AEO Testing Requires Control Groups and Reproducibility

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing your content to appear in AI language model responses, representing the second biggest shift in search marketing since Google's anti-spam algorithms transformed SEO from manipulation to quality content.

Understanding AEO vs. Traditional SEO

• AEO and SEO share fundamental principles but differ in key ways:

  • In SEO, ranking #1 in Google means you win the traffic
  • In AEO, being mentioned most frequently across multiple citations determines success
  • "Everything that works in SEO works in AEO, but there are additional things beyond SEO that also work in AEO"

• Key differences between AEO and SEO:

  • The "head" works differently - you need multiple mentions across citations, not just a top ranking
  • The "tail" is much larger - people ask longer, more specific questions (25 words vs 6 words)
  • AEO traffic converts at significantly higher rates (6x higher in Webflow's case)
  • Early-stage companies can win at AEO much faster than SEO

The 7-Step AEO Strategy Framework

1. Identify target questions

   • Transform your SEO keywords into questions (ChatGPT can help with this)
   • Mine questions from sales calls, customer support, and Reddit
   • Focus on both high-volume questions and specific long-tail questions

2. Set up answer tracking

   • Use an AEO tracker to monitor your "share of voice" across LLMs
   • Track how often you appear in answers and your average position
   • Test multiple question variants as results vary by phrasing

3. Analyze citation patterns

   • Identify which sources are appearing in answers for your target questions
   • Different industries have different citation patterns (B2B: TechRadar; Commerce: Glamour)
   • Develop strategies for each citation type

4. Create optimized landing pages

   • Answer the main question comprehensively
   • Address all potential follow-up questions on the same page
   • Focus on long-tail, specific use cases that competitors miss

5. Implement citation optimization strategies

   • YouTube/Vimeo: Create videos for high-value, low-competition topics
   • Reddit: Identify relevant threads, disclose your identity, provide genuinely helpful answers
   • Affiliates: Get mentioned in trusted review sites (expensive but effective)
   • Blogs: Create content that answers specific questions no one else is addressing

6. Design and run controlled experiments

   • Split questions into test and control groups (e.g., 100 each)
   • Apply interventions to test group only
   • Compare performance against control group
   • Reproduce successful experiments to validate findings

7. Build the right team

   • Leverage your SEO team for on-site optimization
   • Add community/marketing specialists for off-site citation work
   • Consider help center optimization specialists

Help Center Optimization: The Untapped AEO Opportunity

• Move help center from subdomain to subdirectory for better visibility
• Implement strong internal linking between help center pages
• Create content for long-tail, specific use cases
• Open to community contributions to cover the "tail" of questions
• Focus on answering detailed questions about features, integrations, and use cases

Common AEO Misconceptions

• Google search is not dying - it's growing alongside LLMs
• AI-generated content without human editing doesn't work (only 10-12% of ranked content)
• Purely AI-generated content leads to "model collapse" - an infinite loop of derivatives
• Most "best practices" aren't validated through proper testing

Practical Implementation Tips

• For B2B: Focus on specific use cases and technical details; track attribution beyond last-touch
• For early-stage companies: Skip traditional SEO, focus on citation optimization and long-tail questions
• For all companies: Run controlled experiments rather than following conventional wisdom
• Remember that "most work is wasted in SEO/AEO" - focus on the 5% that drives results