For as long as (and for how often) we’ve been talking about AEO, I often pause to remind myself that we are still in the early days. We’re all figuring out the rules of the road, from how to capture the right prompt list for tracking to which channels are truly making an impact on AI answer engine visibility.
There is one thing I can say with absolute certainty: Relying on one-off tactics to boost AEO visibility in the short term is not worth your time. Instead, invest the time and energy in creating a sustainable, long-term strategy that accurately captures your brand narrative and value proposition, no matter how people discover information.
Why AEO Shortcuts Aren’t Worth the Time
Simply put, the shortcuts that work today aren’t guaranteed to work tomorrow. Think of those early days of SEO when people tried to rig the game by keyword stuffing blogs to the gills (and to the point that made no sense) or including keyword-rich white text to show up in searches that boosted traffic, but led a user to a webpage that didn’t actually help them.
Not only did this create a frustrating user experience, but it also didn’t help achieve business goals. Search engines also refined their ranking algorithms to focus on user engagement and, in theory, reward high-quality content that delivered on its promises to users on the search engine results page.
SEO strategies also evolved to focus on capturing quality traffic, which helped better connect web metrics to actual business outcomes.
Over-reliance on shortcut tactics in the AEO era is almost certain to follow a similar trajectory. Bursts of AI visibility may feel like a win during a quarterly metrics review, but will require constantly chasing the next trick.
LLMs will become more sophisticated with each new model release, and we can expect continued refinement of how answer engines work, what content it serves users, and what it takes to get mentioned and included in citations.
Taking a long-term view and building a strategy on solid fundamentals will help brands weather and respond to these changes rather than just show up in a one-off prompt here or there.
What are the fundamentals of a strong AEO strategy?
The fundamentals of a strong AEO strategy are not all that different from a strong marketing foundation. It comes down to three core components:
- Clear, compelling messaging
- Keen understanding of your target audience
- Tracking and performance optimization
Influence Both Humans and Search Engines with Consistent Messaging
One of the most valuable communication assets a business can have is an overarching story to tell the market. Rallying all marketing and communications efforts around a core set of messaging makes everyone’s jobs easier, including potential buyers and the LLMs powering generative search. This messaging should clearly define who your brand is, what you do or sell, and why you matter today.
Key takeaway: Write for humans using language your audience understands, then optimize delivery formats for answer engine performance.
Understand How Your Audience is Searching
Knowing your audience is more important than ever. In the AEO era, this goes beyond their job titles, favored publications, and where they hang out online. Communications teams must put themselves in their target audiences’ shoes to understand how they might search.
Buyers almost always start with a problem in mind. Solid prompt tracking lists should start here, too. What keeps your target buyer up at night or puts pressure on them at work? Understanding these questions can help create resonance long before they evaluate solutions.
Why this matters: According to recent research from Semrush, brand recognition does not catch buyers’ eyes in AI search as much as precise use case match does. With a thorough understanding of your audience, you can create tailored pain point content that stands out in crowded conversations and markets.
Measure Qualitative and Quantitative Data to Optimize As You Go
While AI search evolves, experimentation should be expected. The only way to know what’s truly working is ongoing data analysis.
There is no one source of truth for AEO data today. A combination of owned data sources, including web performance data and server logs, and insights from external tools helps brands track where and how they show up in answer engines and which pages LLMs crawl. For example, tools like Cognizo, Profound, or Evertune help with citation tracking that can inform earned, owned, and shared media strategies.
It’s also important to dig into qualitative data to refine your tracked prompt list and better understand how AI search influences your buyers. Many of our clients have asked their sales teams to add questions in their discovery process with prospects to understand how they use generative AI and the exact prompts they used.
Recommended Read: My Orchestra colleague Jeff Jensen wrote a great blog post about tracking AEO data that is worth a read and a bookmark.
How to win AEO in the long term
Adaptable and agile teams building on a strong foundation will help brands win in both the short and long term. Well-rounded, cohesive communication programs that reflect core messaging consistently across key channels help both buyers and bots understand your brand, what you do, and why you matter.
Need a creative, strategic partner to help you implement a strong AEO strategy? Work with us.
