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 predicts traditional search engine volume will drop 25% by 2026 as AI chatbots and agents take over. Most Australian websites are still optimised for the old model: keyword density and blue links. AI search rewards different signals. We rebuild your site for the new one, and we measure the results in real AI citations.
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. Google itself returns an AI Overview before the blue links. The behaviour has flipped.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) are how you show up in those answers. The signals that matter are different from classic SEO: structured data, sourced statistics, quotable definitions, named entities, declarative one-line answers. Most Australian SMB sites have none of these. We rebuild them properly and measure the results in real citations across Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
AEO vs GEO vs SEO
Answer Engine Optimisation, Generative Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Optimisation solve three different jobs, and most Australian businesses still only invest in the third.
| Dimension | SEO | AEO | GEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Search Engine Optimisation | Answer Engine Optimisation | Generative Engine Optimisation |
| Where you show up | Ranked blue links in Google and Bing | Direct answers in Claude, ChatGPT and Perplexity | AI Overviews and AI Mode inside Google |
| What it rewards | Keywords, backlinks, page speed | Structured data, sourced facts, named entities | Answer signals tuned for Google AI results |
| How you measure | Rankings and organic clicks | Citations and brand mentions in AI answers | Presence and citations inside AI Overviews |
| Where it sits | The foundation, still needed | The broad layer across every AI engine | The Google slice of AEO |
The six areas we cover
AI crawler access
robots.txt allowlist for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, Applebot-Extended and 16 others. llms.txt and llms-full.txt files that give AI engines a curated map of your site.
Structured data audit
Schema.org coverage on every page. Organization, LocalBusiness, Article, Service, FAQPage, DefinedTerm, Review with proper @id entity linking so engines build a coherent knowledge graph slice.
Quotable content rewrites
TL;DR blocks, bold sourced openers, comparison tables, definition lists. The formats AI Overviews and chat answers extract verbatim. Done on your top pages first.
Entity & authority signals
Wikidata entry, Crunchbase, GitHub org, sameAs cross-references. The signals that let AI engines recognise your business as a real entity rather than a generic website.
Glossary & DefinedTerm builds
Definition pages with DefinedTerm schema. These get cited disproportionately by AI engines for any 'what is X' query in your niche.
Measurement & monitoring
Quarterly tracking of real citations in Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Brand mention monitoring. Position tracking for AI-eligible queries.
How the engagement runs
Current-state audit
We fetch your site as Googlebot, GPTBot and ClaudeBot. Report what each AI engine sees today and where the gaps are.
Prioritised roadmap
Ranked list of fixes by AI-citation impact. Quick wins (CSP headers, llms.txt) first. Bigger plays (glossary, comparison content) sequenced.
Ship the changes
We implement directly if your site is Next.js / Astro / WordPress, or hand a detailed brief to your dev team. Fixed scope, fixed price.
AI citation tracking
Quarterly checks of where your business is cited in Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. Real measurement, not vanity metrics.
Optimise what works
Quarterly retainer optional. Push content that earns citations harder. Retire formats that do not. AEO is still new; the playbook evolves.
VibeZero built its own AI search posture using exactly this playbook. We are the working case study, and we are happy to walk through what we did on our own site as part of the scoping call.
Three ways to engage
One-off audit of your current AI search posture. What each engine sees, where the gaps are, prioritised remediation plan. You take the plan to your team or another agency.
- ✓Current-state audit
- ✓Gap analysis
- ✓Prioritised roadmap
- ✓Walkthrough session
We ship the changes ourselves. Schema, llms.txt, content rewrites, structured data, glossary builds, AI crawler allowlist. Typically 4 to 6 weeks fixed price.
- ✓All audit deliverables
- ✓Schema implementation
- ✓Content rewrites
- ✓llms.txt + AI crawler config
Quarterly retainer covering AI citation tracking, content optimisation, fresh glossary entries, and adjustments as AI engines evolve their ranking signals.
- ✓Quarterly citation reports
- ✓Content optimisation
- ✓Schema updates
- ✓Strategy review
fixed price quote agreed before any work starts.
What this engagement is not
Classic SEO
We do not do keyword-density work, link building or PageSpeed Insights audits. You still need a traditional SEO agency for those.
Paid AI ads
We do not run ads inside ChatGPT, Perplexity or anywhere else. Not the same field.
Content writing
We brief and audit. Writing is yours unless you add it to scope.
Ranking guarantees
No consultancy can guarantee a position. Anyone who promises that is selling something else.
A CMS migration
If your site is on an inflexible CMS we will say so. AEO requires you can ship schema and content changes.
When to call us in
SEO clicks declining
Your Google Search Console clicks have been flat or falling while AI Overviews and chat answers eat your old SERP positions.
Never cited by ChatGPT
You ask Claude or ChatGPT about your industry and your business never comes up. Your competitors might.
Building for AI search
You are about to launch a new site and want AEO baked in from day one rather than retrofitted later.
Structured data is bare
Your site has minimal or no Schema.org markup. AI engines have nothing structured to extract.
Knowledge graph absent
You are not on Wikidata, Crunchbase or the Google Knowledge Graph. AI engines do not recognise you as an entity.
Board asking about AI search
A board, funder or industry body has asked how you are adapting to AI search. You need a defensible answer.
The full capability list
Consulting, automation, security and training, plus the build and fix work when you need it. These are the eight we lead with; 32 in total. Your AI consultant in Perth, working nationally.
AI Consulting
Map your ops, find where AI makes sense, build an implementation plan your team can follow.
Learn moreAutomation
n8n, Make, Power Automate, custom integrations. The boring weekly tasks, automated.
Learn moreAI Security & DLP
Stop data leaking into AI tools. Usage policy, M365 controls, Privacy Act and Essential Eight aligned.
Learn moreAI Training
Train your whole team to use AI well. Role-based programs, workshops and coaching across Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot.
Learn moreApp Development
Apps, tools, MVPs and internal systems built with AI-assisted dev, with senior engineering oversight.
Learn moreVibe Code Audit & Fix
Built with Claude, Cursor, Bolt or Lovable? We find what's broken, patch it, hand it back production-ready.
Learn moreAI Agents
Custom agents for CRM, accounting, project management. Built with Claude, GPT and MCP.
Learn moreAgentic Coding
Autonomous coding agents build features end-to-end. We review, steer, and ensure production quality.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is broader: it covers how you appear in any AI answer, including Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and others. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is the term Google has been using for showing up in AI Overviews specifically. We cover both. The signals overlap heavily.
Classic SEO optimises for blue-link rankings in Google search results. AEO optimises for direct answers in AI chat and AI Overviews. The signals are different. Classic SEO cares about keyword density, backlinks and PageSpeed. AEO cares about structured data, sourced statistics, quotable definitions and named entities. You usually want both. We do AEO only.
No. No consultancy can guarantee citation in an AI engine because the ranking signals are evolving monthly. What we guarantee is that we will ship the changes that the public research and our own measurement show move the needle. We track real citations quarterly so you can see what is working.
Yes. Australian SMBs in healthcare, legal, professional services, trades and hospitality are all getting bypassed by AI answers. If your customers ever ask Claude or ChatGPT a question your business could answer, AEO matters to you.
We work with Next.js, Astro, WordPress, Webflow and most modern stacks. If you are on an inflexible legacy CMS we will tell you before the engagement starts and may recommend a small platform change first. Static sites and Next.js are easiest.
VibeZero itself. We built our own AEO posture from zero, are tracking growing impressions and citations in Google, and are happy to walk through exactly what we did on our own site as part of the scoping call. The site IS the case study.
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.