Commercial AEO for high-trust brands
The AEO Agency for B2B and Financial Brands That Need AI Citations
Smart Money Media builds the schema, entity authority, editorial proof, and citation-ready pages buyers expect to see when they ask AI who to trust.
"Search is becoming an answer engine. If you're not the answer, you're invisible."
Why AI Search Doesn't Mention Your Brand
Traditional SEO agencies optimize for blue links. Answer engines don't show blue links. They cite a handful of trusted sources, and decide who's trusted with signals most agencies don't even measure.
No structured schema for entities, FAQs, or services
No Wikidata or Wikipedia entity to anchor your brand
Few tier-1 editorial citations. AI has nothing to quote
No llms.txt for ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to index
Proof
third-party editorial sources AI systems can verify
Schema
structured context for services, entities, and FAQs
Citations
answer-ready pages and placements tied to buyer questions
AEO, Defined
What Is an AEO Agency?
An AEO agency (Answer Engine Optimization agency) is a firm that engineers the trust signals, structured data, and editorial citations large language models use to choose which brands to cite in AI-generated answers, including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.
Where a traditional SEO agency optimizes for keyword rankings, an AEO agency optimizes for entity recognition, citation likelihood, and AI verbatim mentions. The work spans schema markup, knowledge graph buildout, llms.txt deployment (for ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Google has stated it does not use llms.txt), tier-1 PR placements, and structured editorial content designed for direct LLM extraction. Deciding between AEO and GEO? See AEO vs GEO.
Key Takeaway
An AEO agency optimizes a brand to be cited inside AI answers, not ranked beneath them. The five inputs that decide AI citation are schema, entity graph, llms.txt, tier-1 editorial citations, and AI-verbatim content structure.
Traditional SEO Agency
Targets keyword rankings, backlinks, and SERP position. Success = page-one ranking.
AEO Agency (this is us)
Targets AI citations, entity authority, and verbatim mentions. Success means a stronger, more citable presence in AI-generated answers.
Our 5-Step AEO Methodology
Every engagement runs through the same structured framework: engineered to maximize citation likelihood across every major answer engine.
Step 1
Schema & Structured Data
Service, Organization, FAQPage, Article, and DefinedTerm schema deployed and validated, so AI engines can parse your offering with zero ambiguity.
Step 2
Entity Graph Buildout
Wikidata entry, Wikipedia anchoring where eligible, and consistent sameAs profile graph so LLMs link your brand to the right concepts.
Step 3
llms.txt + AI Content Map
An AI-readable index of your most citation-worthy assets for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and enterprise RAG systems. Google has stated llms.txt is not used in Google Search or AI Overviews; we deploy it for the engines that do use it.
Step 4
Tier-1 Editorial Citations
Strategic placements in trusted, name-brand publications, the third-party evidence AI engines weigh most heavily when deciding who to quote.
Step 5
AI Verbatim Optimization
Content engineered with KEY TAKEAWAY blocks, definitional sentences, and structured Q&A so LLMs lift your exact words into their answers.
Buyer's Framework
How to Choose an AEO or GEO Agency
Most "AI search" agencies recycle traditional SEO with new vocabulary. Use this checklist to separate operators from rebranded link-builders.
Green Flags
- Ships schema, llms.txt, and entity graph work, not just "content."
- Earns tier-1 editorial citations alongside selective paid features, never paid wire syndication dressed up as earned coverage.
- Tracks AI verbatim mentions across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini.
- Practices AEO on its own site (verifiable receipts).
- Names what they cannot guarantee.
Red Flags
- Promises guaranteed AI citations or specific rankings.
- Sells "GEO" as repackaged keyword stuffing or PBN links.
- No working schema or llms.txt on their own domain.
- Reports vanity traffic instead of citation share.
- Treats Wikidata, Wikipedia, or knowledge panels as out of scope.
Six Questions to Ask Any AEO or GEO Agency
- Show me your last three earned tier-1 placements (not paid wire).
- What schema types do you deploy by default, and why those?
- How do you build a brand's Wikidata entity?
- What does your llms.txt look like on your own site?
- How do you measure AI citation share across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini?
- What outcomes will you not promise, and why?
The Receipts
We Practice What We Sell
Smart Money Media runs the same AEO playbook on itself. Every signal below is live, verifiable, and indexed.
llms.txt deployed
Live at /llms.txt
Schema coverage
Organization, Service, FAQ, Article, DefinedTerm
Entity graph
100+ glossary terms anchored to Wikidata
Editorial footprint
1,400+ media outlets across all tiers
Want to see your own brand's receipts? Run the Free AI Visibility Audit →
Brands placed across
Credibility travels through independent sources
Earned media and third-party coverage create public evidence that buyers, journalists, search systems, and AI engines can inspect.
Forbes
Bloomberg
Reuters
The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times
USA Today
CNBC
Business Insider
TechCrunch
Fast Company
Time
Entrepreneur
Outlets where we have secured placements or actively target coverage for clients.
1,400+ publication network, including Forbes, Bloomberg, TIME, and more
AEO Agency FAQ
Not theory: here's what this looks like when we run it.
Sales calls shifted from credibility interrogations to buying conversations; prospects arrive ready to learn, not cross-examine.
Placements and outcomes are not guaranteed.
✓ Free · ✓ No obligation · ✓ Response within 24hrs
Get Your Custom AEO Plan
Tell us about your brand. We'll review your AI footprint and reach out within 24 hours with a tailored plan.
Go Deeper on AEO & GEO
Umbrella Discipline
LLM SEO: The Complete Pillar
AEO is the answer-focused part of the broader GEO discipline (often called LLM SEO): how to earn brand visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude.
Pillar Guide
Answer Engine Optimization: The Complete Pillar
The full operating manual on AEO: the seven-layer stack, surface-by-surface engine behavior, and KPIs for a six-month-minimum buildout.
Sibling Service
GEO Agency
The broader umbrella: adds the classic SEO layer that Google AI Overviews and Bing Generative require on top of the AEO foundation.
Companion Program
Authority Buildout Program
Full-stack done-for-you PR + AEO/GEO positioning. Tier-1 placements, executive branding, and AI citation engineering in one engagement.
Want to see how AI visibility is measured? Read our guide to AI search KPIs and measurement.