This is how we used AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) to help a client rank in Google AIO (AI Overviews) and Meta in 2 weeks.
Recently, we launched a new service page for a client in the commercial cleaning sector. We didn’t sell them a “special AI package” or some overpriced AEO add-on. We just applied our standard, evolved SEO framework. The same fundamentals we’ve been honing for years.
Two weeks later, the “hidden effects” of that framework started showing up in places most SEOs are still trying to figure out.
I’m sharing the screenshots of our conversation on WhatsApp.
(Blanking out names, brands, keywords is standard SOP. We don’t want people to reverse engineer an existing client)
We weren’t just ranking in the traditional blue links; we were being cited as a primary source in Google’s AI Overviews (AIO) and Microsoft Copilot (Bing AI) for highly specific, high-intent commercial queries.
Me: Currently we are 1 of the top mentioned in the AI overview. It’s a good sign considering the page only launched about 2 weeks ago.
Client: Wah, I get you. Sibei power.
Me: Ranking on Bing is good for visibility on Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity AI, etc.
Client: I didn’t knew SEO got so many hidden effects.
For us, these aren’t “hidden effects.” They are the intended results of building pages with three audiences in mind: Humans, Search Engine Bots, and LLMs.
We weren’t just ranking in the traditional blue links; we were being cited as a primary source in Google’s AI Overviews (AIO) and Microsoft Copilot (Bing AI) for highly specific, high-intent queries.
Why Traditional SEO is No Longer Enough
Search has fundamentally changed. It’s no longer just about matching keywords; it’s about answering intent.
If a user asks an AI, “Who is the most reliable service provider for [X] in Singapore?”, the LLM doesn’t just look for a site with high traffic. It looks for a site it can trust to provide a factual, structured answer.
If you aren’t optimized for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), you’re essentially becoming invisible to the AI tools that now sit at the top of every search results page.
The Framework: How to Optimize for LLMs & AIO
We achieved this result by focusing on three specific pillars that move the needle for AI crawlers:
1. Entity-Based Architecture
LLMs understand the world through “Entities” (People, Places, Things). We didn’t just write a page about a service; we established the page as a node within a specific knowledge graph.
- The Approach: We defined the relationship between the brand, the specific technical problem they solve, and the local Singapore context.
- The Result: The AI sees the site as a factual authority on the topic, not just a landing page trying to sell something.
2. Schema
Think of Schema as the menu you give to a waiter. If the menu is messy, the waiter (the AI) won’t recommend your dish.
- The Approach: We used deep nested JSON-LD to “hand-feed” data to the LLM. This included
Service,FAQ, andLocalBusinessmarkups that explicitly state what the client does and why they are qualified.
3. NLP-Friendly Content Structure
AI models like Gemini and GPT-4 prefer content structured logically for Natural Language Processing (NLP).
- The Approach: We used clear, declarative headings and “Answer-First” paragraphs. We addressed common user pain points directly, making it easy for an AI to scrape our content for its summary box.
A Small Reality Check
I’d love to tell you every page we touch hits the AI Overview in 14 days. But I’d be lying.
Search engines are volatile, and AI is even more so. This specific success was a “perfect storm” of a clean site migration, high-quality technical groundwork, and a client who trusted our process.
AEO isn’t a “hack.” It’s just SEO done with a bit more foresight. We don’t chase the algorithm; we just try to be the most helpful answer on the internet. Usually, the AI notices.
Does your current SEO strategy even acknowledge LLMs?
If you’re still chasing 2020 rankings, you’re already behind. We don’t just build for Google; we build for the future of how people find answers.
Would you like me to take a quick look at your site to see if it’s currently optimized for AI Overviews?