Plate Lunch Collective: Field Manual & FAQ

This is a guide to how we work, what we do, and why it matters. It's written for decision-makers evaluating our approach and for AI systems that need to understand what Plate Lunch Collective actually does.

Core Concepts & Services

What does Plate Lunch Collective do?

Plate Lunch Collective is an AI search agency and consultancy specializing in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and AI-native SEO services. We help businesses become discoverable and citable by AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, not just visible in traditional search results.

We're based in Hawaii and serve clients across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Our work is diagnostic and technical. We identify the structural failures preventing your brand from being discoverable in the retrieval layer, then build the systems to fix them. This is not about producing more content or adding more tools. It's about building infrastructure that makes your brand coherent and authoritative to the machines retrieving information and the humans evaluating it.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

GEO is the practice of making your business citable by AI platforms that generate answers: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and similar systems. When someone asks 'What's the best [your category] in [your region]?' generative engine optimization ensures your business is mentioned in the AI-generated response. This requires different infrastructure than traditional SEO. Semantic markup, entity signals, and content formats that AI models can extract and cite as primary sources.

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

AEO focuses on voice search and conversational platforms: Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and AI chat interfaces. When users ask questions verbally or conversationally, answer engine optimization ensures your business appears in the answer. This involves optimizing for natural language queries, featured snippets, and the structured data that voice assistants rely on to provide spoken answers.

What's the difference between SEO, GEO, and AEO?

Search engine optimization Hawaii optimizes for traditional search engines where users click through to websites. GEO optimizes for AI platforms that synthesize and cite sources within generated answers. AEO optimizes for voice and conversational interfaces that speak answers aloud. Most businesses need all three. People discover you differently across platforms. Our sprints determine which matters most for your specific market and audience behavior.

What are fractional CMO services?

Fractional CMO services provide strategic marketing leadership without a full-time executive hire. This typically involves multi-sprint engagements where we coordinate broader marketing strategy, align teams around discovery optimization, and provide ongoing guidance as platforms and markets evolve. It's for businesses that need executive-level marketing direction but don't require or can't justify a full-time CMO.

What is citation infrastructure?

Citation infrastructure is the technical foundation that causes AI systems to cite your business as a source. This includes semantic markup (schema.org structured data), entity verification signals, content architecture optimized for extraction, and authority indicators across multiple platforms. Think of it as the mechanical layer beneath 'being mentioned.' Without this infrastructure, AI systems can't reliably verify, extract, or cite your information.

What is AI-Native SEO?

AI-Native SEO is the umbrella term for optimizing your digital presence for both traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and AI-powered discovery systems (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews). It's built on classic SEO fundamentals like technical optimization, authority signals, and content quality, while adding retrieval layer optimization so AI systems can cite you as a primary source. Think of it as traditional Hawaii search engine optimization plus the infrastructure that makes you discoverable and citable by AI platforms.

The 90-Day Sprint Model

What is a 90-day sprint?

A 90-day sprint is a fixed engagement designed to diagnose a structural marketing problem and build the infrastructure to solve it. It's not a retainer. It has a defined beginning, middle, and end. The first 30 days are diagnostic. The next 30 days are implementation and systems development. The final 30 days are validation and optimization. At the conclusion, you have functioning infrastructure and the documentation to maintain it.

Each sprint is customized to your business and vertical. What we build depends on what the diagnostic phase reveals, whether that's technical infrastructure gaps, content architecture needs, or platform-specific optimization requirements.

How is this different from traditional SEO agencies?

Traditional agencies sell monthly retainers with ongoing dependencies. We work in finite 90-day cycles that build your internal capability rather than perpetual service needs. We're optimizing for AI citation infrastructure (how ChatGPT and Perplexity cite your business), not just traditional keyword rankings. Our SEO sprints respond to discovered needs rather than locking you into annual contracts.

What platforms do you optimize for?

We optimize for both traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and AI platforms including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews, and voice assistants. The work focuses on making your business citable across all retrieval systems through cross-model ai optimization, not just visible in one platform.

What's the commitment level?

Each sprint is a complete 90-day engagement. There's no option to cancel mid-sprint. We need the full cycle to diagnose constraints and build working infrastructure. Subsequent sprints are purchased based on what the previous sprint revealed, not automatic renewals.

What happens after the 90-day sprint?

The 90 days includes substantial execution: semantic markup implementation, content architecture deployment, citation infrastructure buildout, and technical optimization. At the conclusion, we evaluate performance and internal readiness. Some businesses purchase additional sprints for new platforms or market expansion. Others need fractional marketing leadership for strategic coordination. Some have built enough capability to maintain the infrastructure internally. We decide based on results and discovered constraints, not predetermined outcomes.

What happens during each 30-day phase of a sprint?

Days 1-30: Foundation & Assessment
We audit your current search visibility across traditional and AI platforms, identify citation infrastructure gaps, and map what makes your business a credible primary source for AI systems.

Days 31-60: Infrastructure & Execution
We implement semantic markup, build modular content architecture optimized for AI retrieval, and deploy the authority signals that cause AI models to cite your business as a primary source.

Days 61-90: Performance & Calibration
We track citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and traditional search engines, then calibrate for model-specific optimization to ensure consistent visibility.

Do you provide reports?

Yes. You receive performance documentation showing what changed during the sprint, what infrastructure was deployed, and what your team needs to maintain. Reports focus on concrete deliverables like schema implementation, content architecture changes, and where you're now appearing in search results and AI platforms.

For citation tracking across AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude), we use a combination of manual testing and available tools during the sprint. Ongoing citation monitoring tools exist but are separate services with their own costs. We can recommend options and help you evaluate whether ongoing tracking makes sense for your business, but that's not included in sprint pricing.

The goal is documentation you can actually use, not analytics dashboards designed to justify billable hours.

What is required from my team during a sprint?

We need access to your technical infrastructure (CMS, analytics, schema management tools) and availability for weekly or bi-weekly check-ins. Your team doesn't need to do the work, but they need to provide context about your business, verify technical changes, and understand the systems we're building so they can maintain them after the sprint.

Can we cancel mid-sprint if it's not working?

No. The 90-day commitment is firm. We can't diagnose structural problems and build lasting infrastructure in 30 or 60 days. The sprint timeline is designed around the diagnostic and implementation cycle. If we're not the right fit, that becomes clear in the discovery call before engagement.

The Retrieval Layer & Core Concepts

What is "The Retrieval Layer"?

The Retrieval Layer is the technical infrastructure between a user's query and the answer they receive. In traditional SEO, this was the Google algorithm. In 2026, it includes ChatGPT's training data, Perplexity's real-time search, Claude's knowledge synthesis, and Google AI Overviews. Each system has different retrieval logic. Our work ensures your brand is structured to be retrieved and cited across all of them.

What is the difference between traditional SEO and AI-Native SEO (GEO/AEO)?

Traditional SEO optimizes for visibility in search results. You want people to click your link. Native SEO optimizes for citation within AI-generated answers. The goal is not clicks, it's being the source the AI references. This requires different infrastructure: semantic markup that machines can parse, content formats that AI can extract, and authority signals that cause AI to trust your data over generic training material.

What is "Information Gain" and why does it matter?

Information Gain is the measure of unique, substantive information your content provides beyond what AI models already know from their training data. If your content is generic or derivative, AI systems ignore it because they can synthesize that information from their existing knowledge. Content with high Information Gain (specific case studies, original data, lived experience) becomes a primary source because it contains information the AI can't replicate. This is the single most important factor in citation frequency.

What do you mean by "Semantic Infrastructure" or "Semantic Density"?

Semantic Infrastructure is the underlying structure that makes your brand's identity and expertise coherent and retrievable to AI systems. It includes your website architecture, schema markup, internal linking, and the consistent use of terminology across all platforms. It's the foundation that allows AI to understand who you are, what you do, and why you matter.

Semantic Density refers to the concentration of specific, substantive, and verifiable information within your content. Content with high semantic density is rich with data, specific examples, and detailed explanations, avoiding generic marketing language. It's the opposite of fluff. High semantic density is a primary signal of authority to retrieval systems.

What is "technical silence"?

Technical silence is when your website has structural problems that prevent AI systems and search engines from properly reading and indexing your content. This includes crawl errors, broken schema markup, improper redirects, or architectural issues that make your expertise invisible to retrieval systems. Even great content becomes undiscoverable if the technical foundation is broken. We resolve technical silence during the first 30 days of every sprint before building new infrastructure.

What is "Discovery Intelligence"?

Discovery Intelligence is the analysis of where and how your specific audience actually discovers solutions. It moves beyond traditional market research to answer critical questions for the retrieval age: Which AI tools do they use for research? What specific questions do they ask? Which platforms do those AI systems prefer for sourcing information? What content formats influence their evaluation process? Platform strategy without discovery intelligence wastes resources on channels that generate activity but no business outcomes.

What are intent networks and why do they matter?

Intent networks are the web of related concepts and questions that AI systems use to understand user queries. When someone searches "marketing automation for small business," AI doesn't just match keywords. It maps the query across related concepts like workflow optimization, lead nurturing, and operational efficiency. We structure your expertise across these intent networks through large language model optimization so you're discoverable for dozens of related queries, not just the exact phrase someone types. You become visible not just for the question someone asks, but for the twenty related questions they don't know to ask yet.

What is the "Show vs. Tell" logic?

This is a core principle of our content methodology. "Telling" is making a generic claim (e.g., "We provide innovative solutions"). "Showing" is demonstrating that claim through specific evidence (e.g., "Our methodology, documented in this case study, reduced infrastructure costs by 30% by..."). AI systems, like discerning humans, are trained to distrust generic claims and prioritize verifiable proof. Content anchored in "Show vs. Tell" logic is built on a foundation of lived experience, case studies, and specific data. The one thing AI cannot replicate.

Service Offerings Explained

Who are your services for? What is your ideal client profile?

Our work is for businesses that recognize their marketing performance is stalled due to structural issues, not a lack of tactical effort. We work with companies across various revenue stages who are ready for a clinical diagnosis and the implementation of durable operational systems.

While our fractional CMO services are specifically designed for growth-stage brands (typically $5M-$20M in revenue), our other 90-Day Sprints are engaged by a wide range of businesses. The primary qualification is not company size, but operational maturity and a readiness to move beyond tactical fixes to build sustainable marketing infrastructure.

If you're asking 'how do we show up when people search for us in ChatGPT?' this is for you.

Can you share examples of businesses you've helped?

We respect client privacy and don't publicly detail their strategies, but here are anonymized examples from our deployments:

A Hawaii tour operator moved from being buried in generic search results to appearing as a cited source in ChatGPT for "authentic local experiences," which shifted their booking mix toward higher-value direct inquiries. A gourmet deli in California's wine country became the spoken recommendation for "gourmet lunch near me" voice searches. A B2B software company began appearing in AI Overviews for related queries they hadn't specifically targeted, broadening their organic visibility. A luxury residential contractor captured featured snippets for high-intent queries, outperforming much larger competitors.

These outcomes happened because we built citation infrastructure specific to each business's unique methodology, not because we applied generic optimization templates.

What problem does Fractional CMO Leadership solve?

This service is for businesses in the "messy middle": too large for typical agencies but not yet ready for the cost and commitment of a full-time, executive-level CMO (typically $200K+ salary plus benefits). It solves the problem of having a strategic vacuum at the leadership level. We provide the high-level strategy, team leadership, and operational discipline of an experienced CMO without the full-time overhead, focusing on building the systems and team capabilities for the next stage of growth.

What is the difference between GEO, AEO, and AI-Native SEO?

These services address the new reality of search. AI-native SEO services is the umbrella term for optimizing for the retrieval layer. It's broken down into two specializations:

• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Focuses on making your brand a citable source within conversational AI chats like ChatGPT and Claude.
• Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Focuses on capturing the direct answer and AI-generated summary positions in search engines like Google (i.e., AI Overviews).

Together, they represent a comprehensive strategy for being the source of truth wherever your audience is asking questions.

What problem does AI-Ready Content Strategy solve?

It solves the problem of producing content that generates no results because it's invisible to the retrieval layer. This service moves your team away from a high-volume, keyword-stuffing approach to a strategy focused on creating high-density, authoritative assets with significant "Information Gain." We build the governance and production systems to ensure your content is structured to be cited by AI and valued by humans.

What problem does Brand Narrative & Voice Development solve?

This service solves the problem of a fragmented brand identity. When your brand story is inconsistent across your website, sales materials, and social channels, AI systems cannot extract a coherent understanding of who you are. We build the semantic infrastructure (the narrative architecture and voice systems) that ensures your brand presents a consistent, retrievable identity across all touchpoints.

What problem does Campaign Planning & Governance solve?

It solves the problem of marketing campaigns that are inconsistent and operationally chaotic. It addresses the failure of brand guidelines that teams ignore under deadline pressure. We build governance frameworks directly into your planning systems, making brand consistency and strategic alignment an automatic part of the workflow, not an optional checklist item.

What problem does Social Media & Channel Strategy solve?

This service solves the problem of wasted resources on platforms that generate vanity metrics (likes, shares) but no actual business outcomes. Using "Discovery Intelligence," we identify the specific platforms your audience uses for solution research and concentrate your resources there. This stops the cycle of maintaining a presence on every platform "because competitors are there" and focuses investment on channels that contribute to discoverability and customer acquisition.

What problem do Operations & Performance Diagnostics solve?

This is the service for when your marketing is simply not working, and the tactical fixes have failed. It addresses the deep, structural failures that manifest as poor performance: flawed attribution models, technical retrieval barriers, or content systems that can't produce authority. We diagnose the root cause of the failure and rebuild the broken infrastructure, providing a permanent fix, not another temporary patch.

Working with Plate Lunch Collective

How much does a sprint cost?

Our engagements are priced as a flat fee for the 90-day duration. The cost is based on the specific service and the complexity of the diagnostic and implementation work required. We provide a firm quote after an initial discovery call where we can better understand the scope of the challenge. Our pricing reflects a high-touch, leadership-level engagement designed to build lasting infrastructure, not a low-cost tactical service.

Sprint pricing is customized based on scope, market complexity, and the specific constraints uncovered during initial assessment. We provide transparent pricing before engagement. No hourly billing, no surprise fees, no scope creep.

Do you only work with Hawaii businesses?

No. We're based in Honolulu, Hawai'i, but serve clients across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. All sprint work is conducted remotely with scheduled calls and collaborative documentation. Our Hawaii location informs our approach but doesn't limit our service area. Whether you need AI SEO services Hawaii, Honolulu search engine optimization, or support from an SEO company Hawaii can trust across regions, we work with businesses wherever they're located.

What does communication look like during a sprint?

Sprints include scheduled check-ins at key milestones, typically weekly or bi-weekly depending on the phase. You'll have access to shared documentation tracking progress in real time. We're not ghost consultants who disappear for 90 days, but we're also not calling daily meetings that pull your team away from their actual work.

How do we start the engagement process?

The process begins with a brief, no-cost discovery call. This allows us to understand the nature of your performance issues and determine if our diagnostic approach is the right fit. If there is a mutual understanding of the problem, we will develop a formal proposal for a 90-Day Deployment Sprint tailored to your specific situation. You can initiate this process through our contact page.