Over the past year, user behavior online has changed significantly. More and more queries are being processed not by traditional search engines, but by AI assistants (ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews). So this isn’t just a trend, but already a new search landscape where LLM (Large Language Models) algorithms independently choose which sources to mention, cite, or recommend. And more and more people/potential clients are joining the use of such assistants.
That is, if a site doesn’t fall into the LLM’s field of view, it gradually disappears for part of the audience.
Therefore, the emergence of such a direction as AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) was only a matter of time. This is a new optimization approach that complements classic SEO rather than replacing it. We’ll show how we implement AEO: from technical preparation to the appearance of client sites in AI responses in the IT niche.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is website optimization for artificial intelligence responses. It’s about visibility on platforms that work on LLM (for example, ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity), which don’t show the usual list of results but generate an answer to the user’s query.
Unlike classic SEO, where we compete for positions in Google search results, AEO involves fighting for mentions or citations of the site in AI responses. AEO is especially relevant for niches where users search for information, comparisons, or recommendations: SaaS, e-commerce, finance, education.
So how do we influence AEO? We work from several directions simultaneously to cover all touchpoints with LLM.
We adapt pages to Bing algorithms, particularly considering how Copilot forms responses. This includes setting up metadata, working with titles, and preparing content that’s convenient for citation.
LLMs don’t “read” all pages, only those that are well-structured, accessible for crawling, and marked with appropriate schemas. We implement schema markup, monitor sitemap and robots.txt, and clean up technical noise.
For LLMs, the authority of the source they will cite is important. We place links to client pages in documents and publications that potentially fall into the training sample or are “readable” for models.
AI chooses content that is structured, accurate, and answers the query. We restructure texts: add Q&A, lists, avoid fluff. We also adapt to popular queries in ChatGPT and Bing.
Instead of talking about AEO for a long time, it’s better to show real AEO optimization results using examples of several of our clients from the IT niche. The task for all was similar: get into AI responses and receive targeted traffic not only from Google, but also from ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, Grok, and other AI platforms, ideally see an increase in clients and orders.
Below we’ll provide brief case studies with scope of work and screenshots of mentions in AI responses.
About the client: Game development studio that works with top AAA brands worldwide (EA, Ubisoft, Lucasfilm).
Goal: To be mentioned in ChatGPT and other assistant responses for queries related to “game art outsourcing” and “AAA game developers” to attract leads from the US and Europe.
What we did:
Results:
Appearance in AI response for priority query
Appearance in AI response for priority query
About the client: IT company engaged in software development for the Western market.
Goal: To appear in AI overviews responses for queries related to “top development company”, “ai app developers”.
What we did:
Results:
Appearance in AI response for priority query
Appearance in AI response for priority query
About the client: Global IT company providing consulting and digital services in automotive, finance, healthcare, and more.
Goal: To get into mentions by Bing Copilot, ChatGPT, and Google AI Overviews for complex competitive queries (e.g., top software development company, embedded software solutions).
What we did:
Results:
Appearance in AI response for priority query
About the client: Agency specializing in development and support of online stores on Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce.
Goal: To be mentioned in Google SGE for queries like “aws consulting services in houston”.
What we did:
Results:
Appearance in AI response for priority query
So, as we can see, AEO works, the main thing is to correctly combine classic SEO structure with new AI requirements. In all four cases, we achieved appearance in AI platform responses, which opens new organic traffic channels for clients in just a month of work, since before this we actively worked with them on SEO.
The market is rapidly changing and part of users are looking for answers not in Google, but in AI assistants. If your site doesn’t appear in these responses, you simply fall out of new touchpoints with clients. AEO is not a replacement for SEO, but its extension, which helps to be visible in new traffic sources: ChatGPT, Copilot, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Grok, and Claude.
Ready to elevate your brand in ChatGPT and Google AI responses? Leave a request on the site and we’ll help you become noticed in the eyes of AI assistants.
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