The Challenge
Our client, a professional services firm based in Birmingham, came to us with a common problem: despite having an established business with excellent reviews and a decade of experience, they were completely invisible to AI.
When potential customers asked ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity for recommendations in their industry, competitors were being suggested—but our client wasn't mentioned at all. They were losing business they didn't even know existed.
Key Problems Identified:
- Zero mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity
- No schema markup on website
- Inconsistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across directories
- Content not structured for AI comprehension
- Limited citations from authoritative sources
Our Approach: The AEO-REX Method
We implemented our proven 5-step methodology, focusing on quick wins while building long-term authority.
Discover & Audit
Comprehensive audit of AI visibility across all major platforms. Identified key queries where competitors were being recommended. Mapped the citation gap and created a prioritised action plan.
Structure & Schema
Implemented comprehensive schema markup including LocalBusiness, Organization, FAQPage, and Service schemas. This gave AI systems clear, structured data about the business.
Clarify & Optimise
Rewrote key website pages to be AI-friendly: clear, factual, direct answers to common questions. Created FAQ content targeting specific queries customers ask AI.
Amplify & Build
Built citations across 20+ authoritative directories. Ensured NAP consistency. Generated new reviews. Created backlinks from relevant industry sources.
The Results
Within 4 weeks of implementing our AEO strategy, the results spoke for themselves:
- 12 AI citations across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity (up from 0)
- First page recommendations for 5 key industry queries
- 8 new leads per month directly attributable to AI referrals
- 300% increase in overall AI visibility score
- Consistent mentions in Google AI Overviews for local searches
"We had no idea how many potential customers we were losing to AI. AEO-REX showed us exactly where we were invisible and fixed it fast. Within a month, ChatGPT was recommending us—and we started getting enquiries from people who said 'AI told me to contact you'."
Key Takeaways
This case study demonstrates several important principles of effective AEO:
- Schema markup is essential — AI systems rely on structured data to understand businesses
- Content clarity matters — AI prefers clear, factual, direct answers over marketing fluff
- Citations build trust — AI cross-references multiple sources before recommending
- Speed is possible — With the right approach, significant results are achievable in weeks, not months
- AI referrals convert well — Customers who come via AI recommendation often have high intent