What is an AEO audit?

An Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) audit checks whether AI systems can identify your brand, repeat your facts accurately, and cite your pages as sources. Traditional SEO audits focus on rankings; AEO audits focus on being the answer.

What “LLM mentions” means

Mentions: the model references your brand in its answer.
Citations: the model links to your domain as a source.

Any “mentions” metric is a proxy. The key is using a repeatable baseline so you can measure improvement over time.

The levers that increase mentions

Entity clarity: a canonical About/Product identity + Organization schema + consistent facts everywhere.
Source-first content: benchmarks, definitions, and quotable claims backed by citations.
Retrieval-friendly structure: direct answers, lists/tables, FAQs, and relevant schema.
Corroboration: third-party mentions that repeat your facts and cite your data.

A 30-day implementation plan

Week 1: fix identity + truth (About, schema, facts, screenshots).
Week 2: publish 1 definition + 1 comparison + 1 checklist (answer assets).
Week 3: ship a proof asset (benchmark/dataset) and add “last updated” + changelog.
Week 4: distribute and re-run the audit; track deltas and iterate.

How to upsell without being pushy

A conversion-friendly flow is: diagnosis → prescription → implementation. The audit gives a clear diagnosis. The report should map each fix to a workflow or feature that helps the user execute faster.

Low entity recognition → generate Organization/Product/FAQ schema
Hallucinations → publish corrective, cited EEAT pages
Low citation strength → data-led assets + internal linking
No repeatable process → monitoring + scheduled refreshes

Get your baseline in minutes

Run the free AEO audit to see platform mentions, entity signals, and a prioritized action plan.

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FAQ

Can you really track “mentions in ChatGPT” and Perplexity?

Not as a perfect global counter. Any “mentions” metric is a repeatable proxy based on sampled prompts, model endpoints, and datasets. The value is tracking improvement week-over-week, not absolute totals.

What is the fastest way to increase mentions and citations?

Publish one “source of truth” page with a crisp definition, 10+ referenced claims, tight formatting (lists/tables/FAQs), and the right schema. Then distribute it so other sites corroborate it.

Do backlinks still matter for AEO?

Yes, but they matter most when they validate your identity (entity corroboration) and cite your data. Random directory links are far less useful than niche, relevant citations.

What should I fix first if AI is hallucinating about my brand?

Create an “AI facts” page (or upgrade your About/Product pages) with verifiable claims, citations, and a visible update cadence. Then correct third‑party listings that spread wrong information.

Do I need to block AI crawlers?

Usually no. If your goal is to earn mentions and citations, you want your best “answer assets” to be crawlable and easy to parse.

The AEO Audit Playbook (2026)

Start with a baseline