More and more B2B buyers start their research in ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity instead of Google. They ask a question, such as "which HubSpot partner in Sweden is best at sales processes?", and get a ready-made answer with a couple of names. The question is: is your company in that answer?
That's what AEO, Answer Engine Optimization, is about. Being mentioned, cited and recommended when AI tools answer questions in your field.
How is AEO different from SEO?
Classic SEO is about ranking high in a list of links. In an AI answer there's no list to climb. Either you're in it, or you're not. And AI models don't only look at your own website. They weigh what others write about you, how clearly you describe what you do and how well your content answers specific questions.
That doesn't mean SEO is dead. A strong website is still the foundation. But the goal shifts from clicks to mentions.
Five ways to show up more in AI answers
1. Answer the questions buyers actually ask
Go through what your customers ask in sales calls and support tickets. Write content that answers directly and clearly, ideally with the question as the heading and the answer in the first paragraph. AI models love content that's easy to quote.
2. Be clear about who you are and what you do
If your homepage says "we create value through innovation", the AI has no idea what you sell. Be specific: who you help, with what and where. The same description should appear on your website, LinkedIn and in directories.
3. Get mentioned elsewhere
Mentions in industry media, partner directories, case studies and review sites carry a lot of weight. For a HubSpot partner, that could be the profile in HubSpot's partner directory and reviews from customers.
4. Structure your content
Clear headings, bullet lists, FAQ sections and structured data (schema) make it easier for both search engines and AI models to understand what a page is about.
5. Measure, or you're guessing
You can measure how often your brand is mentioned in AI answers. HubSpot AEO, for example, shows how often you appear in answers from ChatGPT and Gemini for the questions you choose to track, and how your competitors show up in the same answers. Start with ten to twenty questions your ideal customers are likely to ask.
Connect visibility to pipeline
Visibility only matters if it leads to business. Make sure traffic from AI tools is tracked as its own source in HubSpot, and ask new leads how they found you. Surprisingly many answer "I asked ChatGPT".
With HubSpot's new ChatGPT Ads integration, you can also connect advertising in ChatGPT directly to contacts and deals in your CRM. That lets you follow the whole journey from question to closed deal.
Start small
You don't need to rewrite your whole website. Pick your most important services, list the questions buyers ask about them and make sure there's a clear, quotable answer to each one. Then measure how your visibility changes over time.
Want to know how visible your company is in AI answers today? Contact us at Structsales and we'll map where you stand and build a plan to show up where your buyers are looking.
