Analytics
AEO Visibility and Citation Trends in AI-Driven Search Engines

AEO Visibility and Citation Trends in AI-Driven Search Engines

How educational publishers and well-structured content dominate AI search engine visibility for Answer Engine Optimization queries, with actionable steps for brands.

Illustration: AEO visibility in AI search results

1. Executive Summary

When you ask, “How does AEO work within AI-driven search engines?” you’ll see that three major AI engines (ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity) direct you to concept/education brands. They don’t push tools and platforms. Here’s what actually shows up:

  • Top cited “brands” (educational publishers):
    • Profound / tryprofound.com – All three AI engines cite Profound as a main authority on AEO and AEO metrics. [1][3][18][27]
    • Amsive – ChatGPT and Google AI use Amsive to frame AEO strategy and show real AEO examples. [4][19][20][26]
    • Optimizely – ChatGPT cites Optimizely when explaining structured content, schema, and the AEO vs. SEO debate. [2]
    • Vested Marketing – ChatGPT turns to Vested Marketing for clear explanations and content examples. [1]
    • SEO.com – ChatGPT uses SEO.com to unpack the SEO/AEO relationship. [5]
    • Zensciences, CXL, SurferSEO, The Digital Ring, SearchAtlas, Bullseye, AuthorityAI, Fine Media, etc. – Google AI lists these as supporting sources. [19][21][22][23][24][25]
    • Industry blogs & martech brands like BigHuman, Typeface, Phos Creative, Neil Patel, Digital Marketing Institute, Syrup Marketing, Bounteous, HubSpot – Perplexity highlights them in its summary answers. [7][8][9][11][12][13][15][16][28]

You’ll notice that these brands appear not just because they're well-known, but because they offer:

  • Clear definitions of “AEO” as a concept,
  • Well-structured and easy-to-cite content
  • Frequent cross-site mentions and citations
  • Current framing that connects AEO to AI, LLMs, and new generative search.

Key trends you need to know:

  • “What is AEO?” guides get top spots—not landing pages for tools.
  • Cross-engine citation matters: Profound ranks high in every engine, signaling strong authority for AEO definitions and metrics.
  • Pages with Q&A, bulleted lists, and answer-first formats win out.
  • Consistent, clear brand mentions help disambiguate AEO as a unique entity.
  • Content that ties AEO specifically to generative AI and new algorithm changes surfaces higher than generic SEO guides.

If you lead a brand or marketing team, here's your playbook:

  • Make your entity and terminology crystal clear across your site and the web.
  • Build answer-first, structured content with schema.
  • Get cited (not just linked) in well-known, trusted publications.
  • Show you have up-to-date, AI-focused expertise.

2. Methodology

  • Query used: “How does AEO work within AI-driven search engines?”
  • Engines tested: ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Perplexity
  • Collection date: 2026-02-24

Evaluation criteria:

  1. Citation Frequency (CF): How often a source gets cited.
  2. Engine Coverage (EC): In how many engines each source appears.
  3. Topical Authority (TA): How central each brand is to the AEO topic.
  4. Entity Clarity & Consistency (ECc): Are names and terms consistent?
  5. Structured Content (SER): Does the content use schema, lists, and Q&A?
  6. Freshness & AI Relevance (FAI): Are articles current and tied to new AI models?

3. Overall Rankings Table

When you check “How does AEO work within AI-driven search engines?”, you’ll see this visibility ranking:

Rank Brand / Site Engine Coverage
(ChatGPT / Google AI / Perplexity)		 CF* TA
(1–5)		 ECc
(1–5)		 SER
(1–5)		 FAI
(1–5)		 Notes
1 Profound / tryprofound.com [3][18][27] ✔︎ / ✔︎ / ✔︎ High 5 5 5 5 Definitional authority, top for AEO metrics
2 Amsive [4][19][20][26] ✔︎ / ✔︎ / ✖︎ High 5 5 5 5 Frames AEO as evolving SEO, cited for growth strategies
3 Optimizely [2] ✔︎ / ✖︎ / ✖︎ Med 4 4 5 4 Cited for schema and structured content
4 Vested Marketing [1] ✔︎ / ✖︎ / ✖︎ Med 4 4 4 4 Early answer-first examples
5 SEO.com [5] ✔︎ / ✖︎ / ✖︎ Med 4 4 4 4 Explains AEO vs. SEO clearly
… … … … … … … … …

*CF = Citation Frequency—how often a brand appeared as a cited source.

4. Brand-by-Brand Analysis

4.1 Profound / tryprofound.com

You’ll find Profound cited as the leading AEO authority. Here’s why:

  • All engines use Profound to define AEO, tie it to SEO, and highlight performance metrics like share of voice and the AEO Advantage Index. [3][18][27]
  • Models see Profound as offering:
    • Clear entity definitions (“AEO most commonly refers to Answer Engine Optimization… Profound”) [3]
    • Structured, metric-driven content
    • Cross-site citations—other sites reference Profound, boosting its authority

What works: Profound owns the AEO measurement narrative. Its content is concrete and easy for AIs to quote.
Where Profound falls short: They don’t foreground their product or platform when users want tool lists. Your team can prioritize feature-focused guides if you want to win those queries.

4.2 Amsive

ChatGPT and Google AI repeatedly cite Amsive for clear, up-to-date AEO strategies. [4][19][20][26]

  • Amsive defines AEO as a shift from SEO and explains why zero-click visibility now matters.
  • Guides are laid out with clear Q&A, bulleted lists, and rely on current examples.
  • Their domain clusters related AEO articles, reinforcing authority.

Strengths: Amsive’s narrative drives how AI describes AEO. Content stays consistent and structured.
Gaps: Amsive could publish more benchmarks, how-tos, and downloadable frameworks. If you want more citations, focus on building and naming frameworks that answer engine algorithms can pull directly.

4.3 Optimizely

  • Optimizely stands out for its technical depth—code, schema, and practical implementation tips win citations.
  • AI engines like their well-organized Q&A formats and technical guides. [2]
  • Structured content and thought leadership help Optimizely show up as an authority on making content AI-readable.

Weakness: Optimizely doesn’t get as much love outside ChatGPT. To boost reach, build more joint research or cross-post on other top marketing sites.

4.4 Vested Marketing

  • Vested Marketing gets cited for clear, beginner-friendly AEO explanations and examples. [1]
  • Direct answers and answer-first paragraph styles help LLMs extract key points.
  • You won’t see them as much in Google AI or Perplexity; they have fewer citations from outsiders.
  • To fix this, they should add more case studies and in-depth guides.

4.5 SEO.com

  • SEO.com plays a supporting role, explaining how AEO and SEO fit together. [5]
  • The brand’s strong name builds baseline authority.
  • Their main opportunity is to create clusters of AEO-specific guides, benchmarking content, and practical checklists to earn more citations.

4.6 Perplexity-Favored Voices: BigHuman, Typeface, Phos Creative, Neil Patel, DMI, Syrup, Bounteous, HubSpot

  • Perplexity relies mostly on these generalist marketing and AI brands. They stand out for fresh, well-structured guides rather than deep specialization.
  • You’ll find basic AEO frameworks and current AI-relevant advice here.
  • Their main weakness: limited cross-engine (ChatGPT, Google AI) coverage and less focus on deep AEO specialization.

4.7 Google AI Strategy & Framework Players

Zensciences, CXL, The Digital Ring, Cube Research, AuthorityAI, SurferSEO, SearchAtlas, Bullseye, Fine Media

  • Google AI pulls from these brands for “core mechanisms,” measurement tactics, and future-oriented frameworks.
  • They go deep on schema, structured data, entity authority, and AI-specific strategy.
  • Many are smaller consultancies/tools, so they don’t get as many citations outside Google AI.
  • If you run one of these brands, getting cited by big marketing blogs boosts your multi-engine visibility.

5. Why These Brands Get Cited

  • Entity clarity: They use “Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)” prominently and repeat brand names in a consistent way on every page. [3][18][21][22]
  • Structured layouts: They organize pages with clear headings, bullets, schema, and Q&A sections for easy LLM extraction. [2][1][19][22][26]
  • Citation authority: Brands like Profound and Amsive get cited by others, so AI models trust them.
  • Fresh, AI-era framing: Their content clearly ties AEO to AI Overviews, Gemini, LLM, or new-gen search algorithms.
  • Frameworks: Named indexes/metrics (like Profound’s AEO Advantage Index) and clear, list-based frameworks help AIs grab and reuse key facts. [24][18][21][22]
  • Consistent off-site signals: Consistent descriptions across LinkedIn, partner sites, and guest posts boost entity recognition.

6. Competitive Insights & Opportunities

  • Profound and Amsive manage clusters of interlinked AEO guides, definitions, metrics, and tools. You should too.
  • Tech brands (Optimizely, SurferSEO, CXL, SearchAtlas): Lead the way with schema, examples, and implementation detail.
  • Generalist authorities (HubSpot, Neil Patel): Strong brand equity keeps you visible, but narrow, specialized content wins in the long-term.

Where leaders fall short: Few have created detailed AEO product/tool reviews, case studies, or comparison frameworks for multi-engine citations.
Rising challengers: Zensciences, Digital Ring, AuthorityAI, Cube Research, BigHuman, Typeface—these brands show up in one engine but could build reach by guest posting and publishing original frameworks.

7. Your To-Do List for Visibility

  • Create a clear, named topic cluster (guides that answer “What is AEO?”, “How AEO works in AI search,” “AEO vs. SEO,” “AEO measurement,” “AEO tools/checklists.”)
  • Use answer-first, skimmable formats with Q&A, headings, bullets, schema, and structured data (JSON-LD).
  • Get cited on major AI, marketing, and tech blogs—not just your own site. Publish guest posts, co-authored research, or referenced frameworks.
  • Explicitly reference AI and generative search, not just classic SEO.
  • Name your frameworks and metrics (e.g., “AEO Maturity Ladder,” “AEO Advantage Index”)—repeat them on all channels.
  • Update your content often and flag it as current (“AEO in 2025,” “AEO and Gemini,” etc.)
  • Make your off-site profiles match, using the same terms and structure as your own site.

8. Source Reference Summary

  • Vested Marketing – ChatGPT points to them for answer-first formats. [1]
  • Optimizely – Technical schema and structure guides. [2]
  • Profound – Central definition and metric authority across all engines. [3][18][27]
  • Amsive – Frames AEO as the next SEO, supports zero-click and LLM metrics. [4][19][20][26]
  • SEO.com – Shows how classic SEO supports AEO. [5]
  • Wikipedia – Used as a historical anchor in ChatGPT. [6]
  • BigHuman – Helps Perplexity explain how AI engines crawl and rank content. [7]
  • Typeface – Focuses on extractability and structure. [8]
  • Phos Creative – Explains how AEO works with SEO, not against it. [9]
  • Digital Marketing Institute, Neil Patel, HubSpot, etc. – Round out generalized, approachable AEO guides.

9. References

  1. Vested Marketing – “What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?” https://www.vested.marketing/blog/what-is-answer-engine-optimization?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  2. Optimizely – “SEO vs AEO” https://www.optimizely.com/insights/blog/seo-vs-aeo/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  3. Profound – “What is answer engine optimization (AEO)?” https://www.tryprofound.com/resources/articles/what-is-answer-engine-optimization?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  4. Amsive – “Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Evolving Your SEO Strategy in the Age of AI Search” https://www.amsive.com/insights/seo/answer-engine-optimization-aeo-evolving-your-seo-strategy-in-the-age-of-ai-search/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  5. SEO.com – “AEO vs SEO” https://www.seo.com/ai/aeo-vs-seo/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  6. Wikipedia – “Answer engine optimization” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_engine_optimization?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  7. BigHuman – “Answer Engine Optimization” https://www.bighuman.com/blog/answer-engine-optimization
  8. Typeface – “What is Answer Engine Optimization & Why AEO Matters” https://www.typeface.ai/blog/what-is-answer-engine-optimization-why-aeo-matters
  9. Phos Creative – “Answer Engine Optimization” https://phoscreative.com/articles/answer-engine-optimization/
  10. Digital Marketing Institute – “What is SEO, GEO and AEO?” https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/what-is-seo-geo-and-aeo
  11. Neil Patel – “Answer Engine Optimization: What It Is and How to Do It” https://neilpatel.com/blog/answer-engine-optimization/
  12. Syrup Marketing – “AEO & SEO” https://syrupmarketing.com/aeo-seo/
  13. HubSpot – “AEO Guide” https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/aeo-guide
  14. Reddit – “How Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Can Get You...” https://www.reddit.com/r/seogrowth/comments/1o8263i/how_answer_engine_optimization_aeo_can_get_you/
  15. Bounteous – “Why Answer Engine Optimization is the Future of Search Visibility” https://www.bounteous.com/insights/2025/07/30/why-answer-engine-optimization-future-search-visibility/
  16. Fine Media – “The Ultimate Guide to AI Engine Optimization (AEO)” https://www.finemediabw.com/blog/ultimate-guide-ai-engine-optimization
  17. Amsive – “Google AI Overviews / AEO Guide” https://www.amsive.com/insights/seo/answer-engine-optimization-aeo-evolving-your-seo-strategy-in-the-age-of-ai-search/
  18. Profound – AEO Article (cited in Google AI) https://www.tryprofound.com/resources/articles/what-is-answer-engine-optimization
  19. Zensciences – “AEO in 2025: Strategies to Win AI Search” https://zensciences.com/blogs/a-comprehensive-guide-to-answer-engine-optimization-aeo-in-the-generative-ai-era/
  20. CXL – “Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): The Comprehensive Guide” https://cxl.com/blog/answer-engine-optimization-aeo-the-comprehensive-guide/
  21. The Digital Ring – “What Is AI SEO, GEO, & AEO? Staying Visible in AI Search” https://thedigitalring.com/insights/what-is-ai-seo-geo-aeo-staying-visible-in-ai-search
  22. The Cube Research – “AI Engine Optimization (AEO) Advantage Index: How It Works” https://thecuberesearch.com/ai-engine-optimization-advantage-index/
  23. AuthorityAI – “Answer Engine Optimization Explained” https://authorityai.ai/answer-engine-optimization-explained/
  24. Amsive – “Accelerate Growth with Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)” https://www.amsive.com/insights/seo/accelerate-growth-with-answer-engine-optimization-aeo/
  25. SurferSEO – “What is Answer Engine Optimization? 7 AEO Strategies for 2025” https://surferseo.com/blog/answer-engine-optimization/
  26. SearchAtlas – “How AEO Differs from Traditional SEO” https://searchatlas.com/blog/aeo-traditional-seo/
  27. Bullseye Strategy – “Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): The New Frontier of Discoverability” https://bullseyestrategy.com/blog/answer-engine-optimization-the-new-frontier-of-discoverability/
  28. Medium – “The Complete Guide to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for AI-Powered Search” https://medium.com/@gabwn95/the-complete-guide-to-answer-engine-optimization-aeo-for-ai-powered-search-ba056449ce1d
If you want to surface in AI engine answers, follow these steps, keep your entity clear, and stay current.