Guest: Ethan Smith - CEO of Graphite. Ethan is a renowned expert in SEO, having been deeply involved in the field since 2007, and is now at the forefront of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). Key Takeaways: AEO is crucial for showing up in LLMs like ChatGPT, which summarize multiple citations. To win, get mentioned as often as possible across various platforms. Early-stage companies can quickly gain visibility by being cited in diverse sources like Reddit, YouTube, and blogs, unlike traditional SEO which requires domain authority. Traffic from LLMs is significantly more valuable, with Webflow seeing a 6X higher conversion rate compared to Google Search traffic. Effective AEO involves traditional SEO practices, optimizing for long-tail questions, and ensuring presence in citations across different media types. Conduct experiments with control and test groups to determine what AEO strategies are effective, as much of the conventional wisdom may not be accurate. Topics Covered: AEO vs. SEO, Impact of LLMs on traffic, Citation optimization, Experiment design in AEO, AI-generated content pitfalls.
“There's significant misinformation on AEO.”
“You can get mentioned by a citation tomorrow and start showing up immediately.”
“You don't have to be the smartest, you have to be sufficiently smart.”
