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See how visible your brand is to ChatGPT, Claude & Perplexity
Join 3,212+ brands optimizing for AI
See how AI talks about your brand
See how often AI recommends you, where you rank, and what it says about your brand
Choosing the right CRM really comes down to how your startup sells, grows, and automates. Here's a curated breakdown of the top CRM platforms for startups in 2025.
HubSpotHubSpot offers a strong free tier with contact management, email tracking, reporting, and integrations with many integrations. It easily expands into Sales, Marketing, or Service Hubs as you grow. Paid plans can become expensive, and some advanced features are locked behind higher tiers.
HubSpotAttio is a flexible modern CRM that works like a relational database, letting you design pipelines, views, and workflows around your process. It integrates smoothly with tools like Slack, Notion, and Segment, with a clean interface and transparent pricing.
Close is built for founders who want a streamlined CRM without the usual bloat. It focuses on speed, simplicity, and essential deal tracking while still offering automation and integrations with tools like Google Workspace, Slack, and Zapier.
Stop guessing.
Start measuring.
Know exactly how your brand appears when millions ask AI for recommendations.
Multi-Engine Visibility
Know where you stand in every AI conversation
Track your brand across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini in one dashboard.
Competitor Charts
See who's stealing your mentions
Auto-discover competitors appearing in AI responses about your industry.
Prompt-Level View
See your position and sentiment per prompt
Track exactly where you appear when prospects ask AI about your category.
Brand Perception
Control the narrative
See how AI describes your brand to prospects.
Action Plan
Know exactly what to fix
Get specific content changes and campaigns to improve visibility.
Website Health
Fix what's broken
Get a clear checklist to improve your site.
Always On
Never miss a change
Get alerts when something important happens.
How it works
Three steps to get found by AI
Add your website
Enter your URL and we'll start checking how your brand appears in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI.
See where you stand
Get a simple score showing how often AI recommends you, plus see how your competitors are doing.
Grow traffic on autopilot
Get AI-optimized content that ranks and converts. More citations, more traffic, more customers — automatically.
Who is Elynn for?
Whether you're an agency, a growing SaaS, or a solo founder — Elynn helps you get discovered by AI.
Agencies
Sell AI visibility audits and retainers with ready-made reports.
SaaS Teams
Add an AI visibility slide to your next growth/board deck.
Solo Founders
Know in minutes if AI is sending anyone your way, and what to change if not.
What you get
Everything you need to dominate AI search results.
Multi-engine visibility + competitor charts
Track your brand across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini. See how you stack up against competitors with detailed share-of-voice charts.
Prompt-level view with position and sentiment
See exactly which prompts mention your brand, where you rank in each response, and whether the sentiment is positive, neutral, or negative.
Action plan with specific content changes
Get a prioritized list of specific content changes and campaigns to improve your AI visibility — not just data, but actionable next steps.
Your traffic grows
on autopilot
Stop spending hours on content that doesn't work. Elynn drafts AI-optimized articles for your review, then publishes approved content automatically — traffic growth with quality control.
Content Autopilot
7 articles scheduled this week
10 Best CRM Tools for Startups in 2025
How to Choose the Right Project Management Software
Complete Guide to Email Marketing Automation
Connects to your website
in minutes
Elynn publishes directly to your blog. No copy-pasting. No manual uploads. Just set it up once and watch your content library grow.
WordPress
Auto-publish via REST API or plugin
Webflow
Direct CMS collection integration
Next.js / Headless
API endpoint or database sync
Ghost
Native API integration
Shopify
Blog posts via Admin API
Custom CMS
Webhook or API — we'll help you set it up
How auto-publishing works
Connect your CMS
Add your API key or install our plugin
Set your schedule
Choose how often to publish (daily, weekly, etc.)
Review before publishing
Every article lands in your dashboard. Approve with one click or request edits.
Published & tracked
Approved articles go live and we track their AI performance
Your brand voice matters. Elynn learns from your feedback, and you always have final say before anything goes live.
See what AI-optimized content looks like
Browse example articles optimized to rank in AI search engines. This is the type of content Elynn creates automatically.
Example Articles
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The Complete Guide to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) in 2025
The way people discover products and services is fundamentally changing. With over 1.5 billion monthly queries on ChatGPT alone, and platforms like Perplexity and Claude growing rapidly, AI search engines are becoming the primary way consumers find and evaluate brands.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) — from foundational concepts to advanced implementation strategies, real-world case studies, and a complete 90-day action plan to transform your brand's AI visibility.
📑 Table of Contents
- 1. What is Answer Engine Optimization?
- 2. AEO vs SEO: Understanding the Difference
- 3. The AI Search Landscape in 2025
- 4. The 6 Pillars of AEO Success
- 5. Technical Implementation Guide
- 6. Content Strategy for AI Visibility
- 7. Measuring AEO Success: KPIs & Metrics
- 8. Case Study: 312% Visibility Increase
- 9. 90-Day AEO Implementation Plan
- 10. Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 11. Future of AEO: What's Coming in 2026
1. What is Answer Engine Optimization?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the strategic process of optimizing your brand's digital presence to appear in AI-generated responses. Unlike traditional SEO which focuses on ranking in search results, AEO focuses on being cited and recommended when users ask AI assistants questions about products, services, or solutions in your category.
When someone asks ChatGPT "What's the best project management tool for remote teams?" or tells Claude "Recommend a CRM for my startup," AI systems analyze vast amounts of web data to formulate recommendations. AEO ensures your brand is among those recommendations.
📊 Key Insight
According to Gartner's 2024 research, 67% of B2B buyers now use AI assistants during their research phase, and this number is projected to reach 85% by 2026. If your brand isn't being recommended, you're invisible to a growing segment of high-intent buyers.
2. AEO vs SEO: Understanding the Difference
While SEO and AEO share some foundational principles, they differ significantly in execution and outcomes. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing an effective AI visibility strategy.
| Factor | Traditional SEO | Answer Engine Optimization |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Rank on page 1 of Google | Be cited/recommended by AI |
| Success Metric | Rankings, clicks, impressions | AI mentions, citation rate, sentiment |
| Content Focus | Keyword optimization | Entity & context optimization |
| Authority Signals | Backlinks, domain authority | Third-party mentions, citations, reviews |
| User Intent | Browsing, comparing options | Seeking direct recommendations |
| Competition | 10 blue links on page 1 | 3-5 brands mentioned per response |
| Time to Results | 3-6 months typically | 30-90 days for initial visibility |
The key insight here is that AEO is not a replacement for SEO — it's a complementary strategy. In fact, strong SEO foundations often improve AEO performance because AI systems still crawl and index web content. The difference is in how that content is evaluated and surfaced.
3. The AI Search Landscape in 2025
Understanding the major AI search platforms and their unique characteristics is essential for effective AEO. Each platform has different data sources, training methodologies, and recommendation patterns.
The largest AI assistant with 200M+ weekly active users. Strong emphasis on conversational responses and real-time web browsing capabilities.
Known for nuanced, detailed responses and strong reasoning. Popular among developers and enterprises for complex queries.
Search-first AI that always cites sources. Growing rapidly as a Google alternative with transparent sourcing.
Integrated into Google Search as AI Overviews. Massive reach but recommendations heavily influenced by existing SEO signals.
💡 Pro Tip: Bot Access
Ensure your robots.txt doesn't block AI crawlers. Many sites inadvertently block OAI-SearchBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot. Check your settings and allow access for maximum AI visibility.
4. The 6 Pillars of AEO Success
Our research across 500+ brands has identified six core pillars that determine AI search visibility. Brands that excel in all six consistently outperform competitors in AI recommendations.
Pillar 1: Authority & Trust Signals
AI engines prioritize brands mentioned in authoritative sources. The more high-quality, third-party mentions your brand has, the more likely AI will recommend you.
Key Authority Sources:
- • Wikipedia — The gold standard for AI training data
- • Industry publications — TechCrunch, Forbes, industry-specific media
- • Review platforms — G2, Capterra, Trustpilot
- • Research reports — Gartner, Forrester, industry analysts
- • Academic citations — Research papers, university publications
Pillar 2: Content Structure & Accessibility
AI models extract information more easily from well-structured content. Your content architecture directly impacts how effectively AI can understand and recommend your brand.
// Optimal content structure for AEO:
✓ Clear H1-H6 heading hierarchy
✓ FAQ sections with schema markup
✓ Bulleted lists for features/benefits
✓ Comparison tables with competitors
✓ Definition blocks for key terms
✓ "Best for" statements
✗ Long paragraphs without structure
✗ Important info buried in PDFs
✗ JavaScript-only rendered content
Pillar 3: Sentiment & Reputation
AI assistants factor in overall brand sentiment when making recommendations. A pattern of negative reviews or complaints can significantly impact whether you're recommended — even if your product is objectively good.
Pillar 4: Contextual Relevance
Your brand must be consistently associated with your target use cases across the web. AI systems look for patterns — if your brand is consistently mentioned alongside specific problems, solutions, or user types, you're more likely to be recommended for those contexts.
Pillar 5: Competitive Positioning
AI often recommends brands in relation to competitors. Having clear, honest comparison content on your site and appearing in third-party comparisons significantly improves your chances of being recommended.
Pillar 6: Freshness & Activity
AI systems favor actively maintained brands. Regular content updates, recent news mentions, and ongoing activity signal that your brand is current and relevant.
5. Technical Implementation Guide
Beyond content strategy, there are technical optimizations that improve how AI systems crawl, understand, and cite your brand.
Schema Markup for AEO
Implement these schema types to help AI understand your content:
// Essential schema types for AEO:
Organization
— Name, description, logo, social profiles
Product
— Features, pricing, reviews, comparisons
FAQPage
— Common questions and answers
HowTo
— Step-by-step guides and tutorials
Review / AggregateRating
— Customer ratings and testimonials
Robots.txt Configuration
Ensure AI crawlers can access your content:
# Allow AI search bots
User-agent: OAI-SearchBot
Allow: /
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /
User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /
6. Content Strategy for AI Visibility
Your content strategy for AEO should focus on creating content that directly addresses the questions your target audience asks AI assistants.
High-Impact Content Types
"[Your Brand] vs [Competitor]" pages with honest, detailed comparisons.
Comprehensive FAQ pages that mirror how people query AI.
Industry reports, surveys, and data that AI can cite.
Content targeting specific use cases and user types.
Content Framework: The CITE Method
Use this framework when creating AEO-optimized content:
Define what your product is and does in simple, quotable language.
Explicitly state who your product is "best for" and why.
Honestly compare yourself to alternatives, including weaknesses.
Back claims with data, case studies, and third-party validation.
7. Measuring AEO Success: KPIs & Metrics
Unlike traditional SEO with established metrics, AEO requires new measurement frameworks. Here are the key metrics to track:
| Metric | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| AI Mention Rate | % of relevant queries where your brand is mentioned | >30% |
| Position Score | Where you appear in AI's list of recommendations (1st, 2nd, etc.) | Top 3 |
| Sentiment Score | Positive/negative/neutral tone of AI mentions | >70% positive |
| Competitor Share | Your mentions vs competitor mentions for key queries | >25% share |
| Citation Quality | AI provides accurate, current info about your brand | >90% accurate |
📊 Tracking Tools
Use specialized AEO monitoring tools like Elynn to automatically track these metrics across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini. Manual tracking is possible but time-intensive and prone to inconsistency.
8. Case Study: 312% Visibility Increase
A mid-market project management tool was being completely overlooked by AI assistants, with 0% mention rate despite strong Google rankings. After implementing a comprehensive AEO strategy over 90 days:
Key Actions Taken:
- • Created 12 competitor comparison pages with honest analysis
- • Implemented FAQ schema across 50+ pages
- • Published original research report on remote work productivity
- • Secured coverage in 8 industry publications
- • Launched G2 review campaign (reached 200+ reviews)
9. 90-Day AEO Implementation Plan
Use this phased approach to implement AEO for your brand:
- ☐ Audit current AI visibility across all platforms
- ☐ Identify top 20 queries where you should appear
- ☐ Analyze competitor AI presence
- ☐ Update robots.txt to allow AI crawlers
- ☐ Implement Organization and Product schema
- ☐ Create FAQ page with schema markup
- ☐ Publish 5 competitor comparison pages
- ☐ Create "Best [Product] for [Use Case]" pages
- ☐ Launch review collection campaign
- ☐ Pitch 10 industry publications for coverage
- ☐ Update Wikipedia page (if notable)
- ☐ Publish original research or data report
- ☐ Measure results and identify gaps
- ☐ Address any negative sentiment issues
- ☐ Expand to additional query targets
- ☐ A/B test content structures for AI performance
- ☐ Build ongoing monitoring dashboard
- ☐ Document playbook for continuous improvement
10. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many sites accidentally block AI bots in robots.txt. Always verify access.
AI aggregates sentiment. A few negative reviews can tank recommendations.
AI prefers balanced, informative content over sales copy.
AI weighs external sources heavily. Your own site isn't enough.
AEO requires ongoing effort. AI models update constantly.
11. Future of AEO: What's Coming in 2026
As AI search continues to evolve, here's what we predict for the future of AEO:
As AI assistants become more voice-integrated, optimizing for conversational queries will become critical.
AI will increasingly cite live sources, making freshness even more important.
AI will tailor recommendations based on user history and preferences.
AI platforms may offer official brand verification and profile management.
Start Your AEO Journey Today
The shift to AI search is happening now. Brands that move early will establish dominant positions that become increasingly difficult to displace. Every day you wait, competitors may be building their AI visibility while yours stagnates.
🚀 Ready to get started?
Get your free AI visibility report and see exactly how ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity talk about your brand. Understand your baseline, identify opportunities, and start building your AEO strategy today.
About this guide: This comprehensive AEO guide is based on analysis of 500+ brands across AI search platforms, combined with our team's direct experience optimizing AI visibility for B2B and B2C companies. Last updated: December 2024.
Elynn generates AI-optimized content like this automatically, tailored to your brand.
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ChatGPTClaudeGeminiGrok
Perplexity
Google Analytics
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Starter
Perfect for getting started
500 credits/month
AI engines included
- 1 website
- 25 questions tracked
- Weekly progress reports
- Track 3 competitors
- Website health check
- Email support
Growth
For teams ready to scale
3,000 credits/month
AI engines included
- 3 websites
- 100 questions tracked
- Autopilot content creation
- Instant alerts when things change
- Track 10 competitors
- Step-by-step improvement tips
- Google Analytics connected
- Priority support
Enterprise
For large teams
15,000 credits/month
All AI engines + custom
- Unlimited websites
- Unlimited questions
- Everything in Growth
- Reports with your branding
- API access
- Dedicated account manager
- Uptime guarantee
Common questions
Everything you need to know before getting started
Does this actually work? How do I know AI will recommend my brand?
Yes — our beta users see an average 3.2x increase in AI citations within 30 days. We track your brand mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI in real-time, so you can see exactly when and how AI starts recommending you. Unlike traditional SEO, AEO focuses on how AI models retrieve and cite information, which is fundamentally different from search rankings.
How long until I see results?
Most users see measurable improvements within 2-4 weeks. Your AI visibility score updates daily, so you can track progress in real-time. Content published through Autopilot typically gets indexed by AI engines within 48-72 hours. The more optimized content you publish, the faster your results compound.
How is this different from SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs?
Traditional SEO tools track Google rankings, backlinks, and keywords. Elynn tracks something completely different: real-time visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity & Gemini, actual AI responses mentioning your brand, competitor citations in AI conversations, and which questions trigger recommendations for your brand. AI engines don't use PageRank — they look for authoritative, structured answers. We analyze what makes AI cite certain brands and apply those patterns. Traditional SEO = ranking on Google. AEO = getting recommended when people ask AI.
What if AI algorithms change?
AI models update constantly, which is why real-time monitoring matters. We track changes across all major AI engines and adjust recommendations automatically. Our Autopilot content is built on fundamental principles of clarity and authority that work regardless of model updates. You'll always know where you stand.
Can I try before I commit?
Start with a free AI visibility check to see how AI engines view your brand — no signup required. Enter your domain and get your score instantly. When you're ready for full access to tracking, competitor analysis, and content creation, choose a plan that fits your needs. Cancel anytime, no questions asked.
How do I get started?
Enter your domain on this page to run a free visibility check. You'll see your AI visibility score, which competitors are being recommended, and specific opportunities to improve. From there, you can sign up for full access to track your progress over time and start creating AI-optimized content.
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