What small businesses ask

us about AI search

Written by Ernest Price, founder of PlatformAEO

Why does ChatGPT describe my brand wrong, or not mention it at all?

Because it can’t find a clear answer on your site. AI engines don’t browse like people do. They look for plain, checkable facts about who you are and what you do. If your site is mostly images and sales talk, the engine fills the gap with guesses, or names someone else.

Which AI engines matter for my business, and do I need to show up on all of them?

The big ones are ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews. Each one picks its sources a little differently, so showing up on one doesn’t mean you show up on all. The good news is that the fix is the same: clear facts on your site help you everywhere. We check ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude live, so you can see where you stand on each.

How do AI engines decide which brands to trust and cite?

They look for the same things a careful editor would: clear facts, a real person behind the claims, and proof they can check. A page that says “we’re the best” gives them nothing. A page that says who you are, what you’ve done and where it’s backed up gives them something they can repeat with confidence.

How do I know the changes you make are accurate?

Because every change is checked against your own page before you see it. When we rewrite a sentence, write an FAQ answer or add code for search engines, each claim is matched to something you already said. Anything we can’t back up is flagged, so nothing goes live that isn’t true about your business.

Is AEO worth budgeting for, and what does it cost?

If your customers ask AI before they call you, and more of them do every month, then being left out of the answer costs you work you never hear about. You can start free, with no credit card. The Founding Member plan is $49 a month for unlimited runs, and agencies can contact us for white-label pricing.

Does AEO replace my SEO spend, or add to it?

It adds to it, and you don’t need a big budget for either. SEO helps your business show up when people search on Google. AEO helps you get named when people ask ChatGPT or Perplexity instead. If you’re already doing some SEO, keep it. AEO makes sure the AI can actually read your site and trust what it says.