8x AI Citations: Early AEO Investment Pays Off
How a personal branding agency invested in AEO ahead of the curve and achieved massive ROI before competitors caught on
The Background
LeverBrands is a personal branding agency that helps executives, entrepreneurs, and industry experts build influential personal brands. They specialise in positioning their clients as thought leaders through strategic content, media placements, and digital presence optimization.
The agency recognised early that the way businesses discover service providers was fundamentally changing. While competitors were still focused on traditional SEO and LinkedIn strategies, LeverBrands saw the writing on the wall: AI assistants were becoming the new gatekeepers of business discovery.
Rather than wait for the shift to happen and scramble to catch up, LeverBrands made a strategic decision to invest in Answer Engine Optimization for their own agency, getting ahead of the curve before the competition even recognised AEO as a category.
Quick Facts
- Personal branding agency for executives and entrepreneurs
- Early recogniser of the AI search revolution
- Strategic decision to invest in AEO ahead of competitors
The Challenge
Before investing in AEO, LeverBrands faced the same visibility challenge as most B2B service providers. When potential clients asked AI assistants about personal branding agencies or thought leadership consultants, LeverBrands wasn't appearing in recommendations.
The agency understood that this wasn't just a visibility problem but an existential one. As more business decision-makers began using AI to research and shortlist service providers, being invisible in AI recommendations meant being excluded from consideration entirely.
Traditional marketing channels were becoming increasingly crowded and expensive. LeverBrands needed a way to stand out and capture high-intent leads before competitors saturated the AI recommendation space.
Key Pain Points
- Invisible in AI responses for personal branding queries
- Traditional marketing becoming more expensive and less effective
- Competitors not yet focused on AI visibility (window of opportunity)
- Risk of falling behind if they waited too long to act
- Need to prove ROI on a new marketing channel
Our Approach
We worked with LeverBrands to implement a comprehensive AEO strategy for their own agency, positioning them as the recommended choice when prospects ask AI about personal branding services.
Technical Audit & Fix
We optimised LeverBrands' website architecture and technical foundation to ensure AI systems could properly understand and recommend their services.
- Comprehensive schema markup for Organisation and Service types
- Structured content hierarchy for AI parsing
- Optimised site architecture for AI crawling
- Implemented review and testimonial schema for social proof
Schema Markup Implementation
We built the technical infrastructure that helps AI systems accurately understand, categorise, and recommend LeverBrands.
- Deployed comprehensive service schema with detailed offerings
- Implemented FAQ schema addressing prospect questions
- Built case study and results schema for credibility signals
- Created structured content for AI comprehension
Content Generation & Distribution
We created authoritative content that positioned LeverBrands as the definitive source for personal branding expertise.
- Developed comprehensive guides on personal branding strategies
- Created comparison content against alternative approaches
- Built thought leadership content establishing unique perspectives
- Distributed content across high-authority industry publications
The Results
LeverBrands' early investment in AEO delivered exceptional ROI. By moving before competitors, they captured the AI recommendation space and established a compounding advantage that continues to grow.
AI Visibility Dominance
- Now recommended for 'best personal branding agency' queries
- Appears in ChatGPT responses for thought leadership consulting
- Cited by Perplexity as a leading personal branding service
- Featured in AI comparisons against competitors
Lead Generation Impact
- Inbound leads increased 215%
- Lead quality improved 67%
- Cost per acquisition reduced significantly
- Sales cycle shortened as prospects arrive pre-qualified
Competitive Advantage
- Established first-mover advantage in AI recommendations
- Competitors still catching up to their AI visibility
- Premium positioning supported by AI credibility
- Compounding returns as AI citations breed more citations
“We saw the AI revolution coming and decided to move first. While our competitors were still debating whether AI search mattered, we invested in AEO and captured the space. Now we're the recommended choice when prospects ask AI about personal branding. The ROI has been incredible, and the game still hasn't caught up. If you're reading this, you might still have a chance before you fall behind too.”
Key Takeaways
Early AEO investment creates compounding advantages before competitors catch on
First-mover advantage in AI recommendations is significant and lasting
B2B service providers who wait risk being excluded from AI consideration sets
AI visibility improves lead quality and reduces acquisition costs
The window for early-mover advantage is closing but still open
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this case study and the results achieved.
Why did LeverBrands invest in AEO early?
LeverBrands recognised that AI assistants were becoming the new gatekeepers of business discovery. Rather than wait for competitors to saturate the space, they invested in AEO ahead of the curve. This early investment delivered 8x AI citations and 215% inbound lead growth while competitors are still catching up.
What ROI did LeverBrands see from AEO?
LeverBrands achieved exceptional ROI from their AEO investment: 8x increase in AI citations, 215% growth in inbound leads, and 67% improvement in lead quality. Because they moved early, they captured the AI recommendation space before competitors and established a compounding advantage.
Is it too late to invest in AEO?
While LeverBrands captured first-mover advantage, the window for significant AEO gains is still open. Most businesses haven't yet invested in AI visibility, meaning early adopters can still establish strong positions. However, as the LeverBrands case shows, those who wait risk falling behind as the space becomes more competitive.
How does early AEO investment create lasting advantage?
AI visibility compounds over time. LeverBrands' early investment means they're now cited in AI responses, which increases their authority, which leads to more citations. Competitors starting later face an uphill battle against established AI visibility. This compounding effect makes early investment in AEO particularly valuable.
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