AI search optimization for startups
When buyers ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity which business to choose, Aeonza gets yours named in the answer.
We find out what AI says about you, fix your website and content so AI can read and trust it, and report your visibility every week.
Hemut (YC X25) went from 8% to 23% AI answer visibility. See the case study
Named on all six. That is the goal for every business we work with. Want to know where you stand today?
Check where I stand for free See how it works01The problem
People no longer Google a question and scroll through a list. They ask ChatGPT or Gemini and go with whatever the AI recommends, and the AI names far fewer companies than a results page shows.
of B2B software buyers start their research with an AI chatbot more often than Google.
Source: G2, 2026of software buyers polled said an AI chatbot led them to pick a different vendor than they had planned.
Source: G2, 2026of people turn to an AI assistant first when they need information. 28% still go to Google first.
Source: Clutch, 2026The old way Google
Ten results. You are on the list, and the buyer does the choosing.
Today AI
Three window washers in Chicago come up most:
Three names. The AI did the choosing, and you were left out.
This company ranks fourth on Google and is missing from the AI answer. Closing that gap is the work Aeonza does.
Illustration with made-up companies.
02What we changeThe same question, answered by AI before and after Aeonza
In Chicago, Brightpane and Lakefront Shine come up most. Both clean homes and storefronts, and Brightpane is cheaper for small jobs.
Your company is not mentioned0 of 5 sources about you
In Chicago, Your Company is the one reviewers recommend most, mainly for showing up on time and quoting prices upfront. Brightpane is a cheaper option for small jobs.
Your company is named in the answer3 of 5 sources about you
Illustration with made-up companies. Results vary by company and category.
03How it works
AI builds each answer from a few pages it can read and trusts, then names the companies in them. Our work gets your pages into that group. Here is the work, in three steps.
Our testing software runs the questions your buyers ask through ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI and Microsoft Copilot. You see which questions you win and which go to a competitor.
Each version of a question can produce a different shortlist, so we track many of them.
We rework and optimize your site's code so AI crawlers can get to your information and quote it.
Pages that block AI crawlers or load their text with scripts often get skipped.
We create website content around the questions you are losing, with the answer up front. We also strengthen the authority signals AI checks, such as other sites, profiles and interviews that back you up.
AI favors sources that answer the question directly, are clearly structured and are backed by others.
Each week you get a report showing how often each platform names you. Where you slipped, we change the plan.
A study of 40,000 AI answers found ChatGPT cites about 2.6 sources per answer and Perplexity about 6. Everything else is invisible to that buyer, however well it ranks on Google.
04The work
AEO rewards authority and clear structure more than backlink volume or domain age, so that is where we spend the time.
Our testing software tracks your position across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI and Microsoft Copilot. You get a progress report every week.
We rework and optimize your site's code so AI crawlers can get to your information and quote it.
We create website content that answers the questions your buyers ask AI, and we strengthen the authority and structure signals platforms use when they choose who to recommend.
05Case study
Hemut ranked well on Google and was almost absent from AI answers. We audited 47 buyer queries across four AI engines, then spent 11 weeks changing who got cited.
Hemut is a YC-backed transportation management system for mid-sized carriers. It ranked well on Google but barely showed up in AI search. On questions like "best TMS for mid-sized carriers," incumbents appeared in 67% to 71% of answers. Hemut appeared in 8%.
We audited 47 real carrier queries across four AI engines. Then we published content on the problems Hemut solves, restructured its founding story, YC profile and founder interviews into formats AI treats as authority, and wrote workflow content showing what its AI agents do.
+180%
AI search traffic.
"You can rank #1 on Google and still be invisible to ChatGPT."From the Hemut engagementRead the full case study
Each chart starts at zero. Source: Aeonza's Hemut case study. Read the full case study
06Pricing
The consult costs nothing and comes with no commitment. For the two paid plans, the final price varies with company size and scope.
Final price varies with company size and scope. Questions about pricing: pjpamula@gmail.com. See full pricing details
07Blog
Guides on answer engine optimization and AI search visibility.
AI Overviews now expand into AI Mode, Search Console finally reports AI impressions, and ChatGPT stopped citing Reddit. Here's what changed in AEO and what to do about it.
Read the postIf AI tools aren't citing your startup, the problem is usually technical, not editorial. Here are the five highest-leverage fixes, ranked by impact and effort.
Read the postBacklinks aren't dead, they now decide whether AI tools cite your brand. See which link types drive AI visibility and how to build an AEO-ready backlink profile.
Read the postYour website isn't where AI builds its recommendations. See the four off-site channels, G2, Reddit, YouTube, and comparison pages, that actually drive AI citations.
Read the postMost AEO content tells you what to do. Almost none tells you what to do first. Here are 7 strategies ranked by citation impact, from quick wins to long-term plays.
Read the postAI-powered recommendations jumped from 6% to 45% of consumers in a single year. Here's why buyers switched and what it means for your startup's visibility.
Read the post08FAQ
Not answered here? Email pjpamula@gmail.com or book the free consult and ask us directly.
We optimize the content, authority signals and structure that AI platforms rely on when they decide which businesses to recommend. Our testing software tracks your visibility across the major platforms, and we adjust the strategy based on what the numbers show.
We review the questions your prospects ask AI, how AI describes your business today, which platforms miss you, and give you a prioritized list of the recommendations costing you the most. There is no cost and no commitment.
Most clients see measurable movement within 60 days. Results compound as models update and your authority grows.
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI and Microsoft Copilot.
SEO gets a page ranked in a list of links. AEO gets your company named inside the answer. AI platforms reward authority and clear structure more than backlink volume or domain age, so a startup can rank well on Google and still never come up in ChatGPT.
In a free consult we show you what prospects ask AI, how it describes your business, which platforms miss you, and the recommendations you are losing. No cost and no commitment.
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