# How To Do AI SEO The Right Way in 2026 for 10x Revenue
Table of Contents
These notes are based on the YouTube video by Leveling Up with Eric Siu
Key Takeaways
- AEO = Answer Engine Optimization – the practice of ranking in AI‑driven answer platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.).
- Listicle outreach is a low‑effort, high‑impact way to get your brand into the LLM’s knowledge graph.
- High‑value citations matter: Reddit, Wikipedia, and YouTube are among the top sources that LLMs pull from.
- Reddit community building (own subreddit, dedicated manager, support reps) boosts trust signals.
- Bottom‑of‑Funnel (BOFU) content (transactional guides, vs. comparisons) tends to rank better than pure informational pieces; many practitioners now prioritize BOFU assets.
- FAQ sections give LLMs a ready‑made answer to surface in AI overviews.
- Proprietary data & human insights act as “fresh content” that LLMs preferentially cite.
- Brand monitoring across AI answer surfaces lets you react quickly to mentions.
- Technical health (crawlability, speed, no accidental blocking) is still foundational.
- Scalable AI workflows (e.g., ClickFlow) save dozens of hours per person and enable programmatic content creation—always keep a human in the loop.
Detailed Explanations
What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) focuses on ranking in AI‑driven answer platforms rather than traditional SERPs.
- LLMO – Large Language Model Optimization.
- Search‑Everywhere Optimization – broader term that includes voice, chat, and embedded search.
The goal: be the first answer the model returns; otherwise you’re effectively invisible.
🔗 See Also: What Is AEO? How to Get Your Brand Found in AI Search
1. Listicle Placements
- Why they work: LLMs scrape existing “top‑X” lists to answer queries like “best marketing podcasts.”
- How to execute:
- Identify niche‑relevant listicles (e.g., “Top 10 Marketing Podcasts”).
- Reach out to the author/editor with a concise pitch and a link to your content.
- Secure the link → the listicle becomes a citation that LLMs can surface.
Result: Your brand appears in the model’s answer set without needing a direct ranking.
2. High‑Value Citations
| Source | Why It Counts |
|---|---|
| Community‑driven Q&A, high trust, frequently indexed. | |
| Wikipedia | Authoritative, structured data, widely referenced. |
| YouTube | Google‑owned, strong video signal, especially for “how‑to” queries. |
Action steps:
- Publish on YouTube (interviews, collaborations).
- Contribute valuable comments or answers on Reddit threads.
- Ensure Wikipedia pages are accurate and up‑to‑date (if applicable).
🔗 See Also: The Ultimate AI SEO Playbook - Rank #1 in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini & More
3. Reddit Community Building
- Create a dedicated subreddit for your brand or product.
- Assign a community manager to answer questions, moderate, and spark discussions.
- Leverage support staff to provide real‑time help in the subreddit.
- Participate in related subreddits – add value, not spam.
When LLMs parse Reddit discussions, genuine, positive mentions can become citation signals.
4. Bottom‑of‑Funnel (BOFU) Content & Guides
- Definition: Content that targets transactional intent (e.g., “Salesforce vs HubSpot,” “Luxury hotels in Rome”).
- Strategic emphasis: Many AEO practitioners now allocate a larger share of resources to BOFU assets because they align closely with the answer‑engine user journey.
- Typical formats:
- Comparison tables.
- Purchase guides.
- “Best of” product round‑ups with clear calls‑to‑action.
These assets are more likely to be pulled into answer snippets because they directly satisfy user intent.
💡 Related: Content Marketing’s About to Change Forever (2026 Strategies)
5. FAQ Optimization
- Add a dedicated FAQ section to each relevant page.
- Structure with clear question headings (H2/H3) and concise answers.
- Include schema markup (
FAQPage) to help LLMs recognize the content.
Result: Higher chance the model will surface your answer directly in chat results.
6. Proprietary Data & Human Insights
- Publish original research, statistics, or case studies (e.g., unique industry benchmarks).
- Highlight human‑generated insights that AI can’t replicate.
Fresh, unique data tends to receive a weighting boost in LLM citation algorithms, helping you stand out.
7. Brand Monitoring
| Tool | Cost | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Google Alerts | Free | Email notifications for new mentions. |
| Brand24 | Paid | Real‑time social listening, sentiment analysis. |
| Ahrefs Brand Radar | Paid | Tracks brand mentions across AI answer engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.). |
Regular monitoring lets you measure and manage your AEO performance.
8. Technical Fixes
- Crawlability: Ensure robots.txt doesn’t block AI crawlers.
- Speed: Optimize page load times (Core Web Vitals).
- Indexability: Use canonical tags, avoid duplicate content.
- User Experience: Good UX for humans translates to better signals for AI models.
A clean technical foundation expands your “crawl budget” and increases opportunities for answer placement.
9. Scalable AI Workflows
- Tool example: ClickFlow (internal Single Grain product).
- Saves roughly 60 hrs/month per user (self‑reported).
- Automates content creation, updates, FAQ insertion, and consolidation.
- Workflow ideas:
- Programmatic generation of “city guide” pages.
- Bulk FAQ addition via CSV import.
- Automated content audits (detect thin or outdated pages).
Human‑in‑the‑loop: Always review AI‑generated output to prevent factual errors or SEO penalties.
💡 Related: How Claude Code Ranked Me FIRST on Google (It’s OVER for SEO Agencies)
Summary
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is becoming the primary way users discover information via chat and LLM interfaces. Success hinges on a mix of strategic outreach (listicles), high‑value citations (Reddit, Wikipedia, YouTube), community engagement, and BOFU‑focused content. Complement these with well‑structured FAQs, proprietary data, vigilant brand monitoring, solid technical health, and scalable AI‑driven workflows—while keeping a human reviewer in the process. Implementing these tactics positions your brand to appear as the first answer across today’s and tomorrow’s AI‑powered search experiences, driving higher traffic, leads, and revenue.
