# The AEO Playbook — How to Get Your Business Cited by ChatGPT, Gemini & Google AI | Kyzeflo > TL;DR: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the work of making your business the source AI assistants quote and recommend. It sits on top of SEO, not instead of it: a fast, crawlable website, answer-first content, proof that you're trustworthy, and consistent mentions of you across the web. The interactive playbook for Answer Engine Optimization. Learn how AI assistants choose which businesses to recommend, run your own AI visibility audit, and follow a 90-day plan to get cited. Published by Kyzeflo (https://kyzeflo.com). Last updated 2026-10-16. ## Sections - [Where did the clicks go?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#where-the-clicks-went): Buyers increasingly get their answer before they ever reach a website. Instead of ten links to compare, an AI gives them a short list of names — and if yours isn't on it, you weren't considered. - [A straight word on AI stats](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#honest-numbers) - [Is this playbook for you?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#who-this-is-for): It's for businesses whose customers research before they buy — services, real estate, finance, D2C and B2B. If nobody compares options in your market, AEO matters less. - [Is AEO a replacement for SEO? No. It's a layer on top.](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#the-aeo-stack): AEO is built on two layers below it: a solid website and solid SEO. AI assistants find, read and trust pages largely the same way search engines do — so if the foundation is weak, no amount of AI optimisation will fix it. - [What does it take to get cited?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#the-cite-framework): We use a four-part framework called CITE: be Crawlable, give Instant answers, be Trusted, and be Everywhere your buyers' AI looks. Miss one and the other three work much harder. - [What does an AI answer actually look like?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#inside-an-ai-answer): A buyer asks one question and gets a short list of named businesses with reasons and sources. Notice what earns a mention: specific proof, reviews, and being listed on sites the AI already trusts. - [Why does an AI pick one business over another?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#what-ai-trusts): Models favour sources that are easy to read, specific, corroborated by other sites and consistent. These six signals cover most of what separates the businesses that get named from those that don't. - [How do I write answer-first?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#answer-first-templates): Open every key page with one or two sentences that fully answer the question, using specifics. These five fill-in-the-blank openers cover the pages that matter most. Copy them. - [Are you visible right now? Find out in 30 minutes.](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#run-your-own-audit): Ask the major AI assistants the questions your buyers ask, with web search switched on, and record who gets named and which pages are cited. Ten well-chosen prompts give you an honest snapshot. - [What should I fix first?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#technical-checklist): Start with crawlability and structure, then publish proof, then build off-site mentions. This checklist is ordered by impact for a typical business website. - [What is AI invisibility costing you?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#cost-of-invisibility): A rough way to size the problem: estimate how many of your potential buyers now start with AI, and what those missed enquiries are worth. Drag the sliders. - [What does the first 90 days look like?](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#ninety-day-roadmap): Month one fixes the foundation, month two rewrites key pages and publishes proof, month three builds off-site mentions and measures. Expect early signals in 60–90 days and treat six months as the real baseline. - [Questions people ask us](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#faq) - [This playbook was the jab. Here's the right hook.](https://aeoplaybook.kyzeflo.com/#work-with-kyzeflo) ## FAQ ### What is AEO? Answer Engine Optimization is the practice of making your business the source AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features quote and recommend. It's also called GEO (generative engine optimization) or AI SEO. ### Is AEO different from SEO? It builds on SEO. The foundations are the same — a fast, crawlable site and good content. AEO adds answer-first writing, specific proof, schema, and off-site mentions so AI systems can confidently name you. ### Can I do AEO without SEO? Not effectively. AI assistants that search the web rely heavily on the same signals search engines use. Skipping SEO usually means AEO work has nothing to stand on. ### How long does AEO take to work? Technical fixes can show up within weeks. Most businesses see early signals in 60–90 days and should judge results over about six months, because citations build as content and mentions accumulate. ### Which AI platform matters most? It depends on your buyers. ChatGPT has the largest dedicated audience, while Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode reach the most people inside search. Measure all the major ones — the work that helps one usually helps the others. ### What is llms.txt? A plain-text file at the root of your site that summarises your business and links your key pages for AI systems. It's an emerging convention, not a guarantee — but it's cheap to add. ### How do I know if AI is sending me traffic? Check Google Analytics referrals for domains like chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and gemini.google.com, ideally grouped into their own channel. Remember that a lot of AI influence shows up later as direct or branded traffic. ### Can you guarantee we'll be cited? No one honestly can. Answers vary by engine, location and day. What you can do is make your business the easiest, most credible answer available — and measure the trend.