THE AUDEN GUIDE · 19 OCTOBER 2026
Help AI understand
your business.
People ask AI what to buy and who to hire. Here’s how to check what it says about you—and make your website more useful.
Pick one question your customers ask. Make sure your page answers it clearly. Check what AI says, open its source links, then fix what is missing.
You can improve your information. You cannot promise that an AI service will recommend you.
What do GEO and AEO mean?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. It means working on how your business appears in AI answers. AEO stands for answer engine optimization. It means making your information useful when someone asks a question.
The names overlap. The practical work matters more: answer customer questions, check that the right services can read your pages, and find out whether the answers are accurate.
This work still needs good SEO—the basics that help search engines find and understand a website. Google says you do not need special AI markup for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Following its rules does not guarantee that your page will appear. Read Google’s guidance.
The workflow in 20 seconds
Read the full video transcript
Start with real buyer questions. Record the market and engine. Save the answer. Check the sources and identify missing evidence. Fix access problems and publish useful, verifiable information. Retest the same questions. A citation is not a sale, or a guarantee.
The visual shows four labeled stages: Ask, Check, Improve and Retest. A progress line highlights each stage in sequence.
Four steps you can take
Imagine you run a software company. A buyer asks, “Will this work for a small finance team?” Your page might need to explain the price, setup work and limits. Repeating “we’re the best” does not answer that question.
- Ask a real question. Choose something a customer needs to know before buying. Name the country or audience when it matters.
- Check the answer. Save what the AI service says. Open its source links. Do those pages support the answer?
- Improve your page. Add the missing explanation or proof. Fix any problem that stops the right services from reading it.
- Try again. Use the same question and service. Keep results that stayed the same or got worse, too.
A mention is not a sale
Check each step on its own. One step does not prove the next.
- 01AccessCan the service open your page?Check the page and its access settings.
- 02Finding itDoes it find your information for this question?Record any search or page visits the service shows.
- 03The answerDoes it describe you correctly and link to you?Save the answer and the exact source links.
- 04The visitDoes someone come to your website?Check website reports, where consent and data allow.
- 05The resultDoes a visit lead to a useful inquiry or sale?Check the actual customer or sales record.
This is a way to check your work. It does not describe every AI service’s internal system.
Also record which website fixes were completed. If an answer changes afterward, that alone does not prove your edit caused it. The service, its sources or the test conditions may have changed.
Do all AI services work the same way?
No. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Google Search are different experiences. Record which one you tested. An answer in one does not tell you what people see in another.
There is also a difference between reading a page to answer a question and using it to train a model. Training means using data to help build a model’s abilities. Your technical team should check those choices separately.
For your technical team: search, training and page access
| Surface | Documented distinction | Practical review |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT search | OAI-SearchBot supports search. GPTBot relates to training. ChatGPT-User handles certain user-triggered visits; it is not the automatic search crawler. | Review search access separately from training preferences. Check the published guidance before changing robots or firewall rules. OpenAI documentation. |
| Claude | Claude-SearchBot supports search, Claude-User retrieves at a user’s direction, and ClaudeBot collects potential training material. | Record which function you intend to allow or restrict. Do not assume one bot rule controls every use. Anthropic documentation. |
| Google AI Overviews and AI Mode | These are Search features. Supporting pages need to meet Search eligibility; Googlebot and preview controls apply. | Check indexing, snippet eligibility, useful text and internal links. Avoid treating special “AI schema” as a requirement. Google Search documentation. |
| Gemini Apps | Google-Extended controls specified training and grounding uses. It does not control inclusion or ranking in Google Search. | Review the exact product and intended use. A Search result is not the same observation as a Gemini answer. Google crawler documentation. |
For other engines, inspect current official guidance and test the actual product your audience uses. An answer with no retrievable citations should be labeled as an answer observation, not a source-verified finding.
Make your page easier to trust
Put the main answer near the top. Then explain the details that might change a buyer’s decision.
- Say who your service is for.
- Explain what is included and what is not.
- Show what the customer needs to do.
- Back up claims with facts that you can share.
- Keep names, services and contact details up to date.
Some gaps need real proof, not better writing. If you do not have a result you can verify and publish, do not invent one. Keep private customer details out of public pages and AI questions.
Test whether people can discover you
First, ask a customer question without naming your business or giving the AI service your website link. This tests whether it finds you on its own.
Then try a separate test with your link. This can show whether it reads and explains that page well. It does not prove that it would have found the page without your help.
What to save with each test
Save the exact question, date, AI service and mode, answer and source links. Note the language, location settings and any personalization you know about. Repeat under similar conditions. A small set of test questions does not tell you how often the public asks those questions.
Choosing someone to help
Ask simple questions before hiring an agency:
- What will you check?
- Who will make the website changes?
- What will you need from our team?
- Can we see the facts behind your claims?
- How will you tell visits, inquiries and sales apart?
- What will it cost, and what is not included?
Agree the work, fees and responsibilities in writing. The right fit depends on what your team needs. Be cautious of promises that an AI service will always recommend you.
What should you do next?
Tick only what you have checked. This tool suggests a next step. It does not scan your site or predict results. Your answers stay in this page and are not saved or sent.
Sources and editorial notes
Reviewed 19 October 2026. The service details come from the official sources below. The steps and checklist are Auden’s suggestions for doing the work. They are not a formula for being recommended.
- OpenAI: Overview of crawlers
- Anthropic: Web crawlers and site-owner controls
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website
- Google: Google-Extended controls
Original graphics and script by Auden AI. Video narration generated locally using Piper and the public-domain LJ Speech voice dataset. No cloned voice. Media credits.