The alphaa blog
Getting found in the age of AI search
Practical, no-fluff guides on AI Search Optimization — how AI assistants decide what to recommend, and how to make sure it's you.
Best AEO Tools in 2026: An Honest Comparison
The best AEO tool depends on who you are: agencies and analysts need tracking depth, while local businesses need something that also fixes what it finds. Here's an honest comparison of the AEO tool categories in 2026 and how to choose.
Read guideHow to See What ChatGPT Says About Your Business (Free Methods + One Fast One)
To see what ChatGPT says about your business, just ask it directly — then repeat the test across Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. Here are the exact prompts, the free methods, and one faster way to check every engine at once.
Read guideHow to Create and Deploy an llms.txt File for Your Business Website
A practical, step-by-step guide to llms.txt — what it is, why it matters for AI search, and how to write and host one for your business, with a copy-paste template.
Read guideAEO vs SEO: Why Traditional SEO Agencies Fail in the Age of AI Search
Should you hire an SEO agency or invest in AEO in 2026? A clear, honest comparison of cost, speed, and where customers actually find you — Google's links vs. AI answers.
Read guideAEO for SaaS & B2B: How to Get Your Software Recommended by AI
When buyers ask AI for the best software in your category, what gets you named? A practical, non-local AEO playbook for SaaS and B2B teams — reviews, comparison content, docs, and schema.
Read guideHow Restaurants Get Recommended by AI (ChatGPT, Google AI & More)
When diners ask ChatGPT or Google AI for the best spot near them, AI leans on your Google Business Profile, reviews, menu details, and consistent listings. Here is the restaurant playbook to become the place it names.
Read guideHow Local Service Businesses Get Recommended by AI (Dentists, Clinics, Contractors & More)
When someone asks ChatGPT for the best dentist, plumber, or clinic nearby, AI leans on your Google Business Profile, reviews, and consistent local citations. Here is the practical playbook to become the business it names.
Read guideSchema Markup for AI Search: A Practical Guide (With Examples)
What schema markup (JSON-LD) is, why it matters for AI search, and copy-paste examples for LocalBusiness, FAQPage, and Organization — plus where to place and how to validate it.
Read guideHow to Get Your Business Cited on Perplexity
Perplexity leans on live web retrieval and shows its sources inline, so getting cited comes down to being a recent, clear, citable source. Here is a practical playbook.
Read guideThe AEO Checklist: What Decides Whether AI Recommends Your Business
A practical, skimmable checklist of the concrete signals that decide whether ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI engines recommend your business — grouped by foundations, content, reviews, technical, and AI-specific.
Read guideIs AEO Real? The Truth About Answer Engine Optimization
Yes, AEO is real — it's rooted in how AI assistants actually retrieve and synthesize answers (RAG), not a magic switch. Here's the honest mechanism, what it can and can't do, and how to spot snake oil.
Read guideHow to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT
ChatGPT recommends businesses it sees described consistently and positively across the web. Here's exactly how to earn those signals — and what doesn't work.
Read guideWhat Is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)? A Plain-English Guide
AEO is optimizing your content and signals so AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews discover, cite, and recommend you. Here is how it works and how to get started.
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