Large Language Model (LLM)-based search platforms – such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini – are already reshaping how B2B technology buyers discover and evaluate brands. Yet, the mechanics behind how these AI tools identify and select content is opaque due to how rapidly the technology and its capabilities are evolving.
To help Cervin Ventures’ portfolio companies make sense of this shifting landscape, Ethan Smith, CEO of the vertical AI growth agency Graphite, shared his team’s insights and emerging best practices for this new discipline he calls Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
AI-generated results have evolved from static, zero-click summaries to dynamic, clickable answers informed by live search queries. At Cervin, we’re already seeing significant traffic shifts for our portfolio companies as we conduct our ongoing GTM audits. We can expect this trend to accelerate as LLM adoption grows and their interfaces and capabilities become more sophisticated.
Similar to Google’s PageRank, LLMs appear to prioritize responses based on mentions across third-party sources. What’s not yet clear is which domains each LLM believes carries the most weight. Anecdotally, sites like Reddit, YouTube, peer-review platforms (e.g., G2 Crowd, Gartner Peer Insights), and even Wikipedia show up frequently in LLM citations. Regardless of which sites are the most important, you need other people talking about your brand and solution. As Ethan put it simply: “You win not by your own URL showing up, but by others mentioning you.”
LLM queries average 20-25 words, compared to just six for Search. This shift emphasizes the importance of deeply structured, intent-rich content to be able to answer the more nuanced queries customers are asking LLMs. Like SEO, an emerging AEO best practice is to have content that comprehensively addresses the topic with clarity, specificity, and relevance.
AEO isn’t like to replace Google 100% – especially as Google integrates AI results into its own ecosystem of products. To drive values from SEO and the emerging world of AEO, makes sure you’re still implementing good SEO hygiene:
LLMs reward context and addressing specific questions, not keyword density. Since LLM queries are more nuanced, you’ll need to build content around question clusters – the many ways a user might ask the same question. To help pay this off, you’ll want content outlines that reflect and fulfill different facets of a user’s questions, rather than chasing isolated keyword phrases.
Whether for SEO or AEO, you need a strategy for connecting the market conversation about your brand back to your web content. That could mean:
Tail queries often point directly to product documentation. Ethan noted:
“Help centers are becoming essential citations for tail questions.”
Ensure your documentation covers integrations, regional support, languages, and nuanced use cases that your potential customers may be looking for. You’ll have to decide how much of your knowledge base to expose to your prospects – and competitors – but where possible, you should consider ungating this valuable content so the LLMs can access it.
AI results vary not just across questions, but across tools (e.g., ChatGPT vs. Perplexity) and over time. Ethan recommends tracking your performance across services, multiple question variants, and repeated runs to get a reliable signal.
There are a variety of tools already out there that promise they can help you figure this out. If you’re looking for a tool, be sure to check out this useful list Graphite built.
Answer Engine Optimization doesn’t replace SEO – it extends and evolves it. Brands that embrace answering questions with their content, driving third-party conversations about their brand, and tracking the questions customers are asking to find solutions will be the best positioned for this new era of discovery.
This is an evolving topic with lots of questions left to be answered. Unfortunately, not even the LLMs can give us the answers to all of our questions yet. Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to follow Ethan on LinkedIn for his regular AEO updates.