Over the previous few months, I observed a sample whereas researching for shoppers. After I searched Perplexity for B2B studies or insights that I may cite for a mission, the supply checklist would seem like this: Gartner, McKinsey, peer-reviewed paper, then … John Smith on LinkedIn?
Between main publications, consulting corporations, and big-name {industry} leaders, AI platforms had been surfacing LinkedIn articles and posts by common professionals with one thing to say, however not essentially a big following. This sparked an concept— may I exploit LinkedIn for AEO (Reply Engine Optimization) to advertise my solopreneur enterprise? In conventional search, I may by no means compete towards the likes of big companies or enterprises.
Right here’s the experiment I ran and what I discovered about optimizing for AEO on LinkedIn.
Desk of Contents
LinkedIn for AEO: What the Analysis Says
First, I needed to examine that my plan to develop AI visibility by way of LinkedIn wasn’t simply based mostly on a hunch. Right here’s what the info says:
- SEMrush and Meltwater each discovered that LinkedIn is the second-most cited URL by generative AI fashions, second solely to YouTube. In line with SEMrush analysis, 11% of pages cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI mode originate from LinkedIn.
- Google AI Mode cites LinkedIn probably the most, with 14.3% of responses citing the community.
- Meltwater’s analysis exhibits that 75% of LinkedIn citations come from particular person pages, not firm ones, and greater than half (51%) come from profiles with underneath 10,000 followers.
- Lengthy-form articles (500–2,000 phrases) and mid-length posts (50–299 phrases) make up the most important share of AI citations.
- Academic and advice-driven content material is the preferred sort of format cited.
My Solopreneur Experiment: Does LinkedIn content material enhance AEO?
As a solopreneur, I’ve relied on a mixture of referrals, {industry} teams, chilly outreach, and LinkedIn engagement for leads. Now, I’ve added LLM searches to that blend. In line with Loginix, 73% of B2B consumers now use AI instruments of their analysis. Right here’s why I believed that optimizing for AEO on LinkedIn was a sensible transfer:
- Three of my final 4 new shoppers contacted me by way of LinkedIn, so it is sensible to lean right into a platform that’s already working for me.
- AI search converts at 5.1X the speed of Google natural search, which means that clients shall be more likely to achieve out if I can safe that coveted quotation.
- It will take an enormous effort to maintain up a constant weblog technique on my web site, and even then, I most likely couldn’t compete with giant companies and market web sites. Natural site visitors can also be declining, so why not redirect that power into LinkedIn?
Baseline: How I Ranked on AI Instruments Earlier than
To begin, I selected a particular scope for the LinkedIn experiment. As a substitute of a generic immediate, I optimized prompts round “case research author,” which is a service space that I’m rising however haven’t actively marketed up to now. I’m a reasonably inconsistent poster on LinkedIn, and the final article I printed there was in 2016.
To find out a baseline and construct a technique, I used HubSpot AEO. It took lower than 10 minutes to undergo their onboarding movement and enter my model, area, companies, and splendid buyer profile (ICP). I entered just a few case research writers as rivals, then began brainstorming prompts.
I brainstormed prompts my goal buyer may use, then HubSpot recommended some associated prompts. These had been a mixture of branded (Are you able to suggest a case research for X {industry}?) and unbranded (What are greatest practices for writing a case research?). As soon as I used to be proud of the checklist, the instrument ran a search throughout ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to see how I fared.
The outcomes? I had 0.11% visibility throughout the prompts. Fairly low, however not zero. I had work to do.
Methodology
With a baseline and objective in thoughts, I set about optimizing my profile and publishing content material round the important thing matter and my experience.
1. Optimized My LinkedIn Profile
First, I reviewed my LinkedIn profile to make sure it precisely mirrored the experience I needed to be identified for. I made certain that “case research author” was distinguished and talked about in a number of sections. This was essential to sign to AI readers that my background and experience matched what I used to be speaking about.
2. Revealed Focused LinkedIn Articles and Posts
Subsequent, I printed two LinkedIn articles and two posts all about case research. HubSpot AEO gave me an inventory of matter solutions, which I used for high-level inspiration. Then I sat down and wrote two articles on case research greatest practices and classes discovered as a case research author. I wrote these from direct expertise, no AI writing concerned. Every article included a canopy picture, the submit, and a bio on the backside. I engaged with any feedback that individuals left on the posts or articles.
3. Monitored Progress
My LinkedIn AEO experiment ran for 3 weeks. Every week, I checked if my metrics had progressed. I additionally ran guide searches in incognito mode on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode to see for myself the responses that completely different prompts returned.
Outcomes: How It Carried out
For the primary two weeks that I used to be posting, the variety of citations didn’t budge. Then within the third week, some motion occurred.
1. Slight Improve in Citations
My model visibility price ticked as much as 0.95% on Gemini, whereas staying principally flat on ChatGPT and Perplexity. My model point out citations and owned area citations versus my rivals each elevated from 2% to five.3%.
2. A Victory on Google AI Mode
I achieved a serious win after manually working prompts for 3 weeks. After I searched branded prompts like “Are you able to suggest a case research author for X?” on Perplexity or ChatGPT, it really helpful three to 5 writers who had been not me, then one other three to 5 platforms or companies.
However after I ran the identical search in Google AI Mode, it really helpful just one author prominently: Mandy Bray. I’ll take that as a win. Curiously, my mini-experiment mirrored the info that Google AI Mode and Gemini cite LinkedIn greater than their friends.
In Context: What I Realized From My LinkedIn AEO Experiment
Total, my visibility on AI search continues to be decrease than I would love, however I discovered just a few worthwhile gems to assist me contextualize that knowledge and make a recreation plan shifting ahead.
1. Focus issues.
Most solopreneurs already know {that a} area of interest helps you get found and join with prospects. It additionally helps for AEO. If you happen to’re a generalist advertising and marketing marketing consultant, the AI system will wrestle with categorize you and shall be much less more likely to make a suggestion. After I immediate an AI instrument with a broad request for a service supplier, it nearly at all times asks me to slender my request down earlier than giving names. Dwelling in on only one or two companies or industries you wish to be greatest identified for, then optimize for these.
2. There’s worth in each branded and unbranded mentions.
As a solopreneur, the gold normal of AEO is having an AI search instrument suggest you by identify. Nevertheless, that isn’t the one type of victory as I see it. Lots of the content material ways utilized by firms to chase branded mentions (High 10 distributors for X) merely don’t make sense for solopreneurs. I’m taking part in the lengthy recreation, and I’ll take unbranded mentions the place I can get them. Prospects within the consciousness funnel looking for assist planning a case research should still come throughout my articles or give me a observe — these aren’t zero-sum for me.
3. Claude received’t suggest solopreneurs.
I ran guide prompts on Claude.ai, which is way and away the preferred AI platform for my audience (entrepreneurs). I used to be shocked to study that Claude received’t suggest freelance writers or solopreneurs. It flat-out refuses when requested, and as a substitute offers a shortlist of platforms and greatest practices for hiring freelancers. So for those who’re hoping to get really helpful by Claude, that received’t occur (a minimum of for now).
4. I loved advantages exterior of AI citations.
The train pressured me to be disciplined and create the kind of thought management content material that I write for my shoppers on daily basis. It wasn’t onerous — all of the data and experience had been in my head. I simply wanted the correct motivation and a deadline to get shifting.
Whatever the variety of AI citations, the experiment precipitated me to submit extra actively than regular and suppose extra strategically about what was on my profile and web site. A couple of of the outcomes:
- My LinkedIn profile views went up over 200% up to now 28 days.
- Whereas the articles themselves didn’t generate an enormous variety of impressions or engagement, it was nonetheless an enchancment. Since I began publishing, submit impressions grew 237%, and submit engagement grew 340%.
- A contact reached out particularly asking me about case research writing as a result of he observed it in my profile.
5. Three weeks wasn’t lengthy sufficient.
I knew that three weeks can be tight, and it wasn’t actually sufficient time to maneuver the needle. Knowledge exhibits that frequency issues: Three-quarters of authors cited by AI instruments posted on LinkedIn a minimum of 5 occasions within the earlier 4 weeks.
Whereas these small profile tweaks and adjustments made an impression, I do know it should take an ongoing effort to develop my visibility throughout all platforms. AI solutions change always because the fashions replace and new pages are listed. A current research discovered that the standard AI quotation lifespan is simply 11 to fifteen days.
My Recreation Plan for Solopreneur AEO Shifting Ahead
After this experiment, I really feel energized to proceed publishing, posting, and optimizing for AI search. I really feel assured on this tactic as a result of I do know I’ll see the ROI of my efforts throughout a number of channels: AI search, conventional search, and LinkedIn. Right here’s what I plan to prioritize shifting ahead.
1. Proceed publishing articles and posts on LinkedIn. HubSpot generated a great checklist of content material concepts, which I can take and make my very own. I plan to proceed posting about case research, but in addition write about different companies I supply.
2. Analyze rivals. This train gave me an inventory of freelancers and solopreneurs who rank extremely on AI search. I plan to dig into their LinkedIn profiles, web sites, and on-line presence within the coming weeks to see what I can study.
3. Lengthen my AEO efforts to my web site. My portfolio web site is newly refreshed and covers every thing I’ve to supply, that are 4 core companies and three core industries. The analyses I ran by way of this experiment helped me understand that I additionally want service-specific or industry-specific pages. I plan so as to add pages with key phrases and portfolio samples for higher visibility in these areas, corresponding to:
- Freelance content material author for edtech
- Case research author for SaaS
- Gross sales enablement author
My Recommendation for Different Solopreneurs
Solopreneurs and freelancers: Preserve posting, continue learning, and cease ready for the shopper work to decelerate or the right concept to seem.
Along with guide searches, you should use an AEO instrument to set a baseline and see a plan. HubSpot AI Search Grader offers a fast snapshot of the way you rank, or you’ll be able to trial the complete HubSpot AEO product to trace progress, sentiment, and extra.
Lastly, use AI instruments for ideation, however by no means substitute your voice. Not each matter or concept recommended is sensible for solopreneurs, so use your instincts to create a plan. When writing recommendation or academic content material, your distinctive POV is probably the most worthwhile factor it’s a must to supply — put it on full show.
