take?
Technical fixes (schema, entity registration) show impact in 4-8 weeks. Content restructuring in 6-12 weeks. First AI citations typically appear within 60-90 days. Full entity authority builds over 3-6 months.
Does AEO replace SEO?
No. 76.1% of Google AI Overview citations also rank in Google's top 10. Strong SEO is the prerequisite for most AI citations. AEO is the layer on top — it structures your existing content so AI engines can extract and cite it. You need both.
Do you offer AEO for specific verticals?
Yes — healthcare (med spas, dentists, plastic surgeons, longevity clinics) and D2C ecommerce are our primary verticals. Healthcare AEO requires YMYL compliance (medical disclaimers, physician credentials, GLP-1 restrictions). See Med Spa AEO and Dental AEO for vertical-specific details.
We run your brand through 4 AI engines before the call.
Free 20-minute audit. We check ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude for your top queries before we speak. The first conversation starts with your specific gaps — not a sales pitch.
Get My Free AEO Audit →