What is AI SEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?

AI SEO, also called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), is the practice of structuring your digital presence so AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity can accurately understand, verify, and cite your business when users ask questions. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in Google search results, AI SEO ensures AI engines have the structured data, entity clarity, and extractable content they need to recommend you by name in conversational answers. It builds on SEO fundamentals but adds three critical layers: machine-readable structured data (JSON-LD schema), entity consistency across platforms, and content formatted for AI retrieval and citation.

What does an AEO agency do?

An AEO agency helps businesses optimize their digital presence for AI citation. This includes implementing structured data markup (JSON-LD schema), building AI-readable content files (llms.txt and llms-full.txt), ensuring entity consistency across directories and citations, and monitoring how AI platforms cite or ignore your business over time.

How is AEO different from SEO?

SEO helps you rank in search. AEO helps AI systems cite or recommend you in answers. In practice, AEO starts with solid SEO, then adds structured data, entity clarity, and content formatted for retrieval.

How long does it take to see results?

It depends on your baseline, market, competition, and prompt volatility. We do not promise a fixed timeline because AI visibility can change without notice.

Which AI platforms do you optimize for?

We focus on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity. Each platform behaves differently, so the work needs to hold up across multiple systems.

Do you only serve NYC businesses?

No. We are based in New York City and do deep NYC local work, but engagements are delivered remotely and we work with teams nationwide.

The instant AEO check is free. If you want the full AI Visibility Report and execution plan, submit your details and we will send a scoped quote by email.

Does AI NYC offer AI consulting services?

Yes. AI NYC provides AI consulting focused on AI search visibility and answer engine optimization. Our AI consulting services help businesses understand how AI systems like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity discover, evaluate, and recommend businesses, then implement the technical and content strategies to improve those outcomes.

AI NYC Blog

Research, tooling, and practical notes for AI search.

April 30, 2026 · 2 min read

Claude Appends the Current Year to Some Web Searches

Recent testing shows Claude adds the current year to web search queries for commercial 'best X' questions, but not for advice or local service queries. What that means for your content.

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March 27, 2026 · 6 min read

Schema Markup for AI Citations: The Complete Guide

A technical guide to JSON-LD structured data that helps AI models cite your business. Includes real audit data showing the score gap between cited and uncited sites.

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March 21, 2026 · 6 min read

How to Rank on ChatGPT in 2026

What it takes to get your business recommended by ChatGPT. Based on real citation monitoring data across 66 runs, not theory.

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March 17, 2026 · 7 min read

How to Get Your Business Cited by AI

A practical breakdown of what it takes for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity to mention your business by name. Backed by real citation monitoring data from canonry.

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March 13, 2026 · 6 min read

Canonry: the open-source AEO agent operating system

Canonry is the open-source, agent-first operating system for AEO. Run agents, orchestrate workflows, monitor citations, and automate everything across ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

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March 11, 2026 · 6 min read

AI Search vs Google Search: What Actually Changed

How AI search engines differ from Google, what signals matter in both, and what our citation monitoring data shows about the split. Not theory. Data.

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March 6, 2026 · 2 min read

We Open-Sourced Our AEO Audit Engine

Why AI NYC published @ainyc/aeo-audit, what the 13-factor model measures, and what teams can learn from it.

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March 6, 2026 · 5 min read

What Is Answer Engine Optimization?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing your digital presence for AI-powered search. We break down the 13 factors that determine AI citation readiness, with real scoring data.

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