The Dave Gerhardt Show — Detailed Episode Summary

Episode Title: How Marketing Leaders Are Thinking About AEO
Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Dave Gerhardt (Founder, Exit Five, ex-CMO)
Guests:

• Marcie Comer (CMO, Eagle View)
• Claire Schmidt (Head of Marketing & Comms, Piedmont Global)
• Dave Steer (CMO, Webflow)

Overview

This episode dives into the evolving world of AEO—Answer Engine Optimization—and how top B2B marketing leaders are approaching the intersection of AI and SEO amid rapidly shifting buyer behaviors and technology. Host Dave Gerhardt brings together leaders from three distinct companies to offer real tactics, tools, and strategies they’ve deployed, moving past the hype and panic of AI to practical, actionable marketing playbooks.

Core theme:
Marketing isn’t just for humans anymore—you’re now writing for both people and AI-driven large language models (LLMs). The guests share what they’ve learned over the past year, tactical advice for integrating AEO, and whether basic marketing truths still hold.

Segment 1: Panel Introductions and State of AI in Marketing

Starts 05:35

Key Points

• Marketers are all using AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini), but most only use it for "thinking," not actual execution.
• AI and AEO have gone mainstream—marketers must now cater to both human and LLM audiences.
• Teams feel overwhelmed by "AI slop" (low-value AI-generated content) and pressure to integrate AI, but actionable guidance is hard to find.

Notable Quotes

• “All I can see is Claude code. Right now that’s just my answer to any problem in life is just Claude code...But separate from that, it’s AI AI and SEO aeo.” — Dave Gerhardt (03:19)
• “We bring on subject matter experts to go deep...we want to take you beyond the hype. We want to help you separate the signal from the noise...” — Dave Gerhardt (03:43)

Segment 2: How Leading Marketers Are Tackling AEO

Starts 09:00

Dave Steer (Webflow)

• Marketers must approach AEO "integrated," with cross-functional channel strategy; silos are the enemy.
• The tech is changing, but core marketing principles—full funnel thinking—remain.
• Data is everywhere; pick a North Star metric and use the rest as telemetry.

Quote:

• "The tools are changing, but the principles of marketing are the same. Some people say the funnel is dead; I think the funnel is a really great framework." — Dave Steer (11:14)

Marcie Comer (Eagle View)

• Met with their SEO agency to make an actual plan for AEO—asked what needs to change, which tools to deploy.
• Found that LLM-driven traffic is not a top channel (yet), but converts at much higher rates—very qualified.
• Focused first on mapping out top prompts buyers use, tracking those positions, and finding tools to measure them.
• Black hat vs. white hat AEO tactics: standard is building valuable blog content addressing prompts; black hat includes paying for favorable third-party mentions on Reddit or sponsoring listicles.

Quote:

• “Much of the same work that we were doing for SEO applied for AEO...what we should focus on was not just driving traffic, but making sure that we were represented appropriately.” — Marcie Comer (13:56)

Claire Schmidt (Piedmont Global)

• Came to AEO focus slightly later, after a company rebrand.
• Stressed not panicking: “The principles haven’t changed as much as the surface has.”
• Doubled-down on content structure: FAQs, TLDRs, comparison pages, clarity and recency of information.
• Content must be useful, structured, and easy for both people and AIs to understand.

Quote:

• "Going back to the basics, making sure our content is useful, making sure we’re answering those questions our ICP are asking..." — Claire Schmidt (18:04)

Segment 3: Tools & Tech Stack for AEO

Starts 21:21

Observations

• Tools in use include: Peak AI (PECAI), Scrunch, Ahrefs, Semrush, and Profound. All are early-stage for true AEO tracking.
• Tracking actual LLM visibility is hard—tools are "nascent" and attribution is not perfect, but visibility and accuracy matter.
• Agency recommendations (e.g., Vario, Graphite). Some use consultants (e.g., Jess Joyce) for hands-on mentorship and technical gut-checks.
• Don’t let perfect attribution become the enemy of progress.

Quote:

• “These tools are very nascent...so we cannot fixate on the numbers...report to the board what you’re seeing, but do your due diligence as a marketer and make sure we’re providing accurate answers and positioning your brand for success.” — Marcie Comer (21:39)

Segment 4: Content Strategy for AEO

Starts 29:22

Key Tactics

• Map SEO keyword strategy > derive possible prompts > create content clusters that address all permutations prospects may ask.
• Update pillar/evergreen posts regularly for recency.
• Use third-party citations as key differentiators—third-party validation heavily influences LLM outputs.
• Structure is critical: FAQs, TLDRs, and comparison content should appear not only on blogs/resources but also on product/service pages.

Practical Steps

• Use customer and sales call data to define real prompts—AI tools can help aggregate themes across dozens of calls.
• Build in the open: encourage subject matter experts and staff to share learnings on social and community channels.
• Document content plans six months at a time, spanning all funnel stages.

Quote:

• “If multiple sources are saying this in the same way, it must be true. The LLM is going to push this to the top.” — Marcie Comer (34:15)
• “Having those accordion-style FAQs, some of it does feel like I did this back in like 2010, but it’s those same things...useful, structured, answer questions the way the ICP asks.” — Claire Schmidt (17:24, paraphrased)

Segment 5: The Return and New Role of PR

Starts 37:05

Discussion

• Long-form PR (multi-page, information-dense releases) is back—helpful for both Google and LLM citation.
• Press releases now act as prompts for LLMs: more recency, more citations, more coverage—even as journalism shrinks.
• PR is evolving: it now includes media, influencer, and social community management.
• Internal PR is also emphasized: arming staff to “spread the gospel” as brand ambassadors.
• Press releases are also powerful internally for clarifying product value and messaging.

Quote:

• “I write a lot of press releases to help our company understand what our product is and the value...a clarification methodology for our company.”—Marcie Comer (43:56)

Segment 6: Rapid Fire Q&A: Real-World AEO Advice

Starts 44:52

1. Can a startup with limited resources tackle AEO?

   • Focus first on positioning, messaging, and “helpful” content. Don’t obsess over the AI tools or AEO-specific tactics until the marketing foundation is solid.
   • “I would not be worrying about AI in terms of AEO. I’d be worrying about understanding my positioning and messaging, and the AEO will follow.” — Marcie Comer (45:17)

2. Structuring product/service web pages for AEO:

   • Add TLDR/key takeaways, FAQs (mirroring real buyer questions), and comparison content. Use legal review as needed.

3. How are teams currently tracking AI search?

   • Tools: Semrush, Ahrefs (AI brand radar tools), Peak AI, Profound. Conversion rates and attributions are imperfect but helpful.

Memorable Moments & Audience Engagement

• Recurrent jokes about “not a webinar,” green M&Ms, and PR Newswire set a candid, relatable tone.
• Panelists openly admitted struggles and learning curves—“I feel behind the 8 ball a little…”
• Real talk about “AI slop”—low value content increases noise, raising the bar for authentic, specific, useful material.
• Audience Q&A zeroed in on tactical detail, pressing for specifics and real-world numbers.

Takeaway Principles

• Marketing Principles > Tactics: Technology shifts, but principles like helpfulness, clarity, and customer obsession still win.
• AEO is Search Marketing 2.0: Don’t get lost in acronyms—if you’ve got great positioning, answer prospects’ real questions, and build authority, you’re already ahead.
• PR, Content, Social = Blended: All drive citations, coverage, and authority—internally and externally.
• Most AEO Traffic is Tiny(For Now), But Very High Intent: Early adopter traffic converts far higher, setting up long-term brand wins.
• Use Tools, But Don’t Worship Them: Attribution is a work in progress—stay focused on customer value, keep iterating.

Recommended Tools & Resources

• Tracking & Visibility: Peak AI, Profound, Ahrefs, Semrush, Scrunch
• SEO/AEO Agency Partners: Vario, Graphite
• Content Ideation: Analyze sales calls, use Google Trends, AI to extract prompts/themes
• Third Party Guidance: Jess Joyce (consultant)

Best Quotes by Timestamp

• "[We’re] writing for two audiences now, which is humans and LLMs." – Dave Gerhardt (08:56)
• "The principles haven’t changed as much as the surface has." – Claire Schmidt (17:24)
• "Much of the same work that we were doing for SEO applied for AEO." – Marcie Comer (13:56)
• "Press releases are only a part of how you should be investing in PR." – Dave Steer (41:13)
• "Now is the time to be very generous with your content.” – Dave Steer (19:59)
• "AI slop is going to kill deals, kill brand, and kill trust." – Dave Gerhardt (28:00)

Action Checklist for B2B Marketers

• Audit current customer questions: Leverage AI on sales call transcripts and support logs to identify real prompts/topics.
• Prioritize content structure: Include FAQs, TLDRs, comparison tables on all valuable pages.
• Get cited externally: Proactively seed citations via PR, guest posts, and influencer engagement.
• Update evergreen content: Refresh top-performing pieces at least annually for recency.
• Pick and stick to 1-2 tracking tools for visibility—don’t whiplash over minor data variations.
• Educate internal stakeholders: Use PR and internal memos to clarify value props and product messaging.
• Encourage 'building in the open': Make your people visible across LinkedIn/Reddit/social as real subject matter contributors.

For more:
Check out the full session on Exit Five’s site, join the community, and stay tuned for continued deep dives as AEO and AI-powered marketing evolve.