AEO Workflow Command

Execute the complete Answer Engine Optimization workflow based on HubSpot's proven strategy.

Input

$ARGUMENTS

Workflow Overview

STRATEGY → RESEARCH → GAPS → FAN-OUT → CONTENT → AUTHORITY → MEASURE

Phase Selection

Use AskUserQuestion to determine starting point:

Question: "Which AEO phase would you like to work on?"

Options:

1. Full Workflow - Start from strategy, work through all phases
2. Strategy & Planning - Build buyer persona × journey grid
3. Query Research - Source and tag queries (three-pronged approach)
4. Visibility Gaps - Identify where you're not appearing in AI responses
5. Content Optimization - Apply 7-step AEO checklist to existing content
6. Authority Building - Off-site mentions and citation strategy
7. Measurement Setup - Configure AEO scorecard and tracking

Phase 1: Strategy - Buyer Persona × Journey Grid

Gather Context

Ask:

• "What product/service are we optimizing for?"
• "Describe your 3 primary buyer personas (be specific - role, company size, team structure)"
• "What are your top 3 competitors?"

Build the Grid

Create a 3×4 grid:

## [Product] - Buyer Persona × Journey Grid

| Journey Stage | [Persona A] | [Persona B] | [Persona C] |
|---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| **Awareness** | "How do I...?" | "What is...?" | "Why does...?" |
| **Consideration** | "Best [category] for..." | "Compare X vs Y" | "How to choose..." |
| **Evaluation** | "[Product] features" | "[Product] vs [Competitor]" | "[Product] pricing" |
| **Decision** | "Can [Product] do...?" | "[Product] ROI" | "How to implement..." |

Output: Save grid to docs/aeo/[product]-persona-grid.md

Phase 2: Research - Three-Pronged Query Sourcing

Method 1: Keyword Data

• "Do you have keyword data exports from Ahrefs/SEMrush? If so, provide the file path."
• Filter for question-based queries
• Extract queries matching grid cells

Method 2: Social Listening

Use WebSearch to find questions from:

• Reddit: site:reddit.com "[topic]" how OR what OR why OR best
• Quora: site:quora.com "[topic]"

Method 3: Internal Data

• "What questions do your Sales and CS teams hear most often?"
• "Do you have access to chat transcripts or call recordings?"

Tag Queries

For each query, tag by funnel stage:

Stage	Pattern
Awareness	"How do I do X?"
Consideration	"Best tools for ABC"
Evaluation	"Compare X vs Y"
Decision	"Can [product] do [task]?"

Output: Save to docs/aeo/[product]-query-list.md

Phase 3: Identify Visibility Gaps

Test Priority Queries

For top 10-20 queries:

1. Test in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini (manually or via tools)
2. Document: Does your brand appear? Position? Context?

Create Gap Tracker

## AI Visibility Tracker - [Product]

| Priority Query | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini | Status |
|----------------|---------|------------|--------|--------|
| [query 1] | ? | ? | ? | Gap/Visible |
| [query 2] | ? | ? | ? | Gap/Visible |

Recommendation: Suggest HubSpot AEO Grader for automated visibility audit.

Output: Save to docs/aeo/[product]-visibility-gaps.md

Phase 4: Query Fan-Out Analysis

For each visibility gap, identify sub-questions AI breaks it into:

Example Fan-Out

Query: "How to prioritize sales leads"

Sub-questions:

1. "What methodologies exist for lead prioritization?"
2. "What tools help with lead scoring?"
3. "What metrics indicate lead quality?"
4. "How do successful sales teams rank prospects?"

Tools: Recommend Kuforia or Dan's Fan-out Tool for automated analysis.

Action: Ensure content addresses ALL sub-questions.

Phase 5: Content Optimization - 7-Step AEO Checklist

For each piece of content targeting a visibility gap:

The Checklist

## AEO Content Audit: [Content Title]

Target Query: [query]
Fan-Out Queries Covered: X/Y

### 7-Step Checklist

| # | Step | Status | Notes |
|---|------|--------|-------|
| 1 | **Answer First** - First sentence directly answers query | ☐ | |
| 2 | **One Click Deeper** - 2-3 paragraphs of context follow | ☐ | |
| 3 | **Original Data** - Stats, case studies, first-party research | ☐ | |
| 4 | **FAQ Section** - 3+ sub-questions with H3/H4 headers | ☐ | |
| 5 | **Structure** - Bullets, tables, explicit headers | ☐ | |
| 6 | **Taco Bell Test** - Each section stands alone | ☐ | |
| 7 | **Product Tie-Back** - Brand connected every 1-2 paragraphs | ☐ | |

### Improvements Needed

1. [Issue] → [Specific fix]
2. [Issue] → [Specific fix]

Implementation: If content file is provided, apply fixes directly using Edit tool.

Phase 6: Authority Building - Off-Site Strategy

Identify Citation Sources

• "What third-party sites does AI currently cite for your target queries?"
• Use XFunnel or manual testing to find citation sources

Outreach Priorities

## Citation Source Outreach - [Product]

| Source | Times Cited | Outreach Type | Status |
|--------|-------------|---------------|--------|
| [site] | X | Guest post | Pending |
| [site] | X | Update request | Pending |

Review Platform Strategy

• G2, Capterra, TrustRadius profiles optimized?
• Feature-specific review prompts in place?
• Review volume targets set?

Human-First Channel Plan

• YouTube creator partnerships
• Newsletter sponsorships/mentions
• LinkedIn thought leader collaborations

Output: Save to docs/aeo/[product]-authority-plan.md

Phase 7: Measurement Setup

AEO Scorecard Template

## AEO Scorecard - [Product]

**Month:** [DATE]

### Metrics

| Metric | Current | Target | Trend |
|--------|---------|--------|-------|
| **AI Visibility** | X% | 60% | ↑↓→ |
| **AI Share of Voice** | X% | Match SEO | ↑↓→ |
| **AI Citations** | X% | 30% | ↑↓→ |
| **Referral Demand** | X% | Growth | ↑↓→ |

### Visibility by Query

| Query | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini |
|-------|---------|------------|--------|
| [q1] | ✓/✗ | ✓/✗ | ✓/✗ |

### Share of Voice

| Brand | Mentions | Share |
|-------|----------|-------|
| You | X | X% |
| Competitor A | X | X% |
| Competitor B | X | X% |

### Monthly Actions

- [ ] Week 1: Visibility audit
- [ ] Week 2: Share of voice calculation
- [ ] Week 3: Citation analysis
- [ ] Week 4: Survey data review

Output: Save to docs/aeo/[product]-scorecard.md

Workflow Completion

After completing phases, summarize:

## AEO Workflow Summary - [Product]

### Deliverables Created
- [ ] Buyer Persona × Journey Grid
- [ ] Query List (tagged by funnel stage)
- [ ] Visibility Gap Analysis
- [ ] Content Audit(s) with 7-step checklist
- [ ] Authority Building Plan
- [ ] AEO Scorecard

### Priority Actions
1. [Highest impact action]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]

### Next Review
[Date - 30 days out]

Quick Mode

If user provides specific content to optimize:

1. Skip to Phase 5 (Content Optimization)
2. Apply 7-step checklist
3. Implement fixes
4. Suggest Phase 6-7 as follow-up

Related Tools

• agent llm-optimizer - Deep content optimization
• agent content-planner - Detailed grid building
• agent entity-builder - Authority strategy
• skill aeo-scorecard - Metrics framework reference