How HubSpot became the #1 CRM in AI search [A case study]

HubSpot, a leading marketing and sales platform, has successfully optimized its Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) strategy across popular AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. By partnering with XFunnel, an AEO tool, HubSpot measured and improved its visibility on these platforms, resulting in significant increases in citations and brand mentions.

Key highlights of the case study include:

• HubSpot's AEO measurement architecture included top-level "HubSpot" brand containers for overall brand monitoring, as well as dedicated product containers for CRM, Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, Content Hub, Commerce Hub, Data Hub, and Breeze.
• The company measured four core AEO KPIs: answer engine visibility (%), answer engine share of voice (%), answer engine citations, and answer engine citation share (%).
• After analyzing data, HubSpot determined that a successful AEO strategy relies on three pillars:
  1. On-site content optimization
  2. Off-site amplification
  3. Community engagement and forum growth

HubSpot's implementation of these pillars resulted in significant increases in citations and brand mentions across AI-powered platforms:

• Industry-specific content generated 92% citation rates, with a 49% lift in AI visibility.
• FAQ glossary for CRM, Marketing & Sales Terms increased citation share by +60%.
• Optimizing product pages for AEO led to a 56% increase in citations from AI answer engines.

The case study demonstrates the importance of measuring and optimizing AEO strategy across popular AI-powered platforms. By leveraging XFunnel's tools and implementing an effective three-pillar approach, HubSpot was able to improve its visibility and credibility on these platforms, driving significant business results.