ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews are changing how people search—and if you're not showing up in their citations, you're missing out on a huge chunk of your audience.
Here's the thing: AI tech is exploding right now, with new companies launching constantly. So how do you make sure you're the one they find first?
Let's get into it.
Why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Matters
Traditional SEO focused on ranking in the top 10 results. AI engines pull info from those top spots to build answers, but not exclusively. About 40% of AI citations come from Google's top 10 results. It's still high, but not the full story.
People aren't clicking through to websites anymore. They're getting their answers straight from AI summaries, featured snippets, and knowledge panels.
This should change how you think about content strategy. Your goal isn't just to rank high or earn clicks anymore. Your content needs to be citation-worthy. The kind of authoritative, well-researched material that AI systems pull from and reference.
The Quality of Your Content Matters
That means creating content that's comprehensive, accurate, and backed by data. Google's algorithms look for sources they can trust. When your content meets that bar, you become the source that AI cites, even if users never click through to your site.
You're playing a different game now. Visibility doesn't equal traffic. It equals being the answer.
Brands cited in AI-generated answers get instant credibility. Semrush found that visitors who see a brand in an AI answer are 4.4 times more valuable than visitors from a standard search result. These people trust you more and act with greater intent.
If you optimize for AI search now, you'll stay visible as search evolves—wait too long and you risk getting left behind.
Tactic #1: Use Structured Data
Structured data tells AI engines exactly what your page means. Schema markup sends clear signals about your content’s purpose. This makes it easy for AI to pull and cite your info.
The impact is big:
Pages with schema markup see 25-50% more clicks.
Over 72% of first-page sites on Google use schema.
Pages with structured data are up to 40% more likely to get AI citations.
Focus on these schema types:
FAQ schema highlights common questions and answers.
HowTo schema structures step-by-step guides.
Product schema details ecommerce listings.
Article schema organizes blog or news content.
Always use JSON-LD format. Google prefers it. It’s easier to add and maintain. Make sure your visible content matches your schema markup. Consistency matters.
Tactic #2: Boost E-E-A-T to Show Expertise
AI engines want to cite authoritative sources. Google’s E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guides which sources get cited and which get ignored.
Strengthen your E-E-A-T by:
Adding detailed author bios with real credentials.
Listing transparent contact details and business verification.
Linking to trustworthy, authoritative sources.
Showing clear publication and update dates.
Highlighting expertise with case studies and original research.
AI checks for trust signals. Author names, credentials, and proof that experts created your content matter. Anonymous or generic content gets overlooked. Content with clear expertise and attribution gets cited.
For more details, check out our guide to E-E-A-T principles to see exactly how to implement these signals in your site.
If you are working with Hatter, you know we use AI to ingest information about your business from your website, sales calls, marketing materials, and more, so that your content is always unique and original. This is a huge part of the strength of your E-E-A-T.
Tactic #3: Format Content for AI Parsing
AI needs to extract answers fast. Dense writing and unclear structure make that tough. Clean formatting makes it easy.
Write "answer nuggets," or concise blocks of 40-80 words that answer a question thoroughly. AI engines love grabbing these as citations.
Use smart formatting:
Use clear headers for every topic change.
Use bullet points for lists and highlights.
Keep paragraphs to 2-4 sentences.
Stick to consistent date formats like “Published: June 15, 2024” or “Last Updated: August 15, 2025”.
Bold key concepts for quick scanning.
AI engines prefer content that’s quick to extract. Make the AI’s job easier, and you’ll be cited more often.
Tactic #4: Build Authority with Third-Party Citations
AI engines cite third-party, as well as first-party sources. A study of 40,000 AI responses and 250,000 citations found that the majority of references came from trusted publications.
What does this mean for me? You need coverage in credible publications—not just on your own site.
Do this by:
Earning media on leading industry sites.
Contributing expert quotes to journalists and researchers.
Publishing original research others want to cite.
Monitoring and correcting brand mentions across the web.
Media mentions, structure-rich content, first-party research, and expert quotes all drive AI visibility. See more details in our guide to generative engine optimization.
Tactic #5: Update Content for Maximum Impact
Old content drops in relevance fast. AI engines want fresh, updated info. Regular content refreshes keep you ahead.
Here’s how to update content with impact:
Find thin or outdated content using AI visibility metrics.
Add new data, examples, and insights for depth.
Refresh stats and references to reflect the latest info.
Add structured data to every updated page.
Create content clusters around key topics (100+ pieces is ideal for authority).
Use data to guide your updates. Track which pages appear in AI citations, what topics drive traffic, and where competitors win. Adjust and optimize. For ways to track AI visibility, see our AI visibility monitoring feature.
(If you are working with Hatter, we can help you easily identify stale content to refresh.)
Scale AI Visibility with Hatter
These tactics work, but scaling them takes time and tools. That's where Hatter comes in.
Hatter is a tech-enabled agency. We take care of all five tactics, start to finish. You get the combined power of software and expert service to control your visibility.
Here’s what you get:
Research, strategy, content creation, and optimization, all done for you.
Up to 20 optimized content pieces every month.
AI visibility dashboards tracking your results in real time.
Collaborative workflows for quick reviews and approvals.
Bi-weekly calls to review wins and adjust your plan.
Regular content refreshes to keep you ahead of competitors.
Our platform digests your sales decks, marketing materials, call transcripts, etc., so we can analyze your brand voice, key messaging, and product positioning. This ensures that everything we write sounds like it came from you, not a generic content mill.
Here's what that means: you're not starting from scratch or spending hours briefing writers. We use your existing assets to understand what makes your brand unique, then create content that matches your tone and resonates with your actual buyers.
You'll get clear, honest reporting that shows exactly where you appear in AI search results.
We track:
Which queries trigger your brand
Your position in AI-generated responses
How visibility translates into site traffic
The revenue impact from AI-driven visitors
No guessing. Just data, action, and real ROI. You'll see which content moves the needle and where to double down.
If you want to scale organic visibility and keep your team lean, Hatter gives you the benefits of an agency with the transparency of a SaaS platform. You get expert content creation without the bloated retainer fees, plus real-time dashboards that show performance at a glance.
Summary: Best Answer Engine Optimization Tactics for AI Tech
AI search is here to stay. Optimize now and you’ll lock in visibility for the future.
Focus on these five tactics:
Structured data
E-E-A-T optimization
Smart content formatting
Third-party citations
Frequent updates
Each tactic works. Each delivers measurable results.
You can do this yourself, but if you want expert backup, Hatter is here. Our team has helped brands jump AI visibility 138% and recover lost traffic by optimizing the right way.
Make sure your brand shows up accurately and stands out. Take action now.
