ChatGPT Changed the Game. Did You?

Hello my friends, and welcome to Educated Marketing Decisions, where we share practical marketing insights tailored to the aviation industry.

For years, visibility meant one thing: ranking on Google.
You played the game with keywords, backlinks, metadata, and patience.

But the rules have changed.
Now users ask ChatGPT or Gemini and get one single answer.

You’re no longer fighting for a spot in the top ten, you’re fighting to exist inside that answer.
That’s AEO: Answer Engine Optimization.
It’s not about search visibility anymore. It’s about AI visibility.

SEO gave you room to climb sixth place, fourth, maybe even the top spot.
AEO is binary: you’re either mentioned or ignored.

And the signals have changed.
It’s no longer about who links to you, but what’s being said about you in the places where AI learns:

• Forums (especially Reddit)
• Wikipedia and YouTube
• News and expert commentary

The era of the generic blog is over.
What wins now is content that answers real questions, written with a human voice and a clear purpose.

How to Appear in AEO

1. Turn real questions into real pages
Every customer question deserves its own piece of content.
Each answer becomes a digital footprint: specific, contextual, and useful.

2. Publish where AI learns
Focus on the channels that feed large language models: Reddit, YouTube, and the press.
Don’t chase mentions. Offer insights that become part of the data the model trusts.

3. Repurpose with purpose
One strong idea can fuel many “training paths.”
Blog → LinkedIn post → Reddit thread → short video.
Each touchpoint increases your chances of being remembered.

4. Don’t copy the machine
Use AI for structure, editing, and clarity, but not for duplication.
If your content doesn’t add something new, it won’t stand out to either humans or models.

5. Keep your digital house clean
Let AI agents crawl your site and ensure your performance, markup, and readability are clear.
Not for Google but for comprehension.

A New Way to Measure Progress

Look beyond traffic.
Start tracking signals that show you’re being learned, not just clicked:

• Referrals from ChatGPT or other AI tools
• More organic mentions on Reddit or YouTube
• Quotes appearing in AI summaries

Audit your brand’s AI presence periodically.
Cross-check those insights with your analytics to understand your real reach.

What Matters Most

AEO doesn’t replace SEO overnight, but it flips the logic.
You’re no longer optimizing for clicks, you’re optimizing for memory.

The model doesn’t index what you say about yourself.
It learns what others say about you and repeats what it trusts.

To be remembered, you need visible social proof, useful content, and presence where the model looks.

The new marketing game isn’t about topping search results. It’s about earning a line in the only answer.
That’s AEO, the art of being referenced, not searched.

Give AI a reason to mention you, and someday, it just might.

At Becks and the Jets, we help aviation companies turn their expertise into visibility in searches, conversations, and now, AI responses.

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Need help with your 2026 marketing strategy? Message us. We’d love to support you.

Rebekah Knaster
Founder, Becks and the Jets LLC
#yourcmoondemand