Welcome to AEO 101
Key Concepts:
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): The practice of optimizing your brand's visibility in AI-generated answers (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, etc.) rather than traditional search engine results pages.This video will walk through the full Insight → Action → Impact loop with a real-world example.
The AEO Loop: Insight → Action → Impact
Insight: See what questions people are asking AI and whether your brand appears in the answers
Action: Optimize content based on evidence from the platform
Impact: Measure changes in visibility, citations, and downstream outcomes
Important data points to measure
- What questions are real users asking?
- How many times is your brand being cited in responses?
- How is your visibility in AI Search changing over time?
- What web traffic is coming from AI Search?
Try it for yourself:
- Ask an AI about your category: Open ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini and ask "What's the best [your product category]?" Note whether your brand appears and how it's described.
- Identify one competitor mentioned: In that same answer, note which competitors do appear.
- Dig into citations: See what sources AI Search is using to form its answers.
Meet your mentor
Josh BlyskalHead of Education