I have spent the last week reviewing how answer engines like Perplexity and SearchGPT interact with B2B content, and one thing is clear: if you are using AI to simply summarise what already exists, you are building a strategy for invisibility. Answer engines prioritisation relies on original insight and new information that adds value to the existing knowledge base. If your content lacks proprietary data or unique brand expertise, AI models have no reason to cite you as a source.
How do you optimise for Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)?
You optimise for AEO by grounding your content in your 'Company Brain' and addressing specific persona pains with real search data. Revenue teams must move away from generic generations that invent statistics or use fabricated figures. Instead, use your CRM and internal knowledge articles to feed the AI unique context. This ensures the output reflects your actual expertise, which is the only way to earn a citation in an AI-generated answer. At Project36, we see that deals often stall when content fails to answer the specific questions buyers ask during the lifecycle. By using real UK search volume rather than estimates, you can build topic clusters that establish genuine authority rather than just adding to the noise.