TL;DR
A B2B SaaS company increased AI-referred trials from 550 to 2,300+ (4x growth) in four weeks by implementing a deliberate AEO strategy. Discovered Labs shipped 66 high-quality optimized articles, fixed critical technical SEO issues, achieved 600% citation uplift across ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, and outperformed their incumbent SEO agency by 3x in traditional SERP rankings. The approach combined comprehensive audits, high-velocity content production, and Reddit marketing with #1 subreddit rankings.
The problem
This B2B SaaS company had been working with a traditional SEO agency for multiple years. Despite the investment, when we looked under the hood there was minimal business impact, which wasn't even being measured due to a lack of analytics.
Self-reported attribution showed just 550 trials coming from AI recommendations. The existing strategy focused primarily on top-of-funnel informational content that wasn't converting, while critical technical SEO issues remained unresolved. They had some visibility in AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, but no deliberate strategy to capitalize on it.
They needed a partner who understood both traditional SEO fundamentals and the emerging landscape of AI search, someone who could execute quickly and drive measurable business outcomes.
Our approach
1. Comprehensive audit and technical fixes
We started with a comprehensive AI visibility audit and traditional SEO technical audit. Within the first week, we identified critical issues that needed addressing: broken schema markup, duplicate content problems, poor internal linking structure, and zero optimization for AI answer engines.
Our audit revealed significant gaps in how their content was structured for both traditional search engines and LLMs. We mapped their current visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, benchmarked against competitors, and identified quick wins that would drive immediate impact.
2. High-velocity content production
The existing strategy of publishing 8 to 10 blog posts per month wasn't driving the results they needed. We implemented our human-in-the-loop AI content workflow and started publishing content by day 4. We shipped 66 high-quality, optimized articles in the first month.
Every piece of content was optimized for both traditional search engines and AI answer engines. We used our proprietary AEO content framework to structure articles with:
- Clear, verifiable facts that LLMs could cite with confidence
- Entity optimization and schema markup for better knowledge graph integration
- Answer-focused structures targeting actual buyer questions
- Intentional internal linking to high-intent conversion pages
The results were immediate. Our content was cited within 72 hours, and within four weeks, 4 out of 5 of their top cited sources were our content. ChatGPT began recommending them as a solution for their target use cases. Perplexity started citing their content in technical comparison queries. Claude began referencing their methodology in detailed responses.
3. SERP performance and conversion focus
While executing our AEO strategy, we also achieved 3x to 4x better performance in traditional SERP rankings. The key was focusing on high-intent, bottom-of-funnel content that drove trial signups, not vanity metrics.
The previous approach focused on informational blog posts targeting broad keywords with high search volume but low purchase intent. We identified the exact queries their ICP was searching when evaluating solutions, and systematically targeted those with content designed to convert.
4. Reddit marketing
To accelerate trust signals that both humans and AI models respect, we implemented targeted Reddit marketing. Using aged accounts, we seeded helpful comments in relevant subreddits that ranked #1 for target discussions, driving direct traffic and building citations LLMs could discover.
This ensured they weren't just getting mentioned, they were being recommended as the authoritative choice in their category. We're now working with them on the next phase: dedicated landing pages and original research studies to further cement their position.
The results
Within four weeks of launching our integrated AEO and SEO strategy, the results were undeniable:
- 4x increase in AI-referred trials: From 550 to 2,300+ trials attributed to ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity recommendations
- 600% citation uplift: Brand mentions in AI responses increased 6x across all major platforms
- 3x SERP performance: Achieved significantly better rankings on high-intent keywords, driving qualified traffic that converted
- #1 Reddit rankings: Strategic comments appearing at top of target subreddit discussions, driving consistent referral traffic
But beyond the metrics, the most important outcome was sustainable growth infrastructure. They now have:
- A systematic content engine producing daily optimized articles
- Continuous monitoring and optimization of AI citations
- Authority building campaigns generating ongoing backlinks and social proof
- A partner who understands their business goals, not just vanity metrics
Why it worked
The difference between our approach and the previous strategy came down to three things:
- Data-driven execution: We ship fast, measure everything, and optimize based on what actually drives results
- AI-first strategy: We optimize for how buyers actually research today, across both traditional search and AI answer engines
- Business impact focus: Every piece of content, every technical fix, every authority building campaign is tied directly to pipeline and revenue growth
If your current SEO strategy isn't driving the results you need, or if you're invisible in AI-powered search, it might be time for a different approach.