I went through what founders, marketers and small business owners post on X about AI search in 2026. The same twelve questions came up again and again, along with a lot of mixed messages. Here are straight answers, with the source for every number.
Jump to a question
- Is AEO just SEO with a new name?
- Is SEO dead because of AI Overviews?
- Why does ChatGPT recommend my competitor and not me?
- ChatGPT says wrong things about my business. How do I fix it?
- Can I pay ChatGPT to recommend my business?
- Does llms.txt help me show up in AI answers?
- Does schema markup make AI cite my pages?
- How do I check if AI tools mention my business?
- Do Reddit, reviews and directories really matter?
- How long does AEO take to work?
- Is AEO worth it for a small local business?
- How do I spot an AEO agency that's overcharging?
Is AEO just SEO with a new name?
Mostly, yes. Google says the same SEO basics decide who shows up in its AI answers, and its Search Liaison Danny Sullivan has said good SEO is good AEO. What is new: writing pages so one paragraph can be quoted on its own, getting mentioned on other sites, and checking what AI tools actually say about you.
If someone sells you AEO as a replacement for SEO, ask what they will do differently. A sensible plan covers your own site (speed, indexing, clear pages), your facts across the web, and a monthly test in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Source: Glenn Gabe on Danny Sullivan.
Is SEO dead because of AI Overviews?
No, but clicks have changed. Pew Research found people clicked a normal result on 8% of Google visits when an AI summary appeared, against 15% when it did not. The drop is mostly on 'what is' and 'how to' searches. Searches where someone wants to buy, book or call still send clicks.
AI tools also send very little traffic directly so far. A Semrush study of manufacturing sites put AI search at under half a percent of sessions. So keep your Google basics strong, and treat AI answers as a place to be named rather than a big traffic source yet. A buyer who heard about you from ChatGPT may just call or WhatsApp you, so ask new leads where they found you. Sources: Pew Research · Semrush on X.
Why does ChatGPT recommend my competitor and not me?
Usually because the web explains them more clearly. They tend to have a plain description of what they do and for whom, pages that compare options, more reviews and more mentions on other sites.
Ranking first on Google does not guarantee it. ChatGPT can pull from directories, review sites, Reddit, YouTube and news. Ask your category question the way a buyer would, look at which pages ChatGPT cites, and check what those pages say about your competitor that they don't say about you. Then fix that gap.
ChatGPT says wrong things about my business. How do I fix it?
There's no form to correct it. Fix the sources it learns from: your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn, directories and any old listing with outdated details.
Ask ChatGPT where the information came from. If it cites a page, update that page or ask its owner to. Keep one clear page on your site with your current services, locations and price ranges, and use the same name, address and phone everywhere. Old descriptions can take a few months to fade.
Can I pay ChatGPT to recommend my business?
No. ChatGPT ads are live in India from ₹725 a day, but they appear as labelled ads below the answer, and OpenAI says ads do not change the answer itself.
Ads can be worth a small test if you have a clear offer. Organic mentions are separate and keep working after you stop paying. Plan a test budget with the ChatGPT Ads cost calculator.
Does llms.txt help me show up in AI answers?
Probably not much, for now. Google's John Mueller said no AI system currently uses it, and Google does not use it for ranking. In 2026 Google added an optional llms.txt check to Lighthouse, but a check in an audit tool is not a ranking signal.
It takes ten minutes, so it's fine to add one with the free llms.txt generator. Just don't pay anyone to 'do llms.txt' as your AEO plan. Sources: Barry Schwartz on John Mueller · Chris Long on the Lighthouse audit.
Does schema markup make AI cite my pages?
Not on its own. Ahrefs looked at 6 million URLs and found schema was more common on heavily cited pages, but those pages also had better SEO overall. Schema helps machines read your facts and can win rich results on Google. It is not a switch for AI citations.
Add Organization or LocalBusiness, Product or Service, and FAQ schema where it matches what the page really says. Spend most of your time on clear, specific content. Source: Ryan Law (Ahrefs) on X.
How do I check if AI tools mention my business?
Ask them. Write 10 to 20 questions your buyers would ask, run them in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Mode once a month, and note who gets named.
Answers change from one run to the next, so look for a pattern over a few months, not one result. Paid trackers start at roughly $29 a month if you want it automated, but a simple spreadsheet is enough to start. The free AI visibility checker also writes test questions for you.
Do Reddit, reviews and directories really matter?
Yes. AI tools lean on what other people say about you, and studies of ChatGPT's sources keep finding sites like Wikipedia, Reddit and YouTube near the top. Specific reviews help most: 'fixed our stock mismatch in two days' says far more than 'great service'.
Don't fake reviews or plant posts. Platforms catch it and it can hurt you badly. Ask happy customers for detailed reviews, and answer real questions in communities where you know the subject.
How long does AEO take to work?
Fixes on your own site can show up a few weeks after they're re-crawled. Being recommended for competitive questions usually takes three to six months of steady reviews and mentions.
Local and niche questions move faster than broad ones like 'best CRM'. That's why most small businesses should start with the questions their own customers ask.
Is AEO worth it for a small local business?
If your customers search before they buy, yes, and the first steps are cheap: a complete Google Business Profile, the same details everywhere, a clear services page with price ranges, and reviews.
That covers most of what AI tools check for local questions like 'best physiotherapist near Bodakdev'. Bigger content and PR work can wait until those basics are done.
How do I spot an AEO agency that's overcharging?
Be careful with anyone who guarantees a ChatGPT ranking, sells llms.txt or schema as the main fix, or offers bulk AI-written pages or bought reviews. Nobody controls AI answers.
Ask for a simple before-and-after test instead: the same buyer questions, run in the same AI tools, today and again after three months.
Where to start
Run the AI visibility checker, then follow the 9 steps to get your business on ChatGPT. For what changed this week, see the AEO & SEO news.