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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about AI Engine Optimization and how Manta AEO helps your business get recommended by AI.
Getting Started
What is AEO?
AEO stands for AI Engine Optimization. Just like SEO helps you rank in Google search results, AEO helps your business get cited and recommended by AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Claude. When potential customers ask AI for recommendations in your industry, AEO ensures your business shows up in the answer.
How does Manta AEO work?
We monitor how AI platforms talk about your industry, identify where your business is missing from the conversation, and then optimize your digital presence so AI models start citing you. This includes structured data markup, content optimization, third-party presence management, and ongoing monitoring across all major AI platforms.
How long until I see results?
Most clients see measurable improvements within 30 to 60 days. AI models update their knowledge bases regularly, and our optimization strategies align with those update cycles. Your monthly reports track both your Visibility and Awareness scores so you can see exactly which lane is improving and which still needs work.
Do I need technical skills?
Not at all. Our Optimize plan gives you ready-to-use content you can simply copy and paste onto third-party platforms. Our Autopilot plan is fully managed, meaning we handle everything from schema markup to content deployment. Manta AEO is built for non-technical business owners who want results without the complexity.
Is AEO different from SEO?
Yes. SEO focuses on ranking in traditional search engine results pages. AEO focuses on getting your business cited in AI-generated answers. While there is some overlap in best practices, AI platforms evaluate and surface information differently than search engines. AEO requires a distinct strategy focused on structured data, authoritative sourcing, and third-party validation.
Pricing & Plans
What plans do you offer?
We offer four tiers. Monitor at $99/month tracks your AI visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity with monthly reports. Optimize at $499/month adds 2 ready-to-publish content pieces a month — one site piece (blog or FAQ with schema) and one LinkedIn post — that you copy and publish. Amplify at $899/month is fully managed off your website: we run your LinkedIn 3x/week and post to your Google Business Profile every week, automatically, in your voice. Autopilot at $1,500/month is the full white-glove service — we build and host an AI-optimized website for you and publish 20 content pieces a month (12 LinkedIn + 8 site updates) plus weekly Google Business posts.
What is the difference between Optimize and Amplify?
Optimize is content we write and you publish — 2 pieces a month (1 site piece with schema + 1 LinkedIn post). You stay in control of when and how they go live. Amplify is fully managed: we run your LinkedIn 3x a week (12 posts/month, in your voice, posted automatically to either your personal profile or company page) and post to your Google Business Profile weekly (4 posts/month). Amplify never touches your website. Pick Optimize when you want to stay hands-on with publishing; pick Amplify when you have a website you're happy with and want LinkedIn and Google Business handled for you.
What is the difference between Amplify and Autopilot?
Amplify runs your LinkedIn and Google Business — and never touches your site. Autopilot adds a professional website we build and host with full schema baked in, plus 8 site updates a month (blog posts, FAQ pages, service pages) on top of the 12 LinkedIn posts. Total content with Autopilot: 20 pieces/month (12 LinkedIn + 8 site) plus 4 weekly Google Business posts. Pick Amplify when your website is already strong; pick Autopilot when you also need a new website built and on-site content handled.
Do you need access to my website for Amplify?
No. Amplify is intentionally off your website. We never log into your CMS, never modify your pages, never touch your hosting. Every Amplify deliverable — LinkedIn posts and Google Business posts — lives on third-party platforms. If you want a website built with schema deployed on it, that's Autopilot.
What does Autopilot include?
Autopilot includes everything in Amplify (12 LinkedIn posts/month + 4 Google Business posts/month) plus a professional website we build and host with full schema baked in, and 8 site updates a month — blog posts, FAQ pages, service pages, and schema updates published directly to the site we built. Total: 20 content pieces a month (12 LinkedIn + 8 site) plus 4 Google Business posts. Plus monthly audits, unlimited competitor tracking, and a monthly performance report.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?
Yes. You can move between plans at any time. Upgrades take effect immediately, and downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle. There are no penalties for changing plans.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. All plans are month-to-month with no long-term commitment required. We believe in earning your business every month through measurable results, not locking you into a contract.
Technical
Which AI platforms do you track?
We monitor all major AI platforms including ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot. As new AI platforms emerge, we add them to our monitoring system so your visibility is tracked across the full AI landscape.
How do you generate content?
We create AEO-optimized content tailored to how AI models discover and cite information. This includes FAQ content, schema markup, blog posts, "best of" listicle content, and structured data. All content is designed specifically for your industry and business, never generic templates.
What is schema markup?
Schema markup is structured data added to your website that helps AI models understand your business. It tells AI platforms exactly what services you offer, where you are located, your business hours, customer reviews, and more. Think of it as a machine-readable summary of your business that AI can easily parse and cite.
Do you need access to my website?
For Monitor, Optimize, and Amplify — no website access required. Monitor just reads your public data. Optimize gives you content to publish yourself. Amplify works entirely off your website (LinkedIn and Google Business) and never touches your site. Autopilot is the only tier where we need site access, because we are building and hosting the website for you — schema deployment and on-site optimization happen on the site we own.
Our Scoring System
What's the difference between Visibility and Awareness?
Visibility measures whether you show up when a real customer asks AI for a recommendation — the queries that actually drive revenue, like "who's the best dentist in Hamilton?" Awareness measures whether AI knows you exist at all, probed with exhaustive-list prompts like "list every law firm you're aware of in Ottawa." They answer two completely different questions, and the gap between them tells us exactly what to fix first. No other AI visibility tool splits them.
Why split the score instead of just giving one number?
Because the fixes are completely different. A brand AI has never heard of (zero Awareness) needs foundations work — directories, schema, NAP consistency, profiles on the sources AI trusts. A brand AI knows but doesn't recommend first (healthy Awareness, low Visibility) needs content that wins the query — blog posts, expert answers, FAQ pages. A single-score tool treats both as the same problem and usually sells both a content package. We target the actual gap, which is why our clients move faster.
What are Presence, Prominence, and Perception?
Three dimensions we measure inside both Visibility and Awareness. Presence — do you appear in the response? Prominence — where in the response, first recommendation or buried mention? Perception — how favorably are you described? We measure all three in both lanes, which gives you six signals where most tools give you one.
How is my overall AEO score calculated?
Your overall AEO score is a weighted blend — 70% Visibility, 30% Awareness — because Visibility is what drives real customer contact, but Awareness is the foundation that has to exist first. In your portal you see the overall number plus both sub-scores, so you know exactly why you're at that overall number and what to work on.
What kind of results can I expect?
Results vary by industry and starting position. Most clients see meaningful score movement within 30 to 60 days. If you're starting with low Awareness, the first wins show up in Awareness before Visibility — that's the expected sequence. If Awareness is already healthy, Visibility moves first. Your monthly reports show exactly how each score is trending and which work is driving the lift.
How often do I get reports?
All plans include monthly reports delivered through your client portal. Reports cover your Visibility and Awareness sub-scores, Presence / Prominence / Perception breakdowns in each lane, citation tracking across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity, competitor comparisons, and prioritized recommendations. Autopilot clients also get a detailed breakdown of every piece of work we published that month.
Still have questions?
Get in touch or run a free audit to see how your business performs in AI search.