Blog
Notes from the messy end
AI engines now build the shortlist for B2B software. Most companies don't know whether they're on it, or how they're described when they are. That's the one problem I write about.
These notes come from running audits on real domains. The numbers are sourced, and most posts end with something you can check on your own site. They're grouped by where you are: new to AEO, doing the work, measuring it, or deciding who should do it.
New here? Start with these
AEO basics
What answer engine optimization is, how it differs from SEO and GEO, and how AI engines decide which companies to name.
How to Fix a Wrong AI Description (It Happened to Me)
Gemini told me I run a company I've never heard of. Here's why AI engines merge and mislabel businesses, the four fixes that actually change it, and what I did to my own site last week.
Is my site visible to LLMs? How to check
Your robots.txt can allow every AI crawler and your server can still turn them away. How to check what ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google actually receive.
How to Get AI Recommendations: Why Citations Aren't Enough
Being cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini isn't being recommended. What separates a mention, a citation and a recommendation, and how to get shortlisted.
How to Rank in ChatGPT When There's No Position One
There's no position one in ChatGPT. How it decides which companies to name, what SEO still does for you, and what to measure instead of a rank.
AEO vs GEO: Same Thing? What the Research Actually Shows
AEO and GEO get used as synonyms, but they came from different places. Where each term started, what the research shows, and which one you need.
AEO vs SEO: Ranking #1 No Longer Means You Get Chosen
SEO gets you ranked. AEO decides whether an AI model picks you and how it describes you. What changed, what didn't, and why you still need both.
Cited by AI, Described as the Wrong Company
Most AEO audits stop at 'did you appear?' The costly failure is one layer deeper: AI cites you accurately and still files you in the wrong category.
Getting cited and recommended
The work itself: what to fix first, what to publish, and which sources actually move the answer.
How to Implement AEO in Your GTM (Start at BOFU, Not TOFU)
Don't roll AEO out across the whole funnel. Start at BOFU: turn who uses your product, and when, into the decision questions buyers now ask AI.
The AEO Advantage Competitors Can't Copy: Your Product Data
The most durable way to get cited by AI: publish a number other articles need. How to find that number inside your product and publish it.
What Sources Does AI Cite About You? How to Find Them
How to find the exact pages shaping AI answers about your company, and what to do about the ones you don't control.
G2 Reviews Won't Get You Cited by AI. Here's What They Do
Review profiles work as an eligibility check, not a citation source. What that means before you spend more on G2 and Capterra.
How to Appear in ChatGPT Answers: 8 Steps, in Order
A prioritized checklist for B2B SaaS, starting with the failure that makes everything else pointless: AI crawlers that can't read your pages.
Measuring it
Audits, visibility tools, AI traffic in GA4, and how long any of this takes to show up.
How to Track AI Traffic in GA4 (Much of It Arrives Unlabeled)
Set up GA4 to track AI referral traffic with a custom channel group above Referral, and why a third to two-thirds of it still arrives unlabeled.
How Long Does AEO Take? Days to Crawl, Months to Get Picked
AEO runs on two clocks: crawls take days, recommendations take months. What to expect engine by engine, with 2026 recrawl data.
AI Visibility Tools for B2B SaaS: What They Don't Measure
Five AI visibility tools for B2B SaaS by entry price: Otterly, Peec AI, Semrush, Ahrefs and Scrunch, with what each plan measures and what it leaves out.
What Is an AI Visibility Audit? (Most Just Count Mentions)
What an AI visibility audit should tell you beyond mention counts: recommendation status, exact descriptions, sources and fixes. Plus a DIY version.
Hiring help
Agency, specialist or in-house: real prices, the questions to ask, and the red flags.
Best AEO Agencies for B2B SaaS: 8 Options, Compared by Published Price
Eight AEO agencies for B2B SaaS, sorted by published price from $2,500/mo to $50k projects, with the stage each one fits and what the floors tell you.
AEO In-House or Outsourced? The Half Your Team Won't Finish
Which half of AEO your team can own, which half rarely gets finished in-house, what each path costs in 2026, and three signs you need outside help.
What to Ask an AEO Agency Before You Sign: A Vendor Checklist
The questions to ask any AEO vendor, the deliverables a proposal should name, and what a realistic first 90 days looks like.
How to Choose an AEO Agency: Real 2026 Prices and Red Flags
Real 2026 price bands for AEO work, the questions to ask before signing, the red flags behind wasted retainers, and when a solo specialist wins.
By software category
Why AI keeps recommending the competitor in specific SaaS markets, and what to fix first.
Why ChatGPT Still Calls Your AI Agent a Chatbot
Your category went from chatbot to agent in 18 months. The sources AI reads didn't. Why you're still filed under the old category, and how to fix it.
Why ChatGPT Recommends Your Competitor's Attribution Tool
Attribution buyers now shortlist vendors inside AI answers. Why models pick the tools they pick, who wrote the guides they learn from, and what to fix first.