AI Search
AI Search (AEO) — get recommended by ChatGPT and Perplexity
Answer Engine Optimization for the searches that bypass Google entirely.
60% of consumer searches are projected to happen inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews by 2027. Most contractor and realtor sites are invisible to those models. We fix that.
60%+
projected share of search via AI engines by 2027
0%
of contractor sites are AEO-optimized today (early-mover window)
ChatGPT
Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, Google AI Overviews — all citation-driven
Schema +
structured Q&A + citation strategy = three pillars
What's included
Six deliverables. One outcome: more booked jobs.
AEO content architecture
Restructure your highest-intent pages into Q&A + structured-answer formats that AI engines cite directly.
Schema markup expansion
FAQPage, Service, LocalBusiness, HowTo, Article — every relevant schema type, every page. Schema is how AI engines parse what your business does.
Citation seeding
AI models cite trusted sources. We build out the citation infrastructure (third-party listings, niche directories, industry mentions) that gets your business referenced.
AI visibility tracking
We monitor what ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews say about your service area when prompted. Track your visibility week over week.
Prompt-aware content
Most people prompt AI in conversational form ("who is the best HVAC contractor in [area]") not Google-style queries. Content is rewritten to match prompt syntax.
Content updating + freshness signals
AI engines weight recency. Older content gets refreshed quarterly; new content carries the freshness signals AI ranking systems care about.
Why it matters
What this actually does for your business.
- AI search is where the next decade of consumer attention is going — early movers compound.
- AEO is structurally different from SEO — schema-heavy, Q&A-formatted, citation-driven.
- Almost no contractors or real estate agents are doing this — the early-mover window is wide open.
- AI engines do not show 10 results. They show 1-3. If you are not in the top 1-3, you are invisible.
- Citations + structured answers are the AEO equivalent of backlinks + on-page SEO.
How we do it
Four stages. Every step transparent.
AEO audit
We prompt the major AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) with buyer-intent queries for your service area. See where you appear (or do not).
Restructure
Top 10-15 highest-intent pages get rewritten into Q&A + structured-answer format. Schema markup expanded. Internal links restructured for AI citation patterns.
Cite + amplify
Build out third-party citations in directories AI engines actually source from (industry-specific, geo-specific). Activate review velocity for AI signal.
Track + iterate
Weekly: prompt the engines, check visibility, adjust content where you are missing. Quarterly: full refresh + new query targets.
FAQ
Common questions about AI Search.
Is AEO a real thing or marketing hype?
It is real. Google AI Overviews now appear in 30%+ of search results. ChatGPT has 200M+ weekly users searching it directly. Perplexity is growing fast. The AI engines are displacing real Google search traffic — measurably, today.
How is this different from SEO?
SEO targets the ten blue links on Google. AEO targets the 1-3 citations AI engines pick. SEO weights backlinks and on-page; AEO weights schema, structured Q&A, and trusted citations. They overlap (good SEO helps AEO) but they are not identical.
How do I track if AEO is working?
We prompt ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews monthly with 20-30 buyer-intent queries for your area. Track whether you appear in the answer (and where). Plus track AI-source referral traffic to your site (small but growing).
Should I do AEO before SEO?
Do them together. Foundation tier focuses on SEO + GBP. Growth tier adds AEO restructuring. Engine + Partnership tiers add full AEO + citation seeding + competitive intelligence. AEO without SEO is incomplete; SEO without AEO leaves the next 5 years of search traffic on the table.
Will this still matter in 2 years?
AI search is the most likely structural shift in consumer search since 2010. Whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or some new entrant wins — the format is shifting from 10 blue links to 1-3 cited answers. The agencies that move now own the playbook.
Pairs well with
AI Search is one piece. Here's the rest of the engine.
Ready to add AI Search to your engine?
Free 30-minute strategy call. We'll model your booked-job math and show you what AI Search actually moves for your business.