GEO & AEO
How Zetwerk Increased AI Traffic by 2,217% in 9 Months with Strategic GEO & AEO
About Project:
In an era where AI-powered search is reshaping how buyers discover solutions, Zetwerk partnered with Qoulomb to transform its digital presence through strategic AI Engine Optimization (AEO).
Purpose:
Demonstrate how optimizing for AI traffic sources (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews) dramatically increased visibility and qualified traffic for Zetwerk.
Timeframe: January to October 2025 (9 months)
Key Results
- +2,217% growth in AI referral traffic (267 → 6,187 sessions)
- AI traffic share increased from 0.5% to 8.2% of total website traffic
- +252.9% increase in keywords appearing in AI Overviews (340 → 1,200 keywords)
- +41.3% overall traffic growth (53,400 → 75,450 total sessions)
- AI became the 4th largest traffic source, surpassing social media and traditional referrals
Background & Challenge
About Zetwerk
Zetwerk is a manufacturing unicorn with GMV crossing $2 billion, operating a global business-to-business (B2B) manufacturing network. The company wanted to expand its presence among enterprise buyers in the US and Europe, specifically targeting CXO, CXO-1, and CXO-2 level executives in procurement and supply chain functions.
The Challenge
Despite being a market leader in manufacturing solutions, Zetwerk faced three critical challenges in early 2025:
Limited Organic Visibility
While the company had solid SEO fundamentals (Authority Score: 37), organic traffic growth had plateaued at 37.4K monthly visits.
Minimal AI-Driven Traffic
Only 267 monthly sessions (0.5%) came from AI platforms—a missed opportunity as enterprise decision-makers increasingly relied on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools for research.
Emerging AI Search Landscape
With the rapid adoption of AI Overviews in Google Search and standalone AI platforms, Zetwerk risked becoming invisible to a new generation of B2B buyers who bypass traditional search entirely.
The Stakes
Enterprise procurement professionals were asking AI tools questions like “best contract manufacturing companies in India” and “CNC machining services for aerospace”—and Zetwerk wasn’t showing up in the answers.
Initial Traffic Analysis
Data Sources
Our analysis leveraged Semrush for SEO metrics and Google Analytics for traffic source attribution to establish a comprehensive baseline.
January 2025
Semrush Domain Metrics:
- Authority Score: 37
- Organic Search Traffic: 37,400 visits/month
- Keywords: 17,800
- Backlinks: 8.9K
- Referring Domains: 1.5K
- Traffic Share: 5%
- Domain Rank: 298K
AI Visibility Metrics:
- Keywords in AI Overviews (Indian Market): 340 keywords generating 1.1K traffic
- Keywords in SERP Features (US Market): 1.8K keywords generating 620 visits
- Total AI referral sessions: 267 (0.5% of total traffic)
Scaling the SEO
Traffic Source Breakdown (Google Analytics):
Total Sessions: 53,400
Google Organic: 37,400 (70.04%)
Direct: 11,920 (22.32%)
ChatGPT referrals: 160 (0.30%)
Perplexity referrals: 80 (0.15%)
Claude referrals: 27 (0.05%)
Other sources: 3,813 (7.14%)
Key Observations
Heavy Google Dependency
70% of traffic came from traditional Google search, creating vulnerability to algorithm changes.
Embryonic AI Presence
With only 267 AI-sourced sessions, Zetwerk was practically invisible in the emerging AI search ecosystem.
Untapped Potential
Top manufacturing keywords had search volumes exceeding 50K monthly—but AI tools weren't citing Zetwerk as a authoritative source.
Competitive Gap
Analysis revealed competitors were already appearing in 3-5x more AI responses, capturing early-mover advantage.
Optimization Strategy
Objective
Boost visibility and credibility in AI-driven environments (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews) by aligning technical infrastructure, on-site content, and off-site authority signals with Large Language Model (LLM) discovery patterns.
Technical Setup: Making Content AI-Accessible
To ensure AI crawlers could access, interpret, and confidently surface Zetwerk's content, we implemented:
1. AI Crawler Enablement
Whitelisted GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and Google-Extended in robots.txt
Configured proper user-agent handling to ensure AI systems could index content
Monitored crawler activity through server logs to verify successful access
Structured Data Implementation
Deployed comprehensive JSON-LD schema markup across the site:
Article schema for blog posts and knowledge content
FAQPage schema for Q&A sections
HowTo schema for process guides
Product schema for service offerings
Breadcrumb schema for site architecture clarity
This structured data acts as "instructions" for AI systems, helping them understand content context and relationships
Content Freshness Signals
Added last-modified headers to all pages
Refreshed and resubmitted XML sitemaps
Implemented automatic sitemap updates for new content
These signals tell AI systems that information is current and reliable
Text Accessibility Optimization
Converted embedded text in images to HTML-based content
Replaced screenshot-based tables with actual HTML tables
Added proper alt text with descriptive, keyword-rich language
Ensured all critical information was crawlable and extractable
Content On-Site: Restructuring for LLM Readability
AI systems "read" content differently than humans. We restructured Zetwerk's content architecture to match AI comprehension patterns:
Intent-Specific Page Creation Created targeted pages aligned with specific buyer queries
Contract Manufacturing Services in India
CNC Machining Capabilities and Certifications
Supply Chain Solutions for Enterprise Buyers
Each page answered specific questions AI tools frequently encounter
AI-Optimized Content Structure Rewrote existing content following the "Answer-First" framework
Opening Summary: 2-3 sentence overview providing immediate, quotable answers
Bullet-Point Highlights: Key facts presented in scannable format
"Key Takeaway" Boxes: Digestible summaries ideal for AI extraction
Clear Hierarchies: H2/H3 headings that signal information architecture
Quantifiable Specifics: Replaced vague claims like "seamless experience" with concrete metrics ("99.2% on-time delivery rate")
Central FAQ Hub
Built comprehensive FAQ section addressing real customer queries
Implemented FAQPage schema for enhanced AI discoverability
Structured answers in natural, conversational language
Each FAQ designed to be "quote-ready" for AI responses
Unified Brand Messaging
Standardized key phrases across homepage, product pages, and knowledge content
Created consistent definitions for technical terms
Ensured AI systems would encounter reinforced, coherent messaging across touchpoints
Example Transformation:
Before: “Zetwerk offers seamless manufacturing solutions with a focus on quality.”
After: “Zetwerk operates a network of 1,500+ verified manufacturers across India, delivering precision-engineered components with a 99.2% on-time delivery rate and ISO 9001:2015 certification. The platform serves 2,000+ enterprise clients including Fortune 500 companies.”
Content Beyond the Site: Building AI Citations
AI systems learn from the entire internet, not just your website. We implemented an aggressive citation-building strategy
High-Authority Outreach Campaign Earned mentions from AI-cited sources
- Industry publications (Manufacturing Today, Supply Chain Digital)
- Technology review sites (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius)
- Business directories (Crunchbase, LinkedIn, AngelList)
- Trade association websites and industry reports
- News outlets covering manufacturing and supply chain
AI Sourcing Analysis
Reverse-engineered where ChatGPT and Perplexity sourced information for manufacturing queries
Identified 50+ "AI-cited sources" in Zetwerk's industry
Compiled prioritized outreach list based on citation frequency
Strategic Partnerships
Guest articles on platforms AI systems frequently reference
Expert quotes in industry reports
Participation in manufacturing podcasts and webinars
Speaking engagements at trade conferences (with published proceedings)
Citation-First Mindset Focused on earning mentions and citations, not just backlinks:
Recognized that LLMs learn from contextual references, even without direct links
Prioritized being quoted, mentioned, and discussed across the web
Built authority through consistent, accurate information presence
Strategic Integration: AI Overview Optimization
Leveraged advanced AI Overview best practices
Answer-Style Content Architecture Used the Clarity + Reasoning formula:
- Structure: Organized information in logical, hierarchical formats
- Explain: Provided context and rationale, not just facts
- Show Evidence: Backed claims with data, certifications, and case studies
Quote-Ready Content Design Every optimized page included:
Self-contained statements (AI-extractable without additional context)
Factual, verifiable claims with supporting evidence
Natural language that reads well when quoted out of context
Proper attribution for statistics and claims
Multi-Format Content Created diverse content types to match various AI use cases:
Comparison tables ("Zetwerk vs. Traditional Manufacturing")
Process guides ("How Contract Manufacturing Works")
Decision frameworks ("Choosing a Manufacturing Partner: 7 Criteria")
Data-driven insights ("Indian Manufacturing Cost Analysis 2025")
Implementation & Timeline
Phase 1: Foundation (January - March 2025)
Technical infrastructure updates
AI crawler enablement
Structured data implementation
Content audit and planning
Phase 2: Content Transformation (March - June 2025)
Rewrote 50+ key pages for AI readability
Built central FAQ hub
Created 15 new intent-specific pages
Launched citation-building outreach
Phase 3: Scale & Optimize (June - October 2025)
Expanded content library
Monitored AI citation patterns
Refined messaging based on AI response analysis
Continued authority-building initiatives
Results & Insights
October 2025: The Transformation
Authority Score
37 → 40
(+8.1%)
Organic Search Traffic
37.4K → 41.5K
(+11.0%)
Keywords
17,800 → 20,600
(+15.7%, +2,800 keywords)
Backlinks
8.9K → 9.9K
(+11.2%)
Referring Domains
1.5K → 1.6K
(+6.7%)
Traffic Share
5% → 6%
(+20%)
Domain Rank:
298K → 264K
(+11.4% improvement)
AI Visibility Explosion:
Keywords in AI Overviews (Indian Market)
340 → 1,200
(+252.9%)
Traffic from AI Overviews
1.1K → 4.1K
(+272.7%)
Keywords in SERP Features (US)
1.8K → 4.1K
(+127.8%)
Traffic from US SERP Features
620 → 1,800
(+190.3%)
Google Analytics - Traffic Source Transformation:
Testimonial
‘With Zetwerk, I collaborated closely with Qoulomb, witnessing their exceptional talent in content creation and SEO strategy. Their innovative approaches consistently resonated with our audience, delivered with meticulous execution. I enthusiastically recommend Qoulomb for any SEO or Content project, given their dedication and proven track record.’
Gopal Krishna
Head of Marketing & Sales - NAB Unit Zetwerk
Key Achievements
AI traffic became the 4th largest traffic source, surpassing LinkedIn, social media, and traditional referrals
8.2% of all traffic now comes from AI platforms—a 16x increase in AI traffic share
1,200 keywords now appear in AI Overviews—meaning Zetwerk is cited when enterprise buyers ask AI tools about manufacturing solutions
+5,920 new monthly sessions from AI sources—qualified traffic from decision-makers actively researching solutions
92% increase in direct traffic—indicating improved brand awareness from AI mentions
ChatGPT is now the 4th largest traffic source—ahead of LinkedIn and social platforms
Business Impact
Qualified Lead Generation:
- AI-sourced traffic demonstrates 2.3x higher engagement than average (based on time-on-site and pages per session)
- Enterprise buyers discovering Zetwerk through AI tools spend 40% more time on high-intent pages
- Estimated 18-25 additional qualified leads per month from AI referrals
Brand Authority:
- Zetwerk now cited as an authority in 203+ AI responses (vs. 6 in January)
Competitive Positioning:
- Achieved parity with early-mover competitors in AI visibility
- Established foundation for continued AI search dominance
Make Your Brand AEO-Ready
Want your brand to show up in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity results—not just Google?
The enterprise buyers discovering Zetwerk through AI tools today could be discovering your company tomorrow.
What Qoulomb Can Do for You:
- AI Visibility Audit: Understand where you appear (or don’t appear) in AI responses
- Technical AEO Setup: Enable AI crawlers and implement AI-friendly infrastructure
- Content Optimization: Transform your content for maximum AI citation potential
- Citation Building: Earn mentions from AI-cited sources in your industry
- Ongoing Monitoring: Track AI visibility metrics and refine strategy continuously
The window for early-mover advantage is closing fast.
Contact Qoulomb today to build your AI Engine Optimization strategy and own your space in the next generation of search.
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