From SEO to AEO: How to Make Your Brand Visible to AI Search Engines

We see a new change where people are not only relying of google search for answers but also ask questions to AI assistants (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) and these tools dont show links, they summarize answers and provide recommendations of websites they trust. 

This is happening not because Google updated an algorithm and has Google AI overviews, displayinganswers as short summaries, but because the way people search is evolving.

Now how do we build brand awareness for AI driven search?

To get noticed by AI search, your brand needs to show up everywhere people are talking, sharing, and searching. The goal is simple: make your brand familiar and trusted across the internet.

Here’s how to do it:

• Talk about your brand openly and what exactly you do, what makes you different, and why people should care.

• Show up on multiple channels, post on social media platforms, do podcasts, write blogs and guest ones, speak at events, and join online communities.

• Collaborate with others like creators, journalists, or industry experts so more people mention you naturally. 

• Share helpful content consistently and also use a format which resonates and genuinely useful to people so that they remember your brand.

• Encourage mentions and references for your brand as mentions matter more than just backlinks. The more your brand is referenced, the more trustworthy it appears to AI tools.

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Make Content AI-Friendly (AEO Content Checklist)

Once your brand is known, ensure AI can easily extract and understand your content.

Build Topic Clusters 

Create a pillar page covering the main topic, supported by 4- 6 subtopic articles linked back to it. AI doesn’t keyword-match, it conversation matches, so showing depth matters.

AI Extracts Passages, Not Pages

Structure your content so each section stands alone: use short paragraphs, clear H2/H3 headings, FAQs, and lists or bullets to make it easy for AI to pull relevant passages.

E-E-A-T

Build trust with real author bios, cited research, regularly updated content, and trust pages like About, Contact, Awards, and newsroom.

Allow AI Crawlers

Check your robots.txt. Allow: GPTBot, Google-Extended, PerplexityBot, CCBot. Don’t accidentally block them via firewall/CDN. If AI cannot crawl you, it cannot recommend you.

AI Crawler Data: The Hidden Advantage

Once you allow AI crawlers, track which pages they hit.

Patterns to watch:

Common mistakes to avoid 

• Over-optimising for AI SEO signals can make your content seem unnatural and less trustworthy. Focus instead on clear, helpful content for real users. Always remember EEAT signals while writing your content.

• Prioritising quick visibility over building trust and authority can backfire. AI search engines favor credible, trustworthy sources, so maintain quality and transparency. 

• Blocking AI crawlers in your robots.txt file stops AI engines from indexing your site, costing you valuable visibility. Make sure your site is open to crawling.

• Using AI-generated content without careful human editing risks publishing errors that can hurt your brand’s credibility. Always review and refine AI content. 

Success in the era of AI search means being genuinely known, trusted, and recommended across the web, communities, and correct sources. Start by making your brand special, then use every channel available to share why it matters. This approach builds lasting visibility and credibility that AI engines recognise and value. 

Book a demo with Publive and get your complimentary GEO Audit, see how your content performs in AI-driven results.