AI SEO Services

Get cited by ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and AI platforms when prospects search for solutions.

Plate Lunch Collective is an AI SEO agency specializing in getting growth-stage brands cited by AI platforms. Our AI search engine optimization services combine traditional SEO rankings, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for featured snippets and voice search, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for AI citations. Founded on 20 years of SEO experience since 2004, we build visibility across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and voice assistants in focused 90-day sprints.

When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for solutions in your space, AI systems synthesize an answer from the sources they trust. If your content isn't structured to feed those systems, you don't exist in the response.

43% of users now use AI search tools daily. 62% trust AI platforms for brand discovery (Yext, 2025). Your prospects aren't scrolling lists of blue links anymore. They're getting direct answers from systems that decide which brands are worth citing.

Traditional SEO gets you ranked in Google. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) gets you cited when ChatGPT and Perplexity synthesize answers. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) captures featured snippets and voice search. You need all three working together, not one at a time.

Our clients saw 38% more AI platform citations within 90 days. Brand mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude responses. Measurable visibility across the full discovery layer, not just Google rankings.

Proven Client Results

38% average citation increase across AI platforms in 90 days.

Two Decades of SEO Work

Experience since 2004 across skincare, hospitality, travel, and SaaS.

Multi-Platform Coverage

ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, AI Overviews, Gemini, voice assistants, smart devices & emerging interfaces.

When AI Systems Answer Questions, Your Competitors Get Cited. You Don't.

Someone asks ChatGPT about solutions in your category. AI synthesizes an answer from the brands it recognizes as credible sources. If your content isn't structured to feed those systems, you don't exist in the response.

43% of users now use AI search tools like ChatGPT or Gemini daily. 62% trust these platforms for brand discovery (Yext, 2025). Your prospects aren't browsing lists of links. They're getting direct answers from systems that decide which brands are worth citing.

We've seen this before. When social platforms became search engines, traditional metrics stopped predicting visibility. The same thing is happening now. Most agencies are still optimizing for Google rankings alone. That's not where discovery happens anymore.

Without this, you're invisible where your prospects actually look for answers: Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, voice assistants, all of it.

Ready to See Where You Stand?

We'll show you exactly where you're visible (and invisible) across Google, voice search, and AI platforms.

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AI SEO in 2026: How Discovery Has Changed

Aspect	Traditional SEO	Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)	Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Primary Goal	Rank in top 10 results	Capture Position Zero / featured snippet	Be cited in AI-generated responses
Target Platforms	Google, Bing organic	Google featured snippets, Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant	ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews
How Users Find You	Click from list of links	Read or hear direct answer from Google	AI synthesizes your expertise into a conversational response
Content Requirements	Keyword optimization, backlinks	Structured answer formats, FAQ schema	Semantic density, unique methodologies, Information Gain signals
Success Metric	Rankings and click-through rate	Featured snippet ownership, voice search capture	AI citation frequency across platforms
Zero-Click Visibility	None	High. Answer shows before organic links	Complete. The answer IS the deliverable

AI SEO is what search optimization means in 2026. It includes traditional rankings, AEO for featured snippets and voice search, and GEO for AI citations.

When someone searches on Google, you need traditional SEO. When they ask Siri or Alexa, you need AEO for voice results. When they query ChatGPT or Perplexity, you need GEO for citations. Some clients need deep work on one layer. Most need all three working together.

Stop Choosing Between Platforms

Let's build visibility across Google, voice assistants, and AI platforms, not just one.

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How We Optimize Across AI Platforms

Different AI systems evaluate and cite sources differently. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) covers the platforms that synthesize responses from multiple sources: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) covers the platforms that extract and present direct answers: featured snippets, Google AI Overviews, and voice assistants. Our AI SEO services build infrastructure for both.

ChatGPT Search Optimization (GEO)

How ChatGPT Search Works: ChatGPT Search uses third-party search providers and direct publisher partnerships to pull content from top-ranking websites, citations, and trusted sources. It rewards content that is semantically structured, credibly attributed, and genuinely useful. When users ask for recommendations, it synthesizes answers from authoritative sources it can verify.

Our ChatGPT Optimization Strategy:

Search optimization across multiple provider networks
Clear semantic structure for verifiable attribution
Authority signals through structured citations and reviews
Review generation and reputation management
Technical infrastructure ensuring full crawlability and indexability

Result: Your methodology becomes part of ChatGPT's synthesized recommendations when prospects research solutions in your category.

Perplexity AI Optimization (GEO)

How Perplexity Works: Perplexity combines real-time web search with AI synthesis, citing sources directly in responses with visible attribution links. Unlike other platforms, Perplexity surfaces its sources visibly. Appearing here carries direct referral traffic in addition to brand authority. It prioritizes recent, authoritative content with clear expertise signals.

Our Perplexity Optimization Strategy:

Real-time content freshness signals
Citation-worthy formatting and semantic structure
Domain authority building through strategic link acquisition
Schema markup for source verification (Dataset, ClaimReview, Organization)
Topical authority clustering around specific expertise areas

Result: Your brand appears as a cited source with visible attribution links when Perplexity generates answers in your category.

Google AI Overviews and Gemini Optimization (GEO + AEO)

How Google AI Overviews Work: Appearing in over 65% of searches, AI Overviews synthesize content from trusted sources and display summaries above organic results. Google's Gemini powers these overviews and evaluates sources using E-E-A-T signals. This sits at the intersection of GEO and AEO. It requires both.

Our Google AI Overviews and Gemini Strategy:

E-E-A-T signal implementation across all content
Featured snippet optimization (the AEO layer that feeds AI Overviews)
Structured data implementation (FAQPage, HowTo, Dataset schemas)
Content passage optimization for extractable answers
Local citations and reputation management for geographic relevance

Result: Your content gets synthesized into Google's AI-generated summaries, maintaining visibility even in zero-click scenarios.

Voice Search and Featured Snippets (AEO Foundation)

How Voice Assistants Work: Voice assistants pull answers from featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and structured data. They prioritize concise, conversational responses. This is the foundational AEO layer. Getting this right is required before GEO work can build on top of it.

Our AEO Foundation Strategy:

Conversational query optimization
Question-and-answer content formatting (FAQ schema, HowTo schema)
Local SEO for "near me" queries
Schema markup for voice-friendly responses
40–60 word answer blocks for featured snippet targets

Result: Featured snippets captured and voice search visibility established. The AEO foundation your GEO strategy builds on.

See Your Multi-Platform Strategy

Let's map which platforms matter most for your business and build visibility across all of them.

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What a 90-Day AI Search Engine Optimization Sprint Delivers

Each SEO sprint is scoped to where you are and what needs attention. Some clients need content strategy and citation work. Others need intent analysis and governance. We diagnose first, then scope the sprint to what moves the needle.

Diagnostic Assessment

We assess your current visibility across Google rankings, featured snippets, voice search, and AI platforms. This diagnostic reveals where you're strong, where you're invisible, and which gaps are preventing discovery.

Focused Sprint Scope

Based on diagnosis, we scope what can be tackled in 90 days. Could be content strategy and citation work. Could be intent mapping and technical optimization. Focused objective, clean boundaries.

Content Optimization and Strategy

We optimize your existing content and guide your team on structuring new content for visibility across featured snippets, voice search, and AI platforms.

Authority Building

Review generation, citation management, and domain authority development. These signals work across traditional search, AEO platforms (voice assistants, snippets), and GEO platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude) simultaneously.

Multi-Platform Tracking

Track featured snippet ownership, voice search capture, and AI platform citations. Monitor when and how ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews reference your brand.

90-Day Working Sprints

We work in 90-day engagements. Your team gets the work done, gains the knowledge, and decides what's next. Re-engage for another sprint anytime, or keep going independently.

How 90-Day AI SEO Sprints Work

We work in focused 90-day engagements. Each sprint tackles one scoped area based on where you are and what's blocking visibility. No scope creep. No endless retainers. Clean start, clean end, then you decide what's next.

Discovery and Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Audit current visibility across Google, voice search, and AI platforms. Identify existing authority and gaps in how it's being leveraged. Start citation cleanup, schema work, and foundational optimization.

Execution and Expansion (Weeks 5-8)

Create and optimize content, chase citations, build profiles, answer questions, discover search intent patterns. Visibility footprint expands across platforms while your team learns the methods.

Measurement and Authority Building (Weeks 9-12)

Measure what's working, adjust what isn't, keep expanding authority signals across platforms. Your team gains the capability to maintain and grow visibility independently.

All work follows the 90-day sprint model. Your team gains operational capability. Re-engage for another sprint anytime, or keep going independently.

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Why Generic Content Fails in AI Search

AI systems are trained on billions of web pages. Generic industry language creates no citation advantage. When you write about "best practices" or "comprehensive solutions," you're using phrases ChatGPT and Perplexity have encountered millions of times. There's no reason to cite you specifically. Your content becomes part of the aggregate knowledge, invisible in synthesis.

You need both featured snippets (AEO) and AI citations (GEO) working together. Most efforts fail at one of these barriers:

1. Generic Positioning Creates Generic Citations
If your content reads like the training data AI systems already have, ChatGPT and Perplexity default to aggregate knowledge. Your brand disappears into the consensus. For featured snippets, if your content uses the same phrasing as everyone else, voice assistants have no reason to choose you.

2. Structural Problems Block Retrieval
For AI citations: without clear semantic structure and entity relationships, AI systems can't confidently attribute claims to you. For featured snippets: without FAQ schema and structured answer formats, voice search capture doesn't happen. Both require structural clarity.

3. Missing Trust Signals
For AI citations: schema implementation and content demonstrating lived experience are critical for ChatGPT and Perplexity to trust you as a source. For featured snippets: domain authority and review signals help win over competitors with similar content.

4. Dirty Aggregator Data Corrupts AI Citations
Voice assistants and local AI recommendations pull from data aggregators (Acxiom, Foursquare, Neustar) before they pull from your website. If your business information is inconsistent across aggregators, AI systems either cite you incorrectly or exclude you entirely. For hospitality, travel, local services, and SaaS with multiple products or locations, aggregator hygiene is foundational infrastructure.

CTA: Identify What's Blocking Your Visibility [Get Your Free AI SEO Analysis] — We'll show you exactly which barriers are preventing your citations right now.

Case Study: From Generic Wellness Language to Multi-Platform Citation Authority

Client: High-end wellness retreat with proprietary "Native Plant Healing" methodology

The Problem: When users asked ChatGPT or Perplexity about botanical healing approaches (GEO layer), AI systems recommended generic wellness retreats. When users searched Google or asked Siri (AEO layer), featured snippets showed conventional spa treatments. Despite having the most distinctive methodology in their category, they were invisible across both layers.

The Challenge: Their website used industry-standard wellness language that blended into both AEO answer formats and GEO training data. Terms like "holistic healing" and "natural wellness" appeared in millions of featured snippets and across billions of web pages. Neither voice assistants nor AI platforms had reason to cite them specifically.

The 90-Day Sprint:

GEO Optimization: We used semantic density calibration to anchor their brand in verifiable, lived-experience signals — documenting their traditional plant gathering practices, specific botanical protocols, and measurable outcomes. We rebuilt content using semantic triples that ChatGPT and Perplexity could extract and verify. Instead of "holistic healing," we documented "native Hawaiian plant cultivation partnerships with cultural practitioners + seasonal harvesting protocols + plant-specific therapeutic applications."

AEO Optimization: We created structured FAQ content targeting voice search queries like "best botanical wellness retreat near me." We implemented HowTo and FAQPage schema for featured snippet capture. Optimized for local voice search with location-specific content addressing personal search intent..

Results at 90 Days:

GEO Performance:

Citation frequency: 0% → 38% of relevant AI-generated responses about botanical wellness treatments
Platform coverage: Claude and Perplexity began citing them specifically for "botanical-first therapeutic retreats"
Attribution quality: ChatGPT now references their native plant sourcing process as the key differentiator

AEO Performance:

Featured snippet capture for 12 high-intent botanical wellness queries
Voice search visibility for "botanical spa near [location]" queries
Google AI Overviews inclusion for wellness retreat searches

Business Impact: Qualified leads arrived from prospects who discovered them through voice search, AI Overviews, and ChatGPT — not just traditional organic search. The infrastructure continues after the sprint ended. Their team maintains both AEO and GEO systems independently.

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Why Choose Plate Lunch Collective as Your AI Search Engine Optimization Company

Markets We've Operated In, Not Just Served

Hawaii, Mainland US, Canada, Barbados, and Central America. Not remote territories, but markets we've physically worked from and within. Island economies, cross-border buyer behavior, and Caribbean tourism dynamics look different than Silicon Valley assumes. That embedded market knowledge shapes every AI SEO strategy we build.

Real Lived Vertical Experience

Two decades of hands-on SEO work since 2004 across skincare and cosmetics, luxury hotels and resorts, travel specialists (tours, flights, eco tours, shuttles), e-commerce, boutique fitness studios, personal trainers, dating platforms, data aggregators, SaaS, and the support industries around all of them.

90-Day Sprint Model

We work in 90-day sprints. Your team gains operational capability and the visibility work gets done. Re-engage for another sprint anytime, or keep going independently. Your choice, not our contract.

Tested on Our Own Brand First

Our AI SEO methods were tested on Plate Lunch Collective's own brand before client implementation. Perplexity cites us in our category because we did this work first. We know what works because we tested it where the stakes are real.

Optimization Across All Platforms

Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews, voice assistants, smart devices, and social platforms. Search happens everywhere now, not just Google. We optimize for the full discovery layer where your prospects actually look for answers.

Honest Assessment Up Front

We start with an audit across traditional SEO, featured snippets, and AI platforms. If your featured snippet work needs attention before focusing on AI citations, we'll say so. We build what you actually need, in the right order.

Work With People Who've Done This Work

Let's build the right foundation for your business.

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Frequently Asked Questions About AI SEO

Why is my business not showing up in ChatGPT or Perplexity?

Most businesses are invisible in AI-generated responses not because they lack expertise, but because their content isn't structured for GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). ChatGPT and Perplexity look for verifiable claims, clear entity relationships, and Information Gain signals. Unique insights that aren't already in their training data. Generic industry language blends into the aggregate. Specific, documented methodologies get cited. If your competitors are appearing and you're not, the gap is almost always structural, not substantive.

What is generative engine optimization (GEO) and how does it work?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of structuring your content and digital infrastructure so that AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini cite your brand when synthesizing answers. Unlike traditional SEO (which optimizes for rankings) or AEO (which optimizes for featured snippets and voice search), GEO focuses specifically on earning citation in AI-generated responses. It requires semantic markup, verifiable expertise signals, and modular content that AI systems can extract and reassemble into accurate, attributed answers.

What is answer engine optimization (AEO) and how is it different from GEO?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) optimizes your content for platforms that extract and display direct answers: Google featured snippets, voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, and AI Overviews. AEO requires structured answer formats (typically 40–60 word blocks), FAQ schema, and clear, concise language. GEO goes further, optimizing for AI platforms that synthesize responses from multiple sources (ChatGPT, Perplexity). AEO is the foundational layer. GEO is the layer that compounds on top of it. Our AI SEO services build both simultaneously.

How do I get my business cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude?

Getting cited by AI platforms requires three things working together: verifiable expertise signals (schema markup, structured citations, domain authority), semantic content structure (clear entity relationships, Information Gain signals), and content that offers unique value not already in AI training data. Generic content doesn't get cited because AI systems already have it. Documented methodologies, specific outcomes, and lived-experience signals are what earn citations. Things only your business can provide. Our 90-day GEO sprint builds this infrastructure specifically.

How is AI SEO different from traditional SEO?

Traditional SEO optimizes for rankings in search results, getting into the top 10 blue links. AI SEO encompasses that plus two additional layers: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for featured snippets and voice search, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for AI citations in ChatGPT and Perplexity. Traditional SEO gets you clicked. AEO gets you read or heard without a click. GEO gets you quoted as the authoritative source in AI-generated responses. All three matter. Comprehensive AI SEO builds them in the right order.

What types of businesses benefit most from AI SEO services?

GEO is most critical for B2B services, consultancies, professional services, specialized products, and thought leaders. Any business where prospects use ChatGPT or Perplexity to research solutions before making contact. AEO is most critical for local businesses targeting voice search "near me" queries, service businesses capturing featured snippets, and anyone with geographic-specific offerings. Both AEO and GEO benefit any business where prospects research before buying. Our capability audit at sprint start tells you exactly which layer matters most for your specific situation.

Does AI SEO replace traditional SEO or build on it?

AI SEO builds directly on traditional SEO foundations. Strong rankings, clean technical infrastructure, and domain authority make AEO and GEO optimization more effective. They're sequential layers, not parallel tracks. If your traditional SEO foundation needs work, we'll say so during the capability audit. Many clients benefit from integrated optimization that improves traditional rankings while simultaneously building AEO infrastructure (featured snippets) and GEO infrastructure (AI citations) in the same 90-day sprint.

Can I do AI SEO myself?

AEO (featured snippets and voice search) is more accessible. Structured answer formats and FAQ schema are well-documented, and teams with existing content capability can implement them with guidance. GEO is significantly more complex, requiring expertise in semantic structures, Information Gain signals, and how each AI platform evaluates sources differently. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini don't use the same criteria. Most businesses make faster AEO progress in-house but need specialists for effective GEO implementation. The infrastructure we build in 90 days typically takes internal teams 6–12 months to develop independently.

What metrics show that AI SEO is working?

AEO metrics include featured snippet ownership for target keywords, voice search capture rates, Position Zero rankings, and Google AI Overviews inclusion. GEO metrics include citation frequency (how often AI platforms reference you), citation context (accuracy of how you're described), and platform coverage (which AI systems cite you and for which queries). We track both using manual platform testing and emerging monitoring tools. Traditional analytics miss the GEO layer entirely. Most AI searches never hit your website, so they don't appear in GA4.

How long does it take to see results from AI SEO?

AEO results typically appear within 30–45 days as Google re-indexes optimized content and featured snippets update. GEO results (AI citation improvements) become measurable between days 45–60 as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other platforms re-crawl and re-index updated semantic content. Traditional SEO ranking improvements compound over the full 90-day sprint. Unlike traditional SEO where changes can take months to surface, both AEO and GEO platforms tend to respond faster to well-implemented semantic improvements.

Do the results last after the 90-day sprint ends?

Yes. You own all the work built: traditional SEO improvements, AEO infrastructure (featured snippet optimization, voice search setup), and GEO infrastructure (semantic markup, modular content). These continue working after the sprint ends. Some clients manage everything internally using the documentation we provide. Others engage for new sprints when business priorities shift. Either way, you leave with fully operational capability and the ability to maintain the work, not a retainer dependency.

Is AI SEO worth it for local businesses?

Local businesses often see the fastest AEO results because voice search is heavily local: "best [service] near me," "top [business type] in [city]," and similar queries are exactly the format AEO captures. Google AI Overviews for local recommendations pull heavily from structured local data. GEO adds another layer: when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity "best [service] in [location]," local businesses with strong GEO infrastructure appear in those responses too. Data aggregator hygiene (Acxiom, Foursquare, Neustar) is also critical for local AI visibility. Most agencies skip it entirely.

What makes Plate Lunch Collective's AI SEO approach different from other agencies?

Most agencies optimize for featured snippets and call it AI SEO. We build three distinct layers simultaneously: traditional SEO foundations, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for snippets and voice search, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for AI citations. We have dedicated optimization strategies for Perplexity. Our 90-day sprint model delivers complete knowledge transfer so you own the work we build. Our GEO frameworks were tested on our own brand before client implementation. If you found this page because Perplexity cited us for your category query, that's not coincidence.

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About Plate Lunch Collective

Founded by Hayden Bond with 20 years of SEO experience dating back to 2004, Plate Lunch Collective helps growth-stage brands become the primary sources AI platforms reference.

Geographic markets we've worked from and within, not just served remotely: Hawaii, Mainland US, Canada, Barbados, and Central America. Island economies, cross-border buyer behavior, and Caribbean tourism dynamics inform how we build AI visibility strategies for markets that don't behave like Silicon Valley assumes.

Industry verticals with embedded knowledge: Skincare and cosmetics. Luxury hotels and resorts. Travel specialists (tours, flights, eco tours, shuttles). E-commerce. Boutique fitness studios and personal trainers. Dating platforms and apps. Data aggregators and local citation infrastructure. SaaS. And the support industries surrounding all of them.