Right now, increasingly more patrons are starting their journey with an AI-search. They might ask ChatGPT to match merchandise or use an AI-powered platform like Perplexity. Or, they’re simply Googling an providing and studying the AI Overview, all with out clicking a hyperlink.
HubSpot realized that our patrons have been shifting from serps to reply engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity — however we had no dependable method to measure AI visibility and perceive whether or not our AEO performs have been working.
So, in June 2025, the HubSpot Advertising and marketing group began working with XFunnel, an AEO software that allowed us to measure and optimize our AI visibility throughout ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and extra. Here is what we realized.
Desk of Contents
The Outcomes of HubSpot’s AEO Technique
- HubSpot is the #1 most seen CRM
- We noticed an 1,850% enhance in certified leads from AI
- Leads from AEO transformed at 3x the speed of different sources
- We elevated citations by 433%
Constructing Our AEO Measurement System
Defining the Purchaser’s Journey Throughout Reply Engines for Immediate Monitoring
The primary query we would have liked to reply was: When a possible buyer asks a solution engine about an issue our merchandise clear up, is HubSpot within the reply? To seek out out, we outlined the client’s journey throughout reply engines:
Product-Led AEO
We arrange XFunnel containers for every product line.
The AEO measurement structure included:
- High-level “HubSpot” model container for total model monitoring
- Eight devoted product containers: CRM, Advertising and marketing Hub, Gross sales Hub, Service Hub, Content material Hub, Commerce Hub, Information Hub, and Breeze
- Characteristic-specific views inside every product container (instance: “E-mail Automation” inside Advertising and marketing Hub)
This construction meant sub-teams might run experiments, monitor enhancements, and optimize for his or her particular product’s AEO efficiency, whereas giving us a hen’s eye view throughout our whole AEO technique.
AEO KPIs We Measure
As soon as we had outlined the prompts, we might see and begin to enhance our 4 core AEO KPIs:
- Reply engine visibility (%): how typically HubSpot seems for goal queries.
- Reply engine share of voice (%): how typically HubSpot seems for those self same queries relative to opponents.
- Reply engine citations: how typically HubSpot pages are cited as a supply in AI solutions.
- Reply engine quotation share (%): how typically HubSpot’s pages are cited for these queries relative to our opponents.
How We Constructed Our Three-Pillar AEO Technique
After analyzing the information, we decided {that a} profitable AEO technique depends on:
- AEO-friendly content material by yourself web site with all the data you want reply engines to have about your online business and its merchandise.
- A robust exterior presence throughout the important thing sources that reply engines are coaching and pulling info from.
We used this basis to construct a three-pillar technique:
- On-site content material optimization.
- Off-site amplification.
- Neighborhood engagement and discussion board development.
Pillar 1: On-site content material optimization
Our AI visibility scores have been sturdy from the soar, however Xfunnel confirmed our quotation scores have been weak. Reply engines weren’t typically referencing the pages on HubSpot’s web site. Model consciousness is the precedence, however being cited will increase the probability of influencing the reply (and driving direct visitors from AI).
After our Progress group analyzed the Xfunnel knowledge, we realized we would have liked extra ultra-specific content material to match the hyper-personalized solutions that AI generates for customers.
When reply engines obtained shopping for questions or business match assessments, they struggled to floor HubSpot content material worthy of quotation. We wanted to create content material tailor-made to our key purchaser personas.
“Will HubSpot work for my enterprise?” Personalization comes all the way down to having the ability to reply this query.
Trade-Particular Content material
Many prospects need to perceive if an answer is true for their business. We created business options pages at scale utilizing an AI content material system. We used AI to generate the content material from HubSpot’s library of case research and reviewed it with people earlier than it went reside.
As a result of we all know AI likes structured knowledge, we used Breadcrumb and FAQ schema on these business options pages.
92% ended up being cited by reply engines, producing a 49% raise in AI visibility.
We additionally revealed software program comparability articles for goal industries (e.g., “5 greatest CRMs for building companies“). We noticed a 642% enhance in citations for these posts and 58% enhance in total mentions.
FAQ Glossary for CRM, Advertising and marketing & Gross sales Phrases
Our group additionally found HubSpot wasn’t showing sufficient within the “Downside Exploration” stage of the client’s journey. We launched an FAQ glossary protecting top-of-funnel phrases like “what’s advertising automation?” and “how does lead scoring work?” Every web page includes a concise definition, frequent associated questions, and hyperlinks to HubSpot options. Reply engines often pull from definition content material, and proudly owning these phrases means being a part of the primary reply a prospect will get.
Because of this, quotation share for associated prompts elevated by +60%. Model visibility for awareness-stage prompts elevated +35 proportion factors when the glossary was cited.
Optimizing Product Pages for AEO
We up to date product function pages to higher match how reply engines truly perceive and retrieve content material: including FAQs, rewriting headlines to deal with frequent purchaser questions, and bettering formatting with tables and lists. We additionally added structured knowledge to assist reply engines learn and categorize the pages extra simply.
The consequence: a 56% enhance in citations from AI reply engines, and an enchancment in common rating place from 1.5 to 1.
Pillar 2: Off-site amplification
Our AEO benchmarks revealed third-party content material formed AI solutions about HubSpot’s merchandise. We wanted to construct HubSpot’s presence throughout the third-party ecosystem.
Utilizing XFunnel knowledge, our partnership group recognized publishers already successful citations however not but mentioning HubSpot. We gave companions AEO suggestions and templates so they may create answer-engine-friendly content material and win much more citations.
We scaled this system quickly. By the top of 2025, we’d partnered with a whole lot of internet sites internationally, producing almost a thousand new pages and incomes a whole lot of 1000’s of latest AI citations — all with HubSpot talked about.
Pillar 3: Discussion board development
XFunnel benchmarks confirmed Reddit was one of the cited sources for our tracked prompts.
Utilizing XFunnel, we constructed always-on Reddit quotation monitoring into our reporting, figuring out high-impact subreddits and HubSpot point out gaps on a weekly foundation. We then requested HubSpot neighborhood advocates to submit content material addressing a number of the high purchaser questions.
After XFunnel benchmarks revealed DE and FR markets had vital Reddit quotation development however zero HubSpot mentions, we launched localized campaigns. Inside one month, HubSpot’s point out charge went from 0% to 33.5% in FR and 17.1% in DE.
Reddit-driven citations grew from 178 (Could 2025) to 146K (December 2025).
All the pieces on this case research began with a single query: When patrons requested AI, was HubSpot a solution? Earlier than we might optimize something, we needed to perceive which prompts mattered, the place we appeared, who was being cited, and the place the gaps have been.
The measurement got here first. The technique adopted.
That functionality is now out there in HubSpot. With our AEO instruments, you will get real-time visibility into how your model seems throughout reply engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
- Monitor the prompts your patrons are doubtless utilizing
- Benchmark your visibility in opposition to opponents
- Analyze which sources are driving reply engine citations
All of these insights energy prioritized suggestions — constructed on the profitable AEO ways our group has piloted — so you recognize what to enhance and might begin appearing on it instantly.
And in case you’re utilizing AEO inside Advertising and marketing Hub Professional or Enterprise, you get CRM-powered immediate solutions so your monitoring is knowledgeable by your online business context from day one, not constructed from scratch.
