How Clemson University Achieved 91% AI Visibility with AEO Content Strategy
About Clemson University
- Headquarters
- Clemson, SC
- Company Size
- 5,000
- Industry
- Education
The challenge
Clemson University identified a significant gap in their digital presence: prospective students were searching for "Clemson acceptance rate " with 33.1K monthly search volume, but the university wasn't providing this critical information on their website. Instead, third-party college aggregate sites like PrepScholar were capturing this high-intent traffic and serving as the primary information source for prospective applicants.
The marketing team needed to reclaim this valuable search visibility and ensure Clemson controlled the narrative around their admissions information. With the rise of AI Overviews (AIO), generative engine optimization (GEO), and answer engine optimization (AEO), it was crucial to optimize content for AI-powered search experiences like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The solution
Using Conductor's enterprise AEO platform, Lainey Graham, Senior Executive Director of Marketing, and her team implemented a comprehensive, AI-visibility-focused content strategy:
- AI-powered keyword & topic research: The team used Conductor's Keyword Research feature to validate search demand and identify the opportunity around "Clemson acceptance rate."
- Strategic content planning: They leveraged Conductor Creator to understand what information needed to be included to satisfy search intent and rank in both traditional search results and AI-generated answers.
- AI-assisted content creation: Using Conductor's Writing Assistant, the team revamped an existing page, incorporating the acceptance rate statistic alongside relevant contextual information about the types of applicants Clemson admits. The Writing Assistant helped identify relevant subtopics and informed the contextual information needed for comprehensive answer engine optimization.
- AEO / GEO performance tracking: The team monitored and measured their AI visibility using Conductor’s AI Search Performance to ensure their content appeared in generative AI responses like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The results
The results were exceptional across both traditional SEO and AI visibility metrics.
Overall, Clemson University has captured 91.48% AIO Market Share, dominating the AI Overview space for university-related queries and key topics.
For the optimized acceptance rate page specifically, the team achieved:
AI visibility & AEO / GEO performance:
- Cited in multiple AI engines: The acceptance rate page is now cited in ChatGPT and Perplexity AI responses
- Dominant across traditional search presence: The page appears in multiple organic search results for "Clemson acceptance rate," capturing visibility across the SERP
- 47% increase in page views
- 50% increase in sessions
- 79% increase in average engaged time per user
By combining Conductor's AI-powered content product, Creator, with strategic answer engine optimization (AEO) and generative engine optimization (GEO) best practices, Clemson University successfully reclaimed control of their admissions narrative, dominated both traditional search results and AI-generated responses, and significantly increased engagement with prospective students seeking critical admissions information.
