01
An AI visibility audit
We ask ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews, Copilot and Perplexity the questions your buyers ask, record who gets recommended and why, and set your starting point.
Answer engine optimization (AEO)
Be the business AI recommends.
When someone asks ChatGPT or Google who to hire, the answer names a few businesses. Answer engine optimization (AEO) is the work of making yours one of them: clear answers on your site, consistent business details everywhere, genuine reviews and proof that AI systems can read and trust.
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AI answers our clients have earned
Screenshots from 2026; the blue boxes are our highlights. AI answers change from day to day and no one can guarantee a recommendation, which is why we check them every month.
ChatGPT
Asked: “who would you recommend as a roofer in norfolk va”
Puts WT Anderson Roofing & Siding among the three roofers at the top of its list.
WT Anderson Roofing & Siding, Norfolk, Virginia
Google AI Overview
Asked: “who would you recommend for a siding company in norfolk va”
Names W.T. Anderson Roofing & Siding first and shows it as the top recommendation. The Sponsored listing above it is a paid Local Services ad from the same campaign; the AI Overview itself is unpaid.
WT Anderson Roofing & Siding, Norfolk, Virginia
ChatGPT
Asked: “who would you recommend for a solar company in wildwood fl”
“My first company I’d get a quote from is Solar Bear.”
Solar Bear, Tampa to Orlando, Florida
Google AI Mode
Asked: “maid service lexington ky”
Names Cleaning Pros among Lexington’s top-rated local maid services and cites its website.
Your House Cleaning Pros, Lexington, Kentucky
ChatGPT
Asked: “who would you recommend for a house cleaner in lexington ky”
Shows Cleaning Pros as the first business in its answer.
Your House Cleaning Pros, Lexington, Kentucky
ChatGPT
Asked: “who would you recommend as a long distance mover in grove city oh”
Puts E.E. Ward Moving & Storage near the top of its list.
E.E. Ward Moving & Storage, Columbus, Ohio
Google AI Overview
Asked: “columbus commercial movers”
Names E.E. Ward Moving Company among the top-rated commercial movers in Columbus.
E.E. Ward Moving & Storage, Columbus, Ohio
Your House Cleaning Pros went from about one lead a week to one a day in seven months through organic search and AI visibility.
Solar Bear went from almost no organic inquiries to more than 20 a month within its first month on a new site built for search engines and AI tools.
See the full case studies, with the work and how each result was measured. Local case studies
What AEO work includes
02
Pages AI systems can read
Fast pages delivered as real HTML and open to search and AI crawlers such as Googlebot, Bingbot, ChatGPT’s OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot, with sitemaps and IndexNow, which alerts Bing and others the moment a page changes.
03
Consistent business details
The same name, address, phone number, categories and description across your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp and industry directories, tied together with structured data (machine-readable business facts).
04
Answers to real questions
Service, location and FAQ content that answers buyer questions directly: what you do, where, for whom, how pricing works and why you’re a good choice.
05
Reviews and reputation
A steady, genuine flow of reviews on Google and the other sites people and AI systems check, with thoughtful responses.
06
Mentions that build trust
Citations from credible sources in your industry and community, such as partners, associations, local press and directories.
How we do AEO
The same steps behind the AI answers on this page.
- 01
Map the questions
List the questions buyers ask AI at each stage, from “who’s the best roofer near me” to comparisons and price questions, and see who gets recommended today.
- 02
Fix the foundations
Crawl access, site structure, structured data, Google Business Profile and listings, so every system sees the same accurate facts about you.
- 03
Publish the proof
Clear answers, real results, reviews and third-party mentions that give AI systems good reasons to name you.
- 04
Check every month
We rerun the question set across engines each month and report recommendations, AI referral traffic and leads.
Why businesses trust us with AI search
- Done for real businesses
- The roofer, mover, house cleaner and solar installer on this page have been recommended by ChatGPT and Google’s AI answers in their markets.
- No gimmicks
- We don’t sell magic files or guaranteed placements. The work is what earns trust from people too: accuracy, useful answers and proof.
- Search, ads and AI together
- SEO, Google Ads, ChatGPT Ads and AEO are planned as one strategy, so each supports the others.
- Measured in leads
- AI visibility is reported next to the calls, forms and sales it brings in.
AEO questions, answered.
What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?
AEO is the work of making your business easy for AI systems such as ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity to find, understand and recommend. It builds on SEO, with extra focus on clear answers, consistent business information, reviews and third-party mentions.
How is AEO different from SEO?
They overlap. Google says its AI features rely on the same foundations as regular Search, so strong SEO comes first. AEO adds work aimed at being named in an answer: direct answers to buyer questions, consistent facts across the web, and the reviews and mentions AI systems draw on.
How does ChatGPT decide which businesses to recommend?
OpenAI hasn’t published a ranking formula. ChatGPT search uses its own crawler, OAI-SearchBot, along with search and data partners such as Yelp, and for local questions it often shows map results with ratings. Clear website content, consistent listings and genuine reviews are the signals we can strengthen.
Do I need an llms.txt file?
No. Google says Search ignores llms.txt files and that no special AI files or markup are needed for its AI features, and no major AI company has confirmed using them to rank or cite websites. We don’t sell one as a fix.
Can you guarantee ChatGPT or Google will recommend my business?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. AI answers change constantly. We strengthen the signals these systems use and check the results every month.
How long does AEO take?
It depends on your market and starting point. Solar Bear received its first organic inquiries within a month of launching its new site, and Your House Cleaning Pros went from about one lead a week to one a day in seven months.
Is AEO the same as ChatGPT Ads?
No. ChatGPT Ads are paid placements shown below answers. AEO works on the answers themselves. We offer both and keep them separate.
AEO inquiry
Find out how AI describes you.
A little context is enough to start. No meeting required.
Prefer email?
ryan@hyperdrivelab.com