Be Found When Buyers Search, and Named When They Ask AI

SEO, answer engine optimization (AEO, sometimes called GEO) and content, built on the questions your buyers ask so search engines rank you and AI assistants mention you.

How Search Has Shifted

Search engine

market research firms for law firms

AI answer

Which research firms work with law firms?

A few firms stand out for this work. Firm A is known for client research in professional services. Firm B focuses on competitive intelligence. Firm C pairs research with marketing execution.

Buyer Behaviour

Search Engines. Buyers type a query and scan a list of links to choose where to click.

AI Answers. Buyers ask natural questions in ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity and get a single answer that names and compares options directly.

How Visibility Works

Search Engines. Depends on keyword relevance, a site search engines can read, and links from high-authority domains.

AI Answers. Depends on well-structured content, clear positioning of who you are, and consistent information about your company across the web.

The same work supports both, so we plan them together.

4 Ways to Show Up in an AI Answer, and What They Mean for Your Business

When a buyer asks an AI assistant to evaluate your category, your company can appear in 4 ways. Each one reflects a deeper level of trust from the AI system and serves a different stage of the buying journey.

Named

Top of funnel, category awareness

Your company appears in a list of vendors alongside competitors.

Impact: low to moderate. It confirms you are a legitimate option, but doesn't set you apart.

What it takes: a solid web presence, inclusion in industry directories, media coverage and category SEO.

Cited

Mid-funnel, information gathering

The AI uses your articles, documentation or research as a source and links to it.

Impact: moderate. Citations position you as an authority and give high-intent buyers a direct path to your site.

What it takes: in-depth content, original research, well-structured documentation and a domain AI systems treat as a reliable source.

Described

Mid-to-late evaluation

The AI explains your value proposition, the customers you serve and what sets you apart.

Impact: high. It shapes how a buyer sees your fit before they speak to sales. If the AI gets your positioning wrong, you risk being ruled out early.

What it takes: clear, consistent messaging across your website, review platforms, analyst reports and news coverage.

Recommended

Bottom of funnel, decision

The AI advises the buyer that your company is the best fit for their criteria or situation.

Impact: highest. The AI acts as a trusted advisor, and its recommendation answers the buyer's underlying question directly.

What it takes: strong sentiment in public reviews, clear use cases, documented customer success and advantages that are visible in public information.

What We Know So Far

AI is new, and brands from enterprise companies to local shops are working out how best to use it. A few things are already clear. Authority and visibility are critical, and both come down to content and technical structure. Intentional planning and measurement matter just as much: setting benchmarks, improving month by month, and tying the work to results the business can see.

How We Work With You

  1. Audit Where You Stand. Your technical health, your visibility in search and AI answers, and your content, with benchmarks set from day one.
  2. Compare With Your Competitors. Where you sit against the companies buyers are also considering.
  3. Make the Plan. What to fix, create and earn, in order. We can work alongside your team or take on the work ourselves.
  4. Measure Every Month. Rankings, AI visibility and enquiries, tracked against the benchmarks.

What Progress Has Looked Like

A convention centre.

AI mentions up 345% and cited pages up 171%, from 148 to 401, in about 90 days.

A fireplace manufacturer.

AI mentions up 115% in under 90 days, with its AI visibility score rising from 33 to 42.

Questions Worth Asking

  • When a buyer searches for what you do, where do you appear?
  • When they ask an AI assistant who to call, is your company named?
  • Is your content bringing in enquiries, or mainly visitors?

If any of these is hard to answer, the AI assessment is a quick place to start.

Tell us the searches you want to win.

We'll tell you where we'd start.

Book a call