AEO
OPTIMIZATION.
Answer Engine Optimization. Get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI. Your customers are already asking. Make sure your business is the answer.
What is AEO
SEO GETS YOU FOUND.
AEO GETS YOU CHOSEN.
AEO, also called Generative Engine Optimization or GEO, is the practice of structuring your website so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI recommend your business, not just rank it. Instead of page one on Google, you become the answer AI gives.
AEO doesn't replace SEO. You need both. Google gets you found by people searching. AI gets you recommended by people asking. The businesses winning in 2026 are doing both, and most of your competitors are doing neither.
The window is open right now. Your competitors haven't discovered AEO yet. Every week you wait is a week they could.
Why now?
58% of searches are now zero-click. Users get their answer directly from AI. They never visit a website. If you're not the AI's answer, you're invisible to a growing segment of customers.
The opportunity
AEO in 2026 is what SEO was in 2010. The vast majority of businesses have no AI optimization strategy at all. First movers own these niches for years.
How fast does it work?
Most clients begin appearing in ChatGPT and Perplexity within 9–12 weeks of their first AEO optimization. We provide monthly screenshot proof of exactly where you appear.
Does it work for any industry?
Yes. Any local or national business where customers ask AI for recommendations. Especially powerful for service businesses, agencies, clinics, law firms, and retailers.
How it works
FOUR STEPS.
Zero guesswork.
01 Write
Citation-ready content
We write answers your customers are already asking.
02 Mark up
Schema on every page
We structure your site so AI understands and trusts it.
03 Monitor
Proof every month
We track where you appear in AI responses.
04 Update
Always current
We update continuously so you stay recommended.
The opportunity
THE WINDOW IS
OPEN RIGHT NOW.
Searches are zero-click in 2026
Users get their answer from AI. They never visit a website. If you're not the answer, you don't exist to them.
To your first AI citation
Most clients appear in ChatGPT and Perplexity within weeks of their first optimization, with screenshot proof.
AEO in 2026 is what SEO was in 2010. The businesses that move first own these positions for years. Your competitors haven't discovered this yet. Every week you wait is a week they could.
AEO + SEO signals
WHAT WE MAKE
AI-READABLE.
AI visibility is not one magic tag. It is a stack of clear answers, structured data, crawl access, entity signals, and proof that your business deserves to be cited instead of a competitor.
Citation-ready answers
Direct paragraphs that answer buyer questions in plain language AI can quote.
FAQPage schema
Structured Q&A markup for the questions your customers ask in ChatGPT and Google.
Entity clarity
Business name, services, city, proof, pricing, and differentiators stated consistently.
llms.txt access
A clear AI crawler file so answer engines can discover your important pages.
SEO fundamentals
Titles, meta descriptions, headings, canonicals, internal links, and crawl paths.
Monthly proof
Visibility score, prompt tests, competitor mentions, sentiment, and exact AI answer quotes.
Doing this yourself?
The full AEO checklist covers every technical step — schema, content, crawl access, entity signals, and how to know if it's working.
AI Visibility Monitor
NOT READY FOR AEO?
START BY WATCHING.
AI Visibility is the low-friction starting point. We monitor the buyer questions your prospects ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, then show whether your business appears, who gets named instead, and what AI says about you.
If the report shows you are missing, unclear, or being outranked by competitors, AEO becomes the execution layer: content, schema, FAQ structure, entity signals, and citation-ready pages built to improve the score.
Prompt tracking
Weekly checks for the questions prospects actually ask before they choose a provider.
Visibility score
A simple read on whether AI engines mention you, ignore you, or misunderstand you.
Competitor share
See which competitors are recommended when your business is missing from the answer.
Exact answer quotes
Read the language AI uses, so the next fix is based on evidence, not vibes.
Sentiment watch
Flag vague, outdated, or negative descriptions before they become the market story.
Private portal history
A tokenized dashboard with trends, engine breakdowns, and past reports in one place.
Monitor first for $99/mo. Move into AEO when you want the fixes done for you.
Start monitoring →AEO Retainer
Build your reputation.
Own your category.
Start with visibility if you only want to know where you stand. Move into AEO when you want us to improve the score, build the content, and earn citations.
Most businesses start with a report. The ones who want results move to AEO.
Want monitoring first? Track prompts, competitors, exact AI answers, and trend history weekly.
Up to 20 pages
Starter Growth
AEO + SEO execution for businesses ready to get found and cited by AI.
3-month minimum. Cancel after that, anytime.
$400+/mo standalone, included here
What's included
- AEO optimization: schema, FAQ structure, citation signals
- SEO optimization: technical, on-page, content
- Monthly Apex Radar report: scores, progress, what changed
- Competitor visibility snapshot
- 3-month minimum, then cancel anytime
Best for getting started and fixing your core visibility issues.
Book a free 15-min call first →Up to 40 pages
Growth System
Full-scale AEO + SEO with deeper Radar intelligence. Built to dominate your category.
3-month minimum. Cancel after that, anytime.
$550+/mo standalone, included here
Everything in Starter, plus
- Up to 40 pages crawled + optimized
- Deep competitor SEO + AEO gap analysis
- Price monitoring: know before your clients do
- Review intelligence: surface what customers love and hate
- Content + keyword expansion strategy
- Priority support + detailed monthly reporting
- Full competitor tracking
- Advanced AI query coverage
- Priority optimization updates
- Deeper citation penetration across platforms
Most clients recover the cost with 1–2 new customers.
FAQ — AEO
COMMON
QUESTIONS.
Everything you need to know about Answer Engine Optimization, how it differs from SEO, and how Apex Architects delivers results.
What is AEO and why does my business need it?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring your website content so that AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite your business as a trusted source. In 2026, over 58% of searches end without a click. Users get their answer directly from AI. If your business is not optimized for AI citations, you are invisible to a rapidly growing segment of customers. Most Montreal businesses have not yet optimized for AI search, making this the highest-opportunity, lowest-competition marketing investment available right now.
How long does it take to appear in ChatGPT results?
Most clients begin seeing citations in Perplexity and ChatGPT within 2 to 6 weeks of publishing AEO-optimized content with proper schema markup. Initial citations typically appear for specific long-tail questions first before building into broader coverage. Results depend on your domain's existing authority, the quality of the content, and how competitive your specific niche is. We provide a citation monitoring report every month showing exactly where your business appears in AI-generated answers.
How much does AEO cost in Montreal?
Our AEO retainer starts at $750 per month and includes Apex Radar, our competitive intelligence service, bundled at no extra cost. The retainer covers up to 20 pages of citation-ready content, schema markup, and monthly citation monitoring across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI. A Growth System plan is available at $1,500 per month for up to 40 pages with enhanced competitor tracking. Both plans require a 3-month minimum, then cancel anytime.
Will AEO improve my Google ranking?
AEO specifically targets AI-generated answers in tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. It does not directly improve your position in Google's traditional blue-link results. However, the content we create for AEO, such as structured FAQ pages, schema markup, and clear authoritative answers, shares many qualities with strong SEO content, so improvements to your traditional Google ranking are a natural side effect over time.
Is Apex Radar included with the AEO retainer?
Yes. Both AEO retainer plans include Apex Radar at no extra cost. The Starter Growth plan at $750 per month includes the standard competitor intelligence suite, valued at over $400 per month standalone. The Growth System plan at $1,500 per month includes the full Radar suite with enhanced monitoring, valued at over $550 per month. Both plans require a 3-month minimum, then cancel anytime.
What is the difference between SEO and AEO?
SEO targets traditional Google search, ranking your website on page one of Google's blue-link results. AEO targets AI-generated answers: having your business cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and voice assistants when users ask questions. Both matter in 2026. The techniques overlap, since structured content, schema markup, and clear answers help both, but they are optimized differently. Apex Architects offers both as separate services that work best together.
Is AEO the same as GEO?
Yes. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) describe the same discipline: structuring your website so AI tools cite or recommend your business. The terms are used interchangeably across the industry. Apex Architects uses AEO because it is the term most business owners recognize, but the work is identical whether you call it AEO or GEO.
What does the complimentary AI Visibility audit check?
The complimentary AI Visibility audit checks whether your homepage is citation-ready for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. We review title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, FAQPage schema, Organization schema, LocalBusiness schema, llms.txt access, direct-answer copy, internal links, entity clarity, sentiment, and whether AI tools mention your business or recommend competitors instead.
Get started
START AT
$750/MO.
AEO + SEO execution, monthly Radar proof, competitor tracking. Results in 2 to 6 months. Cancel anytime.