Whitehat's AEO service ensures your brand gets cited—not just ranked—when buyers ask ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude for recommendations. AI-referred visitors convert 3-6x higher because they arrive pre-sold by the AI's endorsement.
Answer Engine Optimisation for UK Brands
AI Search Visibility for UK B2B
Your buyers are researching with ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews before they ever visit your website. 66% of UK senior decision-makers now use AI in procurement — and AI-referred visitors convert at 4.4× the rate of standard organic traffic.
We help B2B companies get cited in AI-generated answers through structured content, schema markup, and multi-platform authority building — all integrated with your HubSpot CRM for full-funnel attribution.
| ✓ | AI visibility audit across ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews & Claude |
| ✓ | Answer-first content strategy with schema markup |
| ✓ | Citation building and AI crawler configuration |
| ✓ | HubSpot-integrated reporting with AI lead attribution |
Book a free AEO visibility scan — we'll show you how AI platforms currently represent your brand and where the gaps are.
BOOK YOUR FREE AEO AUDIT
Answer engine optimisation (AEO) is the practice of structuring your website content, technical markup, and brand signals so that AI-powered search platforms — ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot — cite your brand when answering user queries. Around 30% of UK Google searches now deliver AI-supported responses (Ofcom, December 2025), and AI-referred visitors convert at 4.4× the rate of standard organic traffic (Semrush, 2025). AEO builds on traditional SEO foundations rather than replacing them.
What Is Answer Engine Optimisation?
Unlike traditional SEO, which targets page rankings in a list of blue links, AEO targets direct citation within AI-generated responses. The shift is structural, not cosmetic. Around 93% of AI search sessions now end without a website click (Semrush, 2025). Yet AI-referred visitors who do click through convert at 4.4 times the rate of standard organic traffic. This means fewer visits but dramatically higher-quality ones — if your brand is the one being cited.
The industry uses overlapping terms — AEO, GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation), and AI SEO — to describe the same fundamental shift. Jason Barnard (Kalicube) coined AEO in 2018, originally for featured snippets and voice search. The consensus today is that all these terms describe optimising content to be cited in AI-generated answers. Microsoft's January 2026 guide adds a useful three-layer model: SEO gets you found, AEO gets you explained clearly, and GEO gets you recommended with trust.
AEO sits alongside traditional SEO, not in place of it. You need both: SEO for the 75% of searches that still return traditional results, and AEO for the 25% — and growing — that trigger AI-generated answers. Google's VP Robby Stein has confirmed that traditional SEO fundamentals still apply, as AI systems use "query fan-out" processes relying on the same ranking signals. At Whitehat, we build both into a single integrated strategy connected to your HubSpot CRM, so you can attribute AI-sourced leads to pipeline and revenue.
It is worth acknowledging the debate. Search Engine Journal's Roger Montti and several prominent SEOs argue that AEO is simply good SEO repackaged — that answer-first content, structured data, and E-E-A-T signals have always been best practice. There is truth in this: much of what makes content citable by AI also makes it rank well in traditional search. The distinction is in where and how visibility manifests. A page can rank first in blue links and still be absent from ChatGPT or Perplexity responses, because AI citation relies on different signals — entity clarity, third-party corroboration, and content extractability — that traditional ranking does not fully capture.
Only 8–12% overlap exists between URLs cited by ChatGPT and those ranking in Google's top 10 (Semrush). That gap is why a deliberate AEO strategy matters. The GEO/AEO market was valued at $848 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $33.7 billion by 2034 — a 50.5% compound annual growth rate (Dimension Market Research). Whether you call it AEO, GEO, or AI SEO, the underlying discipline is real, measurable, and commercially significant.
Why AEO Matters for UK B2B Companies in 2026
AI search is no longer experimental. It is the primary research channel for a growing proportion of your buyers. The UK data makes the case clearly:
UK B2B buyers now control 57% of their journey before vendor contact, down from 69% in 2024 — AI is accelerating research and pulling vendor interactions forward by 6–7 weeks (6sense/MarketOne 2025 UK & Ireland Buyer Experience Study). Nearly 95% of B2B buyers are expected to use GenAI in their decision process (Forrester, 2025). Supplier visibility is becoming binary: either your brand is recommended by AI, or it is not found at all.
The numbers tell a broader story. By mid-2025, almost two-thirds of B2B buyers were using GenAI tools as much as or more than traditional search (Forrester, 2025). 16 million UK users access ChatGPT monthly (IAB UK/Ipsos iris, September 2025). Six months after first using ChatGPT, users' Google search clicks reduce by 26% (Similarweb/Ofcom). The shift is not coming — it has arrived, and it is accelerating fastest among the 35–54 age group (up 49% year-on-year, Ofcom), precisely the demographic making B2B procurement decisions.
UK business adoption of AI is also accelerating, though unevenly. 23% of UK firms had adopted AI by October 2025, up from 9% in 2023 (ONS Business Insights Survey). B2B service firms lead at 46% adoption versus 26% for B2C (British Chambers of Commerce, September 2025). 82% of London firms view AI as strategically important versus 44% in the North of England (ANS/CFOTech). This creates a window: businesses that invest in AEO now gain visibility among the growing cohort of AI-assisted buyers, while many competitors have not yet recognised the shift.
The GEO/AEO market was valued at $848 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $33.7 billion by 2034 — a 50.5% compound annual growth rate (Dimension Market Research). The UK is the third-largest AI market globally, with AI sector revenue reaching £23.9 billion (DSIT AI Sector Study, September 2025). This is not a niche trend. It is the next major shift in how businesses generate demand.
AEO vs SEO: How They Differ
Answer engine optimisation and search engine optimisation target different surfaces of the same buyer journey. SEO positions your pages in ranked results. AEO positions your brand inside AI-generated answers. You need both — here is how they compare:
| Factor | Traditional SEO | Answer Engine Optimisation |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in top 10 blue links | Get cited in AI-generated answers |
| Platforms | Google, Bing organic results | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Copilot, Claude, Gemini |
| Success metric | Keyword rankings and organic traffic | AI citation rate and Share of AI Voice |
| Content format | Long-form pages optimised for keywords | Answer-first passages, structured data, modular blocks |
| Authority signals | Backlinks, domain authority | Third-party mentions, E-E-A-T, schema markup, entity clarity |
| CTR impact | ~1.76% average organic CTR | Brands cited in AI Overviews get 35% more organic clicks (Seer Interactive) |
| Conversion quality | Standard organic conversion rates | 4.4× higher conversion for AI-referred visitors |
| Freshness signal | Helpful but not critical for evergreen content | 95% of ChatGPT citations from content updated within 10 months (AirOps) |
What Drives AI Citations? The Evidence
AI systems select sources based on five evaluation dimensions — authority, recency, relevance, structure, and factual density (StatusLabs analysis of 150,000 AI citations). Understanding these mechanics is the foundation of any effective AEO strategy. The research consistently shows that AI citation is not a single-factor game: it requires strength across all five dimensions simultaneously, which is precisely why a deliberate strategy outperforms hoping that good SEO alone will suffice.
Answer-First Structure
Lead every section with a direct answer in 40–60 words, then elaborate. Pages with schema and clean structure earn 2.8× higher AI citation rates (AirOps). Question-format H2 headings matching user queries outperform generic headings.
Content Recency
95% of ChatGPT citations come from content published or updated within the last 10 months. Pages with clear "last updated" timestamps receive 1.8× more citations (AirOps/Semrush). Content under 3 months old is 3× more likely to be cited.
Third-Party Signals
Most brand mentions in AI come from other websites, not your own. Websites with quotes, statistics, and citations see a 30–40% uplift in LLM visibility. Reddit is the #1 cited source across AI models; YouTube is #2.
E-E-A-T and Authority
Named authors with verifiable credentials, original research, and consistent publication in the topic. Wikipedia presence dramatically improves citation rates. Ten backlinks from major publications outperform 100 from low-authority sites.
Quantitative claims consistently outperform conceptual content. Pages containing statistics receive 40% higher citation rates than pages making general claims without supporting data. This is why our AEO content frameworks emphasise proprietary research, client results, and original data collection — they give AI systems a concrete reason to cite your brand rather than a competitor who says the same thing with less specificity.
The AI Search Landscape in 2026
Each AI platform has distinct citation behaviours. Optimising for one does not automatically mean visibility across all — a multi-platform approach is essential. ChatGPT and Perplexity have fundamentally different source preferences, and Google AI Overviews operates under its own logic again. Understanding these distinctions is what separates strategic AEO from generic content improvements.
| Platform | Scale (2026) | Citation preference | Share of AI referral traffic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overviews | 1.5B monthly users; ~30% of UK searches | Blogs (~46%), news (~20%) | Integrated with organic |
| ChatGPT | ~900M weekly users; 5.7B monthly visits | Wikipedia (~27%), encyclopaedic sources | 87.4% (dominant) |
| Perplexity | 30–45M monthly users; 780M queries/mo | Expert publications (~38%) | 6–8% |
| Claude | 18.9M monthly users; UK visits up 138% YoY | Authoritative, detailed sources | Growing (5% conversion rate) |
| Microsoft Copilot | Integrated into 365 (400M+ users) | Bing index, enterprise data | Emerging |
Critically, only 8–12% overlap exists between URLs cited by ChatGPT and those ranking in Google's top 10 (Semrush). Traditional SEO rank does not equal AI citation. A separate, deliberate AEO strategy is required.
The referral traffic data reveals scale and trajectory. AI referral traffic currently represents 1.08% of all website traffic across 10 industries (Conductor, November 2025) — modest, but growing at over 500% year-on-year. ChatGPT drives 87.4% of that AI referral traffic, making it the dominant source. Adobe reported a 693% surge in AI referral traffic during the 2025 holiday season (Retail Brew, February 2026). For UK B2B companies, the absolute volumes are smaller but the conversion quality is dramatically higher — AI-referred visitors arrive with clearer intent because the AI has already qualified the match between their query and your expertise.
One metric deserves particular attention: 85% of AI Overview citations come from content published in the last two years, with 44% from 2025 alone (Seer Interactive, June 2025). Content freshness is not optional in AI search — it is a primary ranking signal. B2B companies that publish quarterly or less frequently are at a structural disadvantage compared to those maintaining a regular content cadence.
The UK Regulatory Landscape for AI Search
UK businesses face a regulatory environment that is actively shaping how AI search operates — and it differs significantly from the US approach. Understanding these dynamics helps you anticipate changes rather than react to them.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) came into force on 1 January 2025. Under this legislation, the CMA designated Google with Strategic Market Status (SMS) in October 2025, with scope explicitly including AI Overviews and generative AI search features. Proposed conduct requirements — open for consultation until February 2026 — include publisher opt-out from AI Overviews, mandatory fair attribution in AI results, transparent ranking approaches, and user choice screens for search services including AI assistants.
The UK has chosen a sector-specific, outcomes-based approach rather than the EU's horizontal AI Act. AI in search is regulated through competition law (CMA) and communications regulation (Ofcom) rather than a single statute. For businesses, this means the regulatory environment is fluid — Google may be required to change how AI Overviews surface content, and publishers may gain new rights over how their content appears in AI-generated answers.
The practical implication: invest in AEO infrastructure that is platform-agnostic. Schema markup, answer-first content structure, and strong E-E-A-T signals will serve you regardless of how specific platforms evolve under regulatory pressure. Businesses that build this foundation now will adapt faster when — not if — the rules change.
The Complete Guide to AEO: Your Learning Path
This pillar page provides the strategic overview. For deep implementation guidance on each aspect of AEO, we have created a series of specialist guides. Each covers its topic in comprehensive detail with UK B2B case studies and actionable frameworks.
🔍 How Do You Optimise for AI-Powered Search?
AI search optimisation requires a fundamentally different approach to content creation. Where SEO targets keyword density and link profiles, AEO targets extractable answer passages, entity clarity, and multi-platform signals. The most effective strategies combine answer-first content structure with robust schema markup and deliberate off-site authority building across forums, industry publications, and review platforms.
→ Read our full guide: AI Search Optimisation Strategies for UK Businesses
🏢 Why Does AEO Matter Specifically for B2B?
B2B buyers spend months researching before contacting vendors, and AI is accelerating that research by 6–7 weeks. 66% of UK senior decision-makers now use AI platforms in procurement (Magenta Associates, 2025). For B2B companies with long sales cycles, complex buying committees, and high-value contracts, being the brand that AI recommends during the research phase determines whether you make the shortlist at all.
→ Read our full guide: AEO for B2B: How to Win AI Citations in Complex Sales
💬 How Can You Optimise for ChatGPT?
ChatGPT processes 2.5 billion prompts per day and drives 87.4% of all AI referral traffic to websites (Conductor, 2025). It now uses Google search results rather than Bing, meaning your Google rankings directly influence ChatGPT citations. The platform favours encyclopaedic sources, Wikipedia references, and content with high factual density. Understanding ChatGPT's specific citation mechanics is essential for any AEO programme.
→ Read our full guide: ChatGPT Optimisation: How to Get Your Brand Cited
🌐 How Do Google AI Overviews Change Your SEO Strategy?
Google AI Overviews now reach 1.5 billion monthly users and appear on approximately 30% of UK searches (Ofcom, December 2025). When they appear, organic CTR drops by 61% — but brands cited within the Overview see 35% more organic clicks and 91% more paid clicks than uncited brands (Seer Interactive, November 2025). The CMA has designated Google with Strategic Market Status, with scope explicitly including AI Overviews — UK regulatory changes could reshape this landscape.
→ Read our full guide: Google AI Overviews: What UK Businesses Need to Know
🤖 How Do You Increase Brand Visibility in LLMs?
LLM visibility is distinct from search visibility. AI models build brand understanding through training data, knowledge graphs, and real-time retrieval. Organisations without a Wikipedia presence struggle to achieve consistent AI citations. Building visibility requires a multi-platform approach: consistent brand signals across your website, social profiles, industry directories, review platforms, and publications — all connected through schema markup with sameAs links.
→ Read our full guide: LLM Visibility: How to Get Your Brand Into AI Models
🔗 How Do You Build Citations Across AI Platforms?
AI citation building is the AEO equivalent of link building. Most brand mentions in AI responses come from third-party websites, not your own. Reddit appears in 40.11% of results across AI platforms, driving 27% of ChatGPT's search slots. Brands present in 5 or more authority sources see 2.7× higher mention rates (Powered by Search, 2025). The strategy involves building authentic presence across forums, industry publications, review platforms, and data sources that AI models trust.
→ Read our full guide: AI Citation Building: A Practical Framework for B2B
📐 What Content Framework Works Best for AEO?
Several named frameworks have emerged for AEO content creation. HubSpot's three pillars (Consensus, Information Gain, Semantic Structure), Jason Barnard's Algorithmic Trinity (LLMs, Knowledge Graphs, Search Results), and the RAISE Framework (Relevance, Access, Information Density, Source Authority, Engagement). The consensus across all frameworks: answer-first paragraph structure, modular content blocks that function as standalone extractable passages, and structured data reinforcing every claim.
→ Read our full guide: AEO Content Frameworks: How to Write for AI Citation
📊 How Do You Measure AEO Success?
AEO measurement requires entirely new KPIs: AI Citation Rate, Share of AI Voice, AI Referral Traffic quality, and Citation Drift Rate. Tools like Otterly.AI (from £23/month), Ahrefs Brand Radar (190M+ prompts), and Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit (239M+ queries) now provide dedicated tracking. GA4 has no built-in AI channel group — true AI influence is likely 2–3× what analytics reports due to referrer data gaps (Seer Interactive, 2025).
→ Read our full guide: AEO Measurement & KPIs: Tracking AI Search Performance
🔮 What Is the Future of AI Search?
The UK regulatory landscape is shifting fast. The CMA designated Google with Strategic Market Status in October 2025, with scope explicitly including AI Overviews and generative AI search features. Proposed conduct requirements include publisher opt-out from AI Overviews, fair attribution, and user choice screens. By 2028, Gartner predicts 50% of all searches will involve an AI assistant. The businesses that invest in AEO infrastructure now will have a compounding advantage as AI adoption accelerates.
→ Read our full guide: The Future of AI Search: Trends UK Businesses Must Prepare For
Technical AEO: Schema, Crawlers, and LLMs.txt
The technical foundations of AEO go beyond content structure. Three implementation areas require immediate attention. These are the invisible infrastructure decisions that determine whether AI systems can find, parse, and trust your content — and they are often the fastest wins because most competitors overlook them entirely.
Sites loading faster than 2.5 seconds appear in AI answers 73% more frequently (SALT.agency). Most AI crawlers do not render JavaScript — content must be present in the initial HTML via server-side rendering. URLs with short slugs (17–40 characters) receive the most AI citations (Semrush). The dateModified field in your JSON-LD schema is the deciding freshness signal — SISTRIX analysis confirms that AI systems weight this timestamp heavily when selecting between competing sources. These technical signals are easy to implement but remarkably few B2B websites get them right.
Schema Markup for AI
Pages implementing 3+ schema types show significantly higher AI citation rates. Priority: Article/BlogPosting with full author and dates → Organisation with sameAs links → Person with credentials → FAQPage on Q&A content → HowTo for instructional content. FAQ schema is 3.2× more likely to appear in AI Overviews despite Google restricting FAQ rich results in 2023 (AirOps).
AI Crawler Management
Cloudflare identified 226 AI crawler signatures in 2025. The key distinction: allow search/citation crawlers (OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot) for AI visibility, while optionally blocking training-only crawlers (GPTBot, anthropic-ai, Google-Extended). Many shared hosting WAFs block unrecognised user agents by default — audit your hosting configuration.
LLMs.txt and Technical Signals
The LLMs.txt standard (proposed by Jeremy Howard, September 2024) is a Markdown file at /llms.txt helping AI understand your content. Anthropic supports it; Yoast generates it automatically. Caveat: Tech SEO Connect 2025 found no evidence of reliable crawling by major AI agents — implement as a low-effort hedge, not a primary strategy. Also ensure: server-side rendering (most AI crawlers do not render JS), fast load times (<2.5s — 73% more AI appearances per SALT.agency), and short URL slugs (17–40 characters per Semrush).
Getting Started: A Practical AEO Roadmap for UK B2B
AEO can feel overwhelming given the number of platforms, signals, and emerging tools involved. The most effective approach is phased implementation, starting with the foundations that deliver the broadest impact and layering in platform-specific optimisations over time.
Phase 1: Audit and Foundation (Weeks 1–4)
Run an AI visibility audit: query ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude with your top 20 buyer queries and record whether your brand is cited, how accurately, and which competitors appear instead. Audit your robots.txt for AI crawler access — many shared hosting WAFs block AI crawlers by default. Implement Organisation, Article, and FAQPage schema on your top 20 pages. Set up AI referral tracking in GA4 (manual channel grouping) and connect to your HubSpot CRM for lead attribution.
Phase 2: Content Restructuring (Weeks 4–12)
Restructure your highest-traffic pages with answer-first formatting: 40–60 word direct answer paragraphs leading each section, question-format H2/H3 headings matching buyer queries, and modular content blocks that function as standalone extractable passages. Build a topical authority cluster — one pillar page with 8–10 supporting articles covering every angle of your core expertise. Add clear "last updated" timestamps (sites updated within 10 months receive 95% of ChatGPT citations). Include original statistics and named-author thought leadership throughout.
Phase 3: Off-Site Authority and Citation Building (Months 3–6)
Most brand mentions in AI responses come from third-party websites, not your own domain. Build authentic presence in relevant industry forums (Reddit drives 27% of ChatGPT's search slots), contribute expert commentary to trade publications, pursue speaking and podcast opportunities that generate citable transcripts, and ensure your Wikipedia presence is accurate if you have one. Brands present in five or more authority sources see 2.7× higher AI mention rates (Powered by Search, 2025). Connect all profiles through schema sameAs links for entity clarity.
Phase 4: Measurement and Iteration (Ongoing)
Establish your AEO measurement stack: Otterly.AI or Ahrefs Brand Radar for AI citation tracking, GA4 with custom AI referral segments for traffic quality analysis, and HubSpot's AI Referrals beta for lead attribution. Track four core KPIs: AI Citation Rate (percentage of tracked queries citing your brand), Share of AI Voice (your mentions vs competitors), AI Referral Traffic conversion rate, and Citation Drift Rate (how often AI misrepresents your brand). Review and update content quarterly — AI systems strongly favour fresh content, and the landscape evolves rapidly.
Our Answer Engine Optimisation Services
We offer three AEO service tiers, all integrated with your existing SEO strategy and HubSpot CRM for full-funnel attribution:
Done-With-You
AI visibility audit, content strategy, schema implementation guidance, monthly monitoring, and team training. You execute with our framework and ongoing support.
Done-For-You
Full AEO execution: content creation, schema deployment, AI crawler configuration, citation building, multi-platform monitoring, and monthly reporting with lead attribution.
Content Add-On
AEO-optimised blog content with answer-first structure, schema markup, and internal linking. Bolt onto existing SEO retainers.
All pricing excludes VAT. See our full pricing page for complete service details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Answer Engine Optimisation, and how is it different from traditional SEO?
Answer engine optimisation is the practice of structuring content so AI platforms — ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude — cite your brand in their answers. Traditional SEO targets page rankings in search results; AEO targets direct citation within AI-generated responses. They are complementary — AEO builds on strong SEO foundations rather than replacing them.
Can AEO replace traditional SEO, or do we need both?
You need both. Around 60% of searches still result in clicks to websites, and 92% of AI Overview citations come from domains already ranking in the top 10. AEO without SEO foundations is ineffective. Google's VP Robby Stein has confirmed that AI systems use the same ranking signals as traditional search. The optimal strategy integrates both disciplines.
How do we measure the ROI of Answer Engine Optimisation?
Measure AEO through AI Citation Rate (percentage of tracked queries citing your brand), Share of AI Voice (brand mentions versus competitors), AI Referral Traffic quality (AI-referred visitors convert at 4.4× the rate of organic), and Citation Drift Rate. Tools like Otterly.AI, Ahrefs Brand Radar, and Semrush AI Visibility now provide dedicated tracking. HubSpot's AI Referrals beta automatically categorises traffic from AI platforms.
How long does it take to see results from AEO?
Initial AI visibility improvements can appear within a few weeks if your SEO foundations are solid. Measurable business impact typically takes 6–12 months. Sites with strong existing SEO infrastructure, schema markup, and domain authority see faster AEO results because AI systems draw heavily from already-authoritative sources.
How do we optimise our B2B content to appear in ChatGPT responses?
Focus on answer-first content structure (40–60 word direct answers per section), comprehensive FAQ sections with schema, original data and statistics, named-author thought leadership, and off-site signals including industry publications and Reddit presence. ChatGPT now uses Google search results, so strong Google rankings directly influence ChatGPT citations. 82% of AI referral traffic comes from ChatGPT specifically.
What schema markup do we need for AEO?
Prioritise FAQPage schema (3.2× more likely to appear in AI Overviews), Article/BlogPosting with full author and dateModified fields, Organisation with sameAs links to LinkedIn and Wikipedia, HowTo for instructional content, and Person schema for author E-E-A-T. Pages implementing three or more schema types show significantly higher AI citation rates across all platforms.
How do Google AI Overviews affect our existing B2B SEO strategy?
When AI Overviews appear, organic click-through rates drop by 61% — from 1.76% to 0.61% (Seer Interactive, November 2025). However, brands cited within the Overview see 35% more organic clicks and 91% more paid clicks than uncited brands. The strategy must shift from simply ranking to being cited within the AI Overview itself, which requires answer-first content, robust schema, and strong E-E-A-T signals.
Does our brand's presence on Reddit and forums affect AI search visibility?
Yes, significantly. Reddit appears in 40.11% of results across AI platforms, driving 27% of ChatGPT's search slots. Most brand mentions in AI responses come from third-party websites rather than your own. Building authentic forum presence — answering questions, sharing expertise, and engaging in industry communities — is now a legitimate AEO tactic for B2B companies.
How should we structure content so AI systems can extract and cite it?
Use an inverted pyramid structure: 40–60 word answer-first paragraph at the start of each section, then elaborate. Question-format H2/H3 headings matching user queries. Each section should function as an independent, extractable passage. Include statistics and original data — quantitative claims get 40% higher citation rates. Minimise JavaScript dependency, as most AI crawlers do not render JS.
How can UK businesses prepare for the shift to Answer Engine Optimisation?
Start with an AI visibility audit: check how AI platforms currently represent your brand. Audit your robots.txt for AI crawler access. Implement schema markup on your top 20 pages. Restructure key content with answer-first formatting. Build a topical authority cluster with a pillar page and supporting articles. Invest in E-E-A-T signals (author bios, original research, credentials). Set up AI referral tracking in analytics. Treat AEO as a living knowledge base updated at least quarterly.
Is Your Brand Visible in AI Search?
Find out how AI platforms currently represent your brand. Our AEO visibility scan checks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude — and delivers a prioritised action plan.
Methodology: All statistics cite primary sources with dates. UK data from Ofcom Online Nation Report 2025 (December 2025), DSIT AI Sector Study (September 2025), ONS Business Insights Survey (October 2025), and 6sense/MarketOne UK Buyer Experience Study 2025. AI platform data from Semrush (December 2025–January 2026), Conductor 2026 AEO/GEO Benchmarks Report (November 2025), Seer Interactive (November 2025), AirOps (2025), and DemandSage (February 2026). Page last updated February 2026.