The Missing Piece of Modern Content

Target Question (AEO): What is Human Experience Optimization (HEO)?

Opening (AEO Answer)

Today, there’s a new question:

How do you become the answer that AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and others choose to recommend?

The answer isn’t to trick AI.

It’s to create content that is so clear, useful, and experience-driven that AI naturally recognizes it as a trustworthy resource.

That’s what Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is really about.

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the practice of structuring and optimizing content so that AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and voice assistants — can easily understand, trust, and cite your brand as a direct answer to user queries.

It represents the evolution of traditional SEO in the AI-first era. SEO concentrated on identifying words and/or phrases (aka keywords) and including them in your articles to get Google to see that you knew what you were talking about with KeyWord#1, KeyWord#2, etc. Some marketers referring to it interchangeably as GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

Learning how to cope with the advent of Large Learning Modules (LLM) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) isn’t about tricking AI. It’s about making your content so clear, useful, and trustworthy that AI systems naturally want to reference it.

LLM is a type of artificial intelligence trained on vast amounts of text that can understand, summarize, and generate human-like language. Prominent examples include ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

AEO refers to the practice of structuring digital content based on the LLM so that AI-powered search engines, chatbots, and voice assistants (like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Siri) can easily find, synthesize, and cite your information.

While traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) aims to drive users to click on a website link from a search results page, AEO focuses on getting your brand’s information surfaced directly inside AI-generated summaries and zero-click answer boxes..

SEO and AEO aren’t enough by themselves.

Why I Created HEO

HEO (Human Experience Optimization) is a novel idea to complement online marketing.

HEO focuses on creating content people enjoy, trust and remember.

When you are new to digital online marketing, it can be overwhelming.

Newbies (New to online marketing) don’t even know what to ask.

It’s kinda like your first day in Algebra class learning how to use letters (A, B, C, a, b, c) to represent numbers!

Crazy idea but after a week of being in Algebra, you’ll learn so much that “first day” question will go away.

and you will have more questions about the oddities of Algebra.

And SEO, AEO and HEO are similar but different in the way they retrieve from and/or present information to the reader.

SEO and AEO are technical solutions that may or may not interest the reader in their present form.

AI can answer questions… But people still buy from people.

That’s why I introduced HEO to my team;

to close the gap and enable the reader to enjoy the Answers from SEO and AEO by providing interesting, fun-to-read information relating to the question they are posing.

SEO Gets You Found

This is a simple explanation. SEO did just that. It had one job.

SEO helps people find your content.

But I mostly recommend you write stories or short ideas about where to find info, or find experts, or give your ideas and give examples that answer questions.

AEO Gets You Recommended

AEO gets you cited by AI when Google gets a question that is not one or two word answers.

AI gets it’s answers (AEO) from it’s LLM.

AEO helps AI understand and recommend your content.

Some of the best way’s I’ve seen is if you use Google Docs for writing your articles, there is an icon at the bottom of the page which will bring up Gemini and issue a “How can I help you improve your article on XYZ title” for instance. I asked on one a couple days ago saying “Did I write enough on each topic?” and Gemini came back immediately with “Can I write you some updates I see are short?” or something like that and almost instantly after I said “yes”, Gemini modifies my doc with cross outs and blue inserts on ones Gemini thought were too short. Pretty good work! So I “accepted” most of them and deleted one or two and had a better document as a result.

HEO Gets You Remembered

HEO (Human Experience Optimization) is a concept that is pretty simple to understand and not too hard to implement.

Unlike SEO and AEO, HEO is not based on a LLM database or a google database (not yet anyway)

HEO is writing to please the reader and make your article understandable and rememberable (not sure that is a real word.)

HEO asks a simple question.

When someone finishes reading your article…how do you want them to feel?

So you need to think about the reader who asked the question and figure out WHY he’s asking to give a good explanation (if you know the answer and were it is).

If it’s in your blog or web page, you could be in luck because once AI sees that and puts it in his LLM as a cited source for the question.

HEO isn’t another algorithm.

It’s a way of thinking about the person reading your words.

Don’t ask, “What keyword should I rank for?”

Ask, “What question can I answer better than anyone else?” and then…

Write a blog article about that question.
Record and upload a video about that question.
Strip the audio from your video and load it up on audio sites and/or your blog
Think of more ways to get seen, read or heard.
Ask the question in google and see what comes up.

~~Then copy it.~~ I read your mind! Don’t do that.

Read and take notes and write your own article around the principles of the answer you saw.

Write or record stories about the information you want to be cited for. Upload to YouTube.

Develop Know, Like and Trust with your readers by emailing them your answers or questions you might have about the topic you want to get cited for.

Develop a GPT with ChatGPT that can take questions and them search or find answers or info about the topic. The more definitive you are, the better your article will be for citing by the LLM/AI.

Conduct conversation in related & knowledgeable groups online. Copy that if it’s in a chat and use it in your article.

Think outside of the box to get as many places that you talk about the question at hand.

Then go do them and write about them (or video or audio)

Story:

I’ve been told numerous times that I was estimated by new friends that I’m in my 50s.

A new golf buddy who was subbing with our group of 4 dropped his club when I told him I was 70.

All four of us laughed our head off and we all bogeyed that hole!

People Remember Stories

Stories are relatable. You remember stories over teaching (unless the teacher tells stories)

Stories develop relationships. I remember when Fred told the story about “Head to Head Traffic”

Oh, I hadn’t mentioned that one? Here it is.

We were driving from VA to NE going through PA a couple months back. I saw a road sign that said “Head to Head Traffic Ahead”

My wife and I laughed like crazy! I’d never seen head-to-head traffic in any context except maybe with bullfighting or something.

We kept seeing that quote come up and decided the real meaning must have been when one side of the road was blocked for construction and you or the other side got diverted to the opposite side (we were on a divided highway interstate) so there was no median to divide you. Even though you were not going “Head to Head” it was closer than before.

More laughs every time we saw that sign.

Why did I tell you that story? Stories build relationships. It’s something to keep you reading and a funny story to help you remember where you read it (or saw it or listened to it).

Stories don’t have to be long. As a family we tell stories about ourselves or each other or Aunt so-and-so or Uncle Benny.

That reminds me of my Mom answering our question in the car one day. We were in the 6 – 10 age range; can’t recall exactly. Mom was saying how God created everyone with a purpose for being on this earth. And my sister popped immediately up with “What about Uncle Benny?” she said. Mom quickly came back with “Well, everyone has to have a bad example here on earth and that’s why Uncle Benny was here” She likely had that question in her head for a long time!

Now, will you remember the laugh you got here.

Tell some stories.
Boring stories.
Short stories.
Rememberable stories
Funny stories
About life
About family
About work
About sports

I could go on and on.

Some stories may relate to a good thing like how to remember what HEO is about in my case.

AI Organizes Information. Experience Gives It Credibility.

Two things to learn here.

Don’t limit AI to menial tasks.
Teach your AI what your Goals are first

Then work with AI to develop the first part of the architecture you plan to build.

Lay out subject lines
Lay out develop times
Divide work, between you and AI
1. I have my AI give me templates to work from
2. Headline & subHeadline
Paragraph titles
Then I take those and put my experience and learning in
Then AI gets it back for review.

Remember, AI works at lightening speed. and can review your work at the same speed.

Lesson Learned: Don’t feel rushed in reviewing AI work to make sure it meets your standards and expectation.

AI summarizes and organizes quickly and logically. I rarely have comments on those and if I do, I tell the AI WHY. And he will comply.

Remember you are in charge of your project. and You are the only one that can provide the humans experience.

There are lots of people who look to you for guidance and next steps.

I would rather have new or slightly experienced marketers to work with than very experienced ones. They are harder to train!!!

How to Practice Human Experience Optimization

Know your audience. Converse with them via email. Ask for responses just like a CTA (Call to Action)
Know their problems. Again, ask and you shall receive.
Solve one problem. Just tackle one a week to get started. Once you build up and Asset to take care of that one problem, roll it out
Roll it out: EMail, YouTube (ask AI to give you a 5 minute template from your solution Asset. Strip video to get just the audio. Develop support graphics. Make a lead magnet.
Tell one story per email.
Write conversationally.
Leave people encouraged.

The Future of Content

Technology changes.

Avoid the shiny object syndrome. They come out daily and can overwhelm you.

Ask your AI for guidance.

AI is probably learning faster than you are. That’s okay. Your job isn’t to learn everything. It’s to learn what helps your business.

Should I buy this PLR? Should I write another article on xyz?

Develop a marketing home where folks can find you. We use and recommend the Profit Hub System.

Relationships don’t.

Build relationships with your prospects

Your prospect list is your most important asset.

The buyers will soon come out.

Treat them with respect

AI changes fast.

AI has a lot of potential.

Be careful how much you bite off.

Start with things you know and just “haven’t had time for”.

We all get in that circus of life that never seems to stop wanting more of your time.

Trust doesn’t change.

Build to establish know, like and trust from your prospects.

Teach, understand, listen, & solve problems.

Keep things Simple.

Don’t try to learn all the technology.

If there is new technology, someone will develop training to teach you how to use it effectively.

I bought a whole domain for this Simplicity topic. It’s one my core principles.

EMail is the glue that will keep the elements of your marketing solidly in place.

I feel like I have this tattooed on my forehead it’s so important

Guard your email list with your life.

Use one email system. I recommend LeadsLeap for that.

Lessons Learned

SEO gets people to your content.
AEO helps AI understand your content.
HEO helps people remember you.
Relationships still matter.
Your Email list is your most valuable asset

Common Questions About HEO

What is Human Experience Optimization (HEO)?

HEO is the practice of creating content that helps people feel understood, builds trust, and leaves them encouraged not just informed.

While SEO helps people find your content and AEO helps AI recommend it, HEO focuses on the human experience after they arrive.

Why isn’t SEO enough anymore?

SEO is still important because it helps people discover your content. But getting found is only the first step.

Once someone starts reading, your words, stories, and experience determine whether they stay, trust you, and come back.

How is HEO different from AEO?

AEO helps AI understand your content.

HEO helps people connect with your content.

Both matter.

Can I use SEO, AEO, and HEO together?

Absolutely.

In fact, that’s exactly what I recommend.

SEO gets you found.
AEO gets you recommended.
HEO gets you remembered.

Does HEO replace SEO?

No.

HEO complements SEO and AEO.

Think of them as three parts of the same strategy instead of competing ideas.

Related AIAssetMan Principles

Principle #1

Build Assets.
Build Relationships.
Build Trust.

Principle #2

AI Organizes Information.
Experience Gives It Credibility.

Principle #3

Teach Your AI to Become a Collaborator, Not Just a Tool.
SEO gets you found.
AEO gets you recommended.
HEO gets you remembered.

Calls To Action

Read the Principles.

Internal Links

Last Updated: July 2026 – FVR

🟢Human Experience Optimization (HEO)🟢