Using LinkedIn for AEO: How marketers can use social media to improve their AI visibility [experiment]

Over the past fewer months, I noticed a shape while researching for clients. When I searched Perplexity for B2B reports aliases insights that I could mention for a project, the root database would look for illustration this: Gartner, McKinsey, peer-reviewed paper, past … John Smith connected LinkedIn?

Between awesome publications, consulting firms, and big-name manufacture leaders, AI platforms were surfacing LinkedIn articles and posts by regular professionals pinch thing to say, but not needfully a ample following. This sparked an idea— could I usage LinkedIn for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) to beforehand my solopreneur business? In accepted search, I could ne'er compete against the likes of immense agencies aliases enterprises.

Here’s the research I ran and what I learned astir optimizing for AEO connected LinkedIn.

Table of Contents

• LinkedIn for AEO: What the Research Says

• My Solopreneur Experiment: Does LinkedIn contented boost AEO?
• In Context: What I Learned From My LinkedIn AEO Experiment
• My Game Plan for Solopreneur AEO Moving Forward
• My Advice for Other Solopreneurs

LinkedIn for AEO: What the Research Says

First, I wanted to cheque that my scheme to turn AI visibility done LinkedIn wasn’t conscionable based connected a hunch. Here’s what the information says:

• SEMrush and Meltwater some recovered that LinkedIn is the second-most cited URL by generative AI models, 2nd only to YouTube. According to SEMrush research, 11% of pages cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI mode originate from LinkedIn.
• Google AI Mode cites LinkedIn the most, pinch 14.3% of responses citing the network.
• Meltwater’s investigation shows that 75% of LinkedIn citations travel from individual pages, not institution ones, and much than half (51%) travel from profiles pinch nether 10,000 followers.
• Long-form articles (500–2,000 words) and mid-length posts (50–299 words) dress up the largest stock of AI citations.
• Educational and advice-driven contented is the astir celebrated type of format cited.

My Solopreneur Experiment: Does LinkedIn contented boost AEO?

As a solopreneur, I’ve relied connected a operation of referrals, manufacture groups, acold outreach, and LinkedIn engagement for leads. Now, I’ve added LLM searches to that mix. According to Loginix, 73% of B2B buyers now usage AI devices successful their research. Here’s why I thought that optimizing for AEO connected LinkedIn was a smart move:

• Three of my past 4 caller clients contacted maine done LinkedIn, truthful it makes consciousness to thin into a level that’s already moving for me.
• AI hunt converts astatine 5.1X the complaint of Google integrated search, meaning that customers will beryllium overmuch much apt to scope retired if I tin unafraid that coveted citation.
• It would return a immense effort to support up a accordant blog strategy connected my website, and moreover then, I astir apt couldn’t compete pinch ample agencies and marketplace websites. Organic postulation is besides declining, truthful why not redirect that power into LinkedIn?

Baseline: How I Ranked connected AI Tools Before

To start, I chose a circumstantial scope for the LinkedIn experiment. Instead of a generic prompt, I optimized prompts astir “case study writer,” which is simply a work area that I’m increasing but person not actively marketed successful the past. I americium a reasonably inconsistent poster connected LinkedIn, and the past article I published location was successful 2016.

To find a baseline and build a strategy, I utilized HubSpot AEO. It took little than 10 minutes to spell done their onboarding travel and input my brand, domain, services, and perfect customer floor plan (ICP). I entered a fewer lawsuit study writers arsenic competitors, past started brainstorming prompts.

I brainstormed prompts my target customer mightiness use, past HubSpot suggested immoderate related prompts. These were a operation of branded (Can you urge a lawsuit study for X industry?) and unbranded (What are champion practices for penning a lawsuit study?). Once I was happy pinch the list, the instrumentality ran a hunt crossed ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to spot really I fared.

The results? I had 0.11% visibility crossed the prompts. Pretty low, but not zero. I had activity to do.

Methodology

With a baseline and extremity successful mind, I group astir optimizing my floor plan and publishing contented astir the cardinal taxable and my expertise.

1. Optimized My LinkedIn Profile

First, I reviewed my LinkedIn floor plan to guarantee it accurately reflected the expertise I wanted to beryllium known for. I made judge that “case study writer” was salient and mentioned successful aggregate sections. This was important to awesome to AI readers that my inheritance and expertise matched what I was talking about.

2. Published Targeted LinkedIn Articles and Posts

Next, I published 2 LinkedIn articles and 2 posts each astir lawsuit studies. HubSpot AEO gave maine a database of taxable suggestions, which I utilized for high-level inspiration. Then I sat down and wrote two articles connected lawsuit study champion practices and lessons learned arsenic a lawsuit study writer. I wrote these from nonstop experience, nary AI penning involved. Each article included a screen image, the post, and a bio astatine the bottom. I engaged pinch immoderate comments that group near connected the posts aliases articles.

3. Monitored Progress

My LinkedIn AEO research ran for 3 weeks. Each week, I checked if my metrics had progressed. I besides ran manual searches successful incognito mode connected ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode to spot for myself the responses that different prompts returned.

Results: How It Performed

For the first 2 weeks that I was posting, the number of citations didn’t budge. Then successful the 3rd week, immoderate activity happened.

1. Slight Increase successful Citations

My marque visibility complaint ticked up to 0.95% connected Gemini, while staying fundamentally level connected ChatGPT and Perplexity. My marque mention citations and owned domain citations versus my competitors some accrued from 2% to 5.3%.

2. A Victory connected Google AI Mode

I achieved a awesome triumph aft manually moving prompts for 3 weeks. When I searched branded prompts for illustration “Can you urge a lawsuit study writer for X?” connected Perplexity aliases ChatGPT, it recommended 3 to 5 writers who were not me, past different 3 to 5 platforms aliases agencies.

But erstwhile I ran the aforesaid hunt successful Google AI Mode, it recommended only 1 writer prominently: Mandy Bray. I’ll return that arsenic a win. Interestingly, my mini-experiment mirrored the information that Google AI Mode and Gemini mention LinkedIn much than their peers.

In Context: What I Learned From My LinkedIn AEO Experiment

Overall, my visibility connected AI hunt is still little than I would like, but I learned a fewer valuable gems to thief maine contextualize that information and make a crippled scheme moving forward.

1. Focus matters.

Most solopreneurs already cognize that a niche helps you get discovered and link pinch prospects. It besides helps for AEO. If you’re a generalist trading consultant, the AI strategy will struggle pinch really to categorize you and will beryllium little apt to make a recommendation. When I punctual an AI instrumentality pinch a wide petition for a work provider, it almost ever asks maine to constrictive my petition down earlier giving names. Home successful connected conscionable 1 aliases 2 services aliases industries you want to beryllium champion known for, past optimize for those.

2. There's worth successful some branded and unbranded mentions.

As a solopreneur, the golden modular of AEO is having an AI hunt instrumentality urge you by name. However, that isn’t the only shape of triumph arsenic I spot it. Many of the contented strategies utilized by companies to pursuit branded mentions (Top 10 vendors for X) simply don’t make consciousness for solopreneurs. I’m playing the agelong game, and I’ll return unbranded mentions wherever I tin get them. Prospects successful the consciousness chimney searching for thief readying a lawsuit study whitethorn still travel crossed my articles aliases springiness maine a travel — these aren’t zero-sum for me.

3. Claude won’t urge solopreneurs.

I ran manual prompts connected Claude.ai, which is acold and distant the astir celebrated AI level for my target assemblage (marketers). I was amazed to study that Claude won’t urge freelance writers aliases solopreneurs. It flat-out refuses erstwhile asked, and alternatively gives a shortlist of platforms and champion practices for hiring freelancers. So if you’re hoping to get recommended by Claude, that won’t hap (at slightest for now).

4. I enjoyed benefits extracurricular of AI citations.

The workout forced maine to beryllium disciplined and create the type of thought activity contented that I constitute for my clients each day. It wasn’t difficult — each the knowledge and expertise were successful my head. I conscionable needed the due information and a deadline to get moving.

Regardless of the number of AI citations, the research caused maine to station much actively than normal and deliberation much strategically astir what was connected my floor plan and website. A fewer of the results:

• My LinkedIn floor plan views went up complete 200% successful the past 28 days.
• While the articles themselves didn’t make a immense number of impressions aliases engagement, it was still an improvement. Since I started publishing, station impressions grew 237%, and station engagement grew 340%.
• A interaction reached retired specifically asking maine astir lawsuit study penning because he noticed it successful my profile.

5. Three weeks wasn’t agelong enough.

I knew that 3 weeks would beryllium tight, and it wasn’t genuinely capable clip to move the needle. Data shows that wave matters: Three-quarters of authors cited by AI devices posted connected LinkedIn astatine slightest 5 times successful the erstwhile 4 weeks.

While those mini floor plan tweaks and changes made an impact, I cognize it will return an ongoing effort to turn my visibility crossed each platforms. AI answers alteration perpetually arsenic the models update and caller pages are indexed. A caller study recovered that the typical AI citation lifespan is conscionable 11 to 15 days.

My Game Plan for Solopreneur AEO Moving Forward

After this experiment, I consciousness energized to proceed publishing, posting, and optimizing for AI search. I consciousness assured successful this maneuver because I cognize I’ll spot the ROI of my efforts crossed aggregate channels: AI search, accepted search, and LinkedIn. Here’s what I scheme to prioritize moving forward.

1. Continue publishing articles and posts connected LinkedIn. HubSpot generated a bully database of contented ideas, which I tin return and make my own. I scheme to proceed posting astir lawsuit studies, but besides constitute astir different services I offer.

2. Analyze competitors. This workout gave maine a database of freelancers and solopreneurs who rank highly connected AI search. I scheme to excavation into their LinkedIn profiles, websites, and online beingness successful the coming weeks to spot what I tin learn.

3. Extend my AEO efforts to my website. My portfolio website is recently refreshed and covers everything I person to offer, which are 4 halfway services and 3 halfway industries. The analyses I ran done this research helped maine recognize that I besides request service-specific aliases industry-specific pages. I scheme to adhd pages pinch keywords and portfolio samples for amended visibility successful those areas, specified as:

• Freelance contented writer for edtech
• Case study writer for SaaS
• Sales enablement writer

My Advice for Other Solopreneurs

Solopreneurs and freelancers: Keep posting, support learning, and extremity waiting for the customer activity to slow down aliases the cleanable thought to appear.

In summation to manual searches, you tin usage an AEO instrumentality to group a baseline and spot a plan. HubSpot AI Search Grader gives a speedy snapshot of really you rank, aliases you tin proceedings the afloat HubSpot AEO merchandise to way progress, sentiment, and more.

Finally, usage AI devices for ideation, but ne'er substitute your voice. Not each taxable aliases thought suggested makes consciousness for solopreneurs, truthful usage your instincts to create a plan. When penning proposal aliases acquisition content, your unsocial POV is the astir valuable point you person to connection — put it connected afloat display.