Answer Engine Optimization Strategies & Tactics with Nick Lafferty and Josh Blyskal (Profound)

Sep 24, 2025

Nick Lafferty, Head of Marketing at Profound, and AI strategist Josh Blyskal dive into the evolving world of answer engine optimization (AEO). They discuss how AEO redefines content strategy by prioritizing user experience and agility over traditional SEO tactics. Nick shares insights on leveraging resources like Wikipedia and structured content to enhance AI visibility. Meanwhile, Josh emphasizes the need for concise, citation-friendly formats and how speed and adaptability are key in the volatile AI landscape. Their discussion sheds light on modern marketing strategies in the AI era.

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INSIGHT

AEO Is About Being The Answer

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) focuses on making your brand the chosen answer in AI-driven search experiences.
Users want direct answers, so engines prioritize utility over traditional link lists.

INSIGHT

Search Will Coalesce, Not Die

AI search and traditional search will likely coalesce into a unified experience rather than one replacing the other.
User experience drives this shift toward chat-like, personalized answers over blue links.

ADVICE

Publish Direct, Crawlable Answers

Create opinionated, high-utility pages that directly list answers (e.g., best X lists) to be favored by answer engines.
Ensure content is crawlable and not hidden behind JavaScript or poor rendering.

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In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett speaks with Nick Lafferty (Head of Marketing) and Josh Blyskal (AI Strategist) from Profound, an AI visibility platform focused on answer engine optimization (AEO). They explore the shift from SEO to AEO, where brands must optimize for AI-driven search experiences across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. The conversation covers why agility is the new moat, how brand mentions and structured content shape AI visibility, and how both startups and incumbents can compete. Nick and Josh share tactical approaches—from Wikipedia and affiliate strategies to structured HTML tables—that improve citations in AI-generated answers. The discussion underscores the rising importance of PR, off-site visibility, and concise, high-utility content in the AI search era.

Key Takeaways

AEO Defined: Answer engine optimization is about making your brand the chosen answer in AI-driven search experiences.
User Experience Wins: Search is converging with chat—people want answers, not links—so engines prioritize utility and ease.
Agility as a Moat: Speed and adaptability matter more than long-term content calendars in today’s volatile AI search space.
Brand Mentions Beat Keywords: AI models lean heavily on off-site mentions (Reddit, Wikipedia, affiliates) as trust signals.
Structured Content Boosts Citations: Bullet points, HTML tables, and concise formatting make content “citation-friendly” for AI.
Startups vs. Incumbents: Incumbents benefit from brand equity, but startups can flank them by acting faster and publishing niche, high-utility content.
PR Is Back: Media coverage and Wikipedia presence play a critical role in being cited by AI engines.

Show Links

Visit Profound on Linkedin and X
Connect with Nick Lafferty on LinkedIn
Connect with Josh Blyskal on LinkedIn
Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

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