TL;DR
HubSpot’s AEO Grader shows how your brand appears inside AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Unlike SEO, which ranks pages, AEO ensures your content is extracted into AI answers. To improve your visibility:
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Publish Q&A content blocks that answer customer questions.
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Add FAQ schema so AI can parse your answers.
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Strengthen brand mentions with case studies, press, and guest content.
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Re-run your grade quarterly to monitor improvement.
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It’s the process of structuring your content so AI tools — like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity — can extract and cite it directly. Unlike SEO, which is about links and rankings, AEO is about visibility in AI answers.
What is HubSpot’s AEO Grader?
The HubSpot AEO Grader is a free tool that evaluates:
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Brand recognition (are you mentioned in AI tools?)
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Market score (how you compare to competitors)
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Presence quality (is your content structured for AI?)
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Sentiment (are mentions positive or neutral?)
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Share of voice (how much “AI conversation” you own)
Why is AEO important for marketers?
Your buyers are already using AI to research vendors. Instead of scrolling links, they ask tools like ChatGPT. If your content isn’t optimized for AEO, your competitors will get the mentions instead of your brand.
Showing up in AI Overviews and AI-powered searches means more visibility, more trust, and more leads.
How Does the AEO Grader Help Improve AI Visibility?
The grader gives you a scorecard with strengths and growth areas. It highlights:
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Where your brand is strong (e.g. niche expertise, positive reviews).
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Where competitors are winning (e.g. more citations, better structured content).
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What to fix (e.g. missing schema, no Q&A content, low brand recognition).
From there, you can prioritize improvements that increase the odds of your brand being cited by AI.
What You'll See in the Scorecard
A typical report will highlight:
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Strengths (e.g. niche expertise, customer satisfaction)
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Growth areas (e.g. limited media presence, missing schema, weak Q&A content)
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Competitors outperforming you in AI mentions
That means you’ll know exactly where to improve to show up in AI answers.
How do I use my AEO Grader results?
1. Improve Brand Recognition
Publish guest articles, podcasts, or partnerships that create new mentions. Keep your LinkedIn company page, review sites (like G2, Capterra), and press mentions fresh — AI tools often pull from these sources.
2. Restructure Content for AI
Turn service and blog pages into Q&A format (just like this blog post!). Example:
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Q: How do I build a HubSpot website?
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A: Most HubSpot sites are built using a CMS theme, custom modules and a clear UX strategy. Agencies can typically deliver these in 6–10 weeks
3. Add Schema Markup
Use FAQPage schema for blog Q&As. Add HowTo or Product schema where relevant. In the HubSpot page editor :Settings → Advanced Options → Additional Code Snippets → Head HTML.
4. Track Competitor Mentions
Create comparison pages (e.g. “HubSpot CMS vs WordPress for SaaS”) so your brand appears in competitor-driven queries.
5. Re-Test Quarterly
AI visibility changes fast. Running the grader every few months helps track your progress.
Quick Action Checklist
✅ Run the HubSpot AEO Grader.
✅ Publish Q&A-formatted content on service and blog pages.
✅ Add FAQ schema to key pages (see our schema guide).
✅ Grow mentions via guest posts, press, or LinkedIn activity.
✅ Re-check quarterly to measure gains.
Quick FAQs
Q: What is AEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the process of structuring your content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can extract and cite it directly.
Q: How does HubSpot’s AEO Grader work?
The grader scans your brand’s presence in AI-powered search tools and gives you a scorecard highlighting strengths, growth areas, and competitor comparisons.
Q: How can I improve my AEO score?
Focus on Q&A-style content blocks, add FAQ schema and increase brand mentions through guest posts, reviews, and press coverage.
Q: How often should I run the AEO Grader?
Re-test every 3 months to stay aligned with AI algorithm changes and track improvements over time.
👉 Want help making your HubSpot site AI-friendly?
We specialize in optimizing HubSpot websites so they don’t just rank in search — they show up in AI answers! Reach out today to get AI-Optimized!
