Foundation
SEO
Visibility in ranked search results, measured through rankings and organic clicks.
- Keywords and relevance
- Backlinks and authority
- Technical performance
AI search optimisation
AI search optimisation, get found
AEO and GEO consulting helps Australian businesses get cited by Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews by rebuilding the signals AI engines use to select sources. Gartner predicted a 25% decline in traditional search engine volume by 2026 as AI chatbots and agents took over. We rebuild your site for the new model and measure real AI citations.
The shift
Answer and generative engine optimisation, explained
People used to type a keyword, scan ten blue links and click. Now they ask Claude, ChatGPT or Perplexity for an answer, while Google returns an AI Overview before the blue links. The behaviour has changed.
Answer Engine Optimisation and Generative Engine Optimisation are how a business becomes usable as a source in those answers. The work centres on structured data, sourced statistics and clear, quotable answers, then measures citations across the major engines.
Definitions
AEO vs GEO vs SEO
Three related disciplines, each solving a different visibility problem.
Broad AI layer
AEO
Visibility in direct answers from Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and other answer engines.
- Structured data
- Sourced facts
- Named entities
- Citation tracking
Generative search
GEO
Visibility in generated search experiences, including AI Overviews and other model written results.
- Quotable answers
- Entity clarity
- Presence inside generated results
Scope
The six areas we cover
AI crawler access
Review robots.txt access for major AI crawlers and add llms.txt files that give engines a curated map of the site.
Structured data audit
Review page level Schema.org coverage and consistent @id linking across organisations, services, articles, FAQs and defined terms.
Quotable content rewrites
Improve high value pages with sourced openers, concise answers, comparisons and definitions that engines can extract accurately.
Entity & authority signals
Describe your business the same way on LinkedIn and the directories so AI engines see one company (the sameAs links in your site data).
Glossary & DefinedTerm builds
Create useful definition pages with DefinedTerm schema for the questions customers ask in your niche.
Measurement & monitoring
Track real citations and brand mentions across Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews each quarter.
Method
How the engagement runs
VibeZero built its own AI search posture using this playbook and can walk through the implementation during scoping.
Audit
Current state audit
We fetch the site as Googlebot, GPTBot and ClaudeBot, then report what each engine sees and where the gaps are.Plan
Prioritised roadmap
A ranked list of fixes by expected citation impact, sequencing quick technical changes and larger content work.Implement
Ship the changes
We implement on Next.js, Astro or WordPress, or hand a detailed fixed scope brief to your development team.Monitor
AI citation tracking
Quarterly checks show where the business is cited across the major AI answer engines.Iterate
Optimise what works
An optional quarterly retainer expands formats earning citations and retires those that do not.
Engagement models
Three ways to engage
Every engagement is quoted at a fixed price before work starts.
Assessment
AEO/GEO Audit
A one off assessment of what each engine sees, the gaps and a prioritised remediation plan.
- Current state audit
- Gap analysis
- Prioritised roadmap
- Walkthrough session
Delivery
Implementation Sprint
We ship schema, crawler configuration, content rewrites and glossary work in an estimated four to six weeks.
- All audit deliverables
- Schema implementation
- Content rewrites
- llms.txt and crawler controls
Evidence
Ongoing Monitoring
A quarterly retainer for citation tracking and updates as AI engines change.
- Quarterly citation reports
- Content optimisation
- Schema updates
- Strategy review
Boundaries
What this engagement is not
Not in scope
Classic SEO
We do not provide link building, keyword density campaigns or traditional technical SEO retainers.
Not in scope
Paid AI ads
This is source and citation optimisation, not media buying inside AI products.
Optional scope
Content writing
We brief and audit by default. Full writing is included only when added to the agreed scope.
No guarantee
Ranking promises
No consultancy controls an AI engine's citations. Evidence is reported through observed results, not promised positions.
Separate decision
CMS migration
If the platform cannot ship schema and content changes, we will flag that before the engagement starts.
Triggers
When to call us in
Traffic falling
SEO clicks declining
Search Console clicks are flat or falling while AI answers displace older search positions.
Invisible in AI
Never cited by ChatGPT
Your business does not appear when customers ask AI tools questions about your market.
New site
Building for AI search
A new website is launching and you want answer engine signals designed in from day one.
Schema gap
Structured data is bare
The site has little useful Schema.org markup for engines to interpret.
Brand recognition
Knowledge graph absent
External entity references are inconsistent or missing, so engines struggle to identify the business.
Leadership question
Board asking about AI search
A board, funder or industry body wants a defensible response to changing search behaviour.
Related work
What tends to sit beside AEO & GEO Consulting
The capabilities that turn an assessment or recommendation into an operating change.
Practical details
Questions about AEO & GEO Consulting
What is assessed, what you receive and where advisory responsibility stops.
Start here
Want to know if AI engines see your business? Start with a 30 minute scoping call
We will tell you whether this engagement is the right fit. No pitch deck.