✦ Answer Engine Optimization
AEO Ranking Factors: What Determines AI Search Placement?
There is no published algorithm for AI search the way Google publishes Webmaster Guidelines. What we know comes from testing — running target queries across platforms, observing which businesses appear, and identifying what those businesses have in common. The pattern is consistent enough to produce a working signal priority framework.
The businesses that consistently appear across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews in local service categories share a set of characteristics: a high volume of recent Google reviews (typically 40+), consistent directory presence, structured service pages with FAQ content, and LocalBusiness or Service schema markup. Businesses with only one or two of these rarely appear consistently. Businesses with all of them appear across multiple platforms.
Review signals carry more weight than most SEO practitioners expect. In A/B comparisons where two businesses have similar website quality and similar content, review volume is the decisive factor in which one appears in AI recommendations. This is a significant shift from traditional SEO, where reviews had indirect rather than direct ranking impact.
Review volume and recency
HighestThe single highest-weight factor in local AI search. 40+ reviews is a common threshold for consistent AI citation in competitive local categories. Recency matters — a steady stream of new reviews outperforms an old high-volume profile.
LocalBusiness schema
HighMachine-readable business information on your homepage and service pages. Tells AI systems your business name, category, service area, hours, and contact information without ambiguity.
Service-specific pages
HighOne page per service, written to answer the specific questions AI users ask about that service. 'Edmonton plumber' requires a different page than 'emergency plumbing Edmonton'. Generic 'Services' pages underperform.
FAQ content with direct answers
HighQuestion headings with a direct answer in the first sentence. AI systems extract first-sentence answers for their responses. Answers that require reading three paragraphs to find are rarely cited.
NAP consistency
HighName, address, and phone number consistent across Google Business Profile, BBB, Yelp, HomeStars, and industry directories. Inconsistencies create ambiguity AI systems resolve by citing competitors with cleaner data.
Third-party entity mentions
MediumMentions in local publications, industry directories, and association websites. Cross-source corroboration is how AI systems validate that a business is real and trustworthy.
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