How B2B brands can prepare for AI search with AEO

AI search is already changing how people discover brands, and most companies aren’t ready. Our CEO, Ethan Smith, shared some insights with Cervin Ventures on how B2B brands can prepare for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). Here are the key takeaways: 1/ AI search is already shifting traffic. LLMs now provide dynamic, clickable answers based on live search queries, creating a shift in traffic that’s expected to continue as LLMs grow. Cervin has already noticed traffic changes for some of their portfolio companies. 2/ Citations = Visibility Quoting Ethan: “You win not by your own URL showing up, but by others mentioning you.” Like Google’s PageRank, LLMs seem to choose answers based on mentions from trusted third-party sources, such as Reddit, YouTube, Wikipedia, G2, or Gartner. 3/ Searches are longer and more detailed. People ask LLMs full questions, 20–25 words on average, versus  ~6 in traditional search. That means your content needs to be clear, complete, and relevant to more specific questions. What B2B marketers can do: 💻 Stick to strong SEO basics. Good site speed, structure, internal linking, and rich content still matter. Google isn’t going away, it’s just adding AI. ❓Focus on question research. Instead of just keywords, think about all the ways someone might ask the same question. Then build content that answers those variations clearly and thoroughly. 🗞️ Get more third-party mentions. Push for more mentions of your brand on: -PR and media -Product review sites -Affiliate content -Communities like Reddit and YouTube 🔍 Use Help Center content as an asset. LLMs often cite product documentation in answers. Make sure your Help Center covers detailed questions like integrations, regions, and languages. Link to full summary in the comments.