What GEO and AEO Look Like in Practice — Real Brands, Real Results
See how leading brands are earning AI citations and generative search visibility through research-backed, expert-vetted content strategies.
You've heard the theory: build authority, stay consistent, sound human, structure for machines. But what does that actually look like when it's working?
Brands earning AI citations and showing up in generative search results aren't doing it by accident. They're following a specific approach—one that prioritizes original research, expert credibility, and content that teaches rather than sells.
At Program 11, we call this Instructional Marketing™. It's content that empowers audiences to learn and act, making it inherently quotable. AI engines reward this approach because it checks every box: authority, consistency, humanity, and machine-readability.
Let's look at how this plays out in practice.
Case Study: How TriNet Earned Both AI Citations and a 200% Traffic Increase
The Challenge
TriNet, a global HR services company, had made a high-profile acquisition and suddenly had multiple product offerings. They needed to clarify what they had and who each product was best for—without confusing existing customers or losing prospective ones.
The question: How do you create content that works for both traditional search engines and AI-powered answer engines?
The Research-First Approach
We started with competitive analysis to find white space in how HR services companies were messaging to decision-makers. Then we conducted qualitative and quantitative audience research to design psychographic personas.
But we didn't stop at demographics. The data-driven personas we created weren't simply defined by company size (the typical B2B approach). They were defined by business "maturity stage."
This single insight transformed everything: how TriNet structured messaging, navigation, and content across their entire site.
Creating Content That's Both Human and Machine-Readable
With clear personas in hand, we developed a content roadmap that spoke directly to each audience segment's specific needs at their specific maturity stage. We designed briefs for main website pages that included:
Clear navigation organized around audience questions
Scannable layouts with proper content hierarchy
Strategic character counts optimized for extraction
Audience insights woven into every page
Then we crafted the copy itself—writing in clear, conversational language while ensuring every page answered real questions decision-makers were asking.
The Results
The newly updated TriNet site saw a 200% increase in visitors within 60 days of launch—traffic from all search engines, traditional and AI-powered.
"Our traffic is more than the sum of the two sites prior. It's performing better than any expectations. You were all so instrumental in it," said the Head of Product Marketing at TriNet.
The content strategy was so successful that we were tapped to produce a suite of persuasive videos that became widely used inbound marketing tools.
Why It Worked for Both SEO and AEO
The TriNet approach hit all four pillars:
Authority: Backed by original audience research that revealed business maturity stages as the key segmentation model—an insight competitors weren't using.
Consistency: Every page spoke to defined personas with aligned messaging. Whether someone landed on the homepage or a product page, the voice and value proposition remained consistent.
Humanity: Content reflected how real decision-makers actually think and what they actually need at different business stages—not generic HR jargon.
Machine Signals: Clear structure with questions as headings, front-loaded insights, and scannable sections made it easy for both traditional search crawlers and AI engines to parse and cite.
The result? TriNet doesn't just rank for keywords. Their content answers the exact questions decision-makers ask at different business maturity stages. That specificity makes it quotable by AI while also driving traditional search traffic.
Read the full TriNet case study →
More Examples: Different Industries, Same Principles
Original Research Creates Citable Insights: Hertz
When Hertz Car Sales wanted to grow direct-to-consumer sales, they faced a fundamental question: Would consumers trust buying a used car from a rental car brand?
We conducted competitive audits, custom surveys with sentiment analysis, and targeted focus groups. The research uncovered relationship opportunity segments that Hertz hadn't previously explored—audiences that were "delightfully targetable in fresh ways."
This wasn't generic market research. It challenged common assumptions about used car buyers and identified specific competitive advantages no one else was talking about. That's the kind of insight AI engines cite: original data that adds something new to the conversation.
Read the full Hertz case study →
Authentic Customer Stories Build Machine-Readable Trust: TimberTech
When AZEK's TimberTech wanted to bring heart into their 2024 brand campaign, we discovered their biggest advocates were their own customers. We sent out an open call and got hundreds of photos, videos, and testimonials from enthusiastic people.
We selected seven customers across multiple states—including two HGTV celebrity influencers—and put them at the center of the campaign. Real people, real projects, real passion.
User-generated content with real names, verifiable profiles, and specific outcomes creates signals AI engines can trust and cite. Generic brand claims get ignored. Documented customer experiences get quoted.
"SEO used to be about playing the system. Now it's about proving you deserve to be trusted," says Jenna Briand, Co-Founder and Head of Creative at Program 11. "Strategy isn't just ranking higher – it's showing up as the brand worth quoting."
Read the full TimberTech case study →
The Pattern: What These Examples Have in Common
All three brands followed the same approach:
Original research that uncovers what actually matters to audiences
Specific, verifiable insights rather than generic advice
Human-centered content that reflects real experiences
Clear structure organized around how people think, not just what they search
None of these brands are gaming the system. They're earning trust by being genuinely useful and demonstrably credible. That's what both traditional SEO and AI-powered GEO/AEO reward.
Your Turn: The GEO + AEO Audit
Want to know if your content is ready for AI discovery? Run through this quick checklist:
Authority Signals:
Do we publish original data others can cite?
Are experts or customers named with real credentials or outcomes?
Can we trace claims to primary sources or verifiable evidence?
Consistency Signals:
Does our brand sound the same across all channels?
Are core messages aligned everywhere?
Would someone recognize our voice without our logo?
Humanity Signals:
Does our content take a clear stance based on real experience?
Do we feature real people with specific stories?
Would it feel natural if quoted directly?
Machine Signals:
Do headings answer real questions?
Are key insights front-loaded?
Can AI accurately summarize our main point?
If you're checking most boxes, you're ahead of the curve. If not, you know exactly where to focus.
What This Means for Your Brand
GEO and AEO are happening right now. Brands with genuine expertise and authentic customer relationships are being cited by AI engines, showing up in generative search results, and earning trust at scale.
The brands that win won't be the ones creating the most content. They'll be the ones creating the most credible content—research-backed, customer-validated, human-centered, and structured for discovery.
The question is whether AI will quote you.
Want the complete framework, audit checklist, and strategic guidance? Download the full white paper: Stop Chasing Page One and Start Being Real: How to Stay Visible and Trusted in the Age of AI Search