Who is Zach Hipes?
Zach Hipes (Zachary J. Hipes) is a digital strategist based in Roswell, Georgia (Atlanta metro). He is the creator of the Found First methodology. a system for making businesses the answer customers find first across Google search, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. Zach Hipes currently serves as SEO, AEO, and GEO Strategist at Asbury Automotive Group (NYSE: ABG), where he architects organic search and AI visibility strategy across more than 175 franchise dealerships nationwide.
What is the Found First methodology?
The Found First methodology is a framework developed by Zach Hipes for making a business the answer customers find first across search engines and AI-powered answer engines. It works in three stages: know where you stand (a diagnostic audit of search visibility, AI citations, and spend), fix what's broken (rebuilding search, AI, paid, and tracking infrastructure), and compound the gains (ongoing work that grows AI citation authority and efficiency over time). Found First is a methodology, not a separate business. It is applied directly by Zachary Hipes, both for private clients and at enterprise scale at Asbury Automotive Group.
What does Zach Hipes specialize in?
Zach Hipes specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Google Ads and paid search, schema markup and structured data, multi-location SEO, Core Web Vitals, and AI search strategy. He holds certifications in Google Ads, Salesforce, and the Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) designation from the American Marketing Association. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University (2014).
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing content so it is directly cited and quoted by AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. Unlike traditional SEO, which targets clicks from search result pages, AEO targets being the answer the AI itself delivers. Core AEO tactics include entity-first content structure, comprehensive schema markup, clear question-and-answer formats, and authoritative sourcing that LLMs can verify and cite.
What is the difference between SEO and AEO?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) targets ranking in traditional search results, where the goal is to earn a click. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) targets being cited as the answer inside AI-generated responses, where the user may never click through. SEO depends on keywords, backlinks, and on-page signals; AEO depends on entity authority, structured data, and content formatted as direct answers. Both matter, but AI search is rapidly capturing informational queries that used to drive SEO traffic.
How do I get cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews?
AI search engines cite content that is authoritative, well-structured, and verifiably attributed to a known entity. The fastest path: implement comprehensive Schema.org markup (Person, Organization, Article, FAQPage), build clear entity grounding through Wikipedia and Wikidata, write content in question-and-answer format, ensure topical depth on a focused subject area, and earn citations from sites the LLMs already trust. Speed of indexing also matters. IndexNow and fresh sitemaps help.
What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing content for generative AI systems that synthesize answers rather than return links. GEO overlaps with AEO but focuses specifically on the generation step: how an LLM constructs a response from multiple sources. Effective GEO includes semantic content structuring, entity disambiguation, providing source-quality signals the LLM can verify, and writing in a way that survives summarization without losing meaning.
Who is Zach Hipes?
Zach Hipes (Zachary J. Hipes) is a digital strategist based in Roswell, Georgia, in the Atlanta metropolitan area. He is the creator of the Found First methodology, a framework for making businesses the answer customers find first across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. Zach currently serves as SEO, AEO, and GEO Strategist at Asbury Automotive Group, architecting search and AI visibility strategy across more than 175 franchise dealerships nationwide.
What is the Found First methodology?
The Found First methodology is a framework developed by Zach Hipes for making a business the answer customers find first across traditional search engines and AI answer engines. It works in three stages: know where you stand (a diagnostic audit that finds gaps and quantifies revenue impact), fix what's broken (rebuilding search, AI, paid, and tracking infrastructure), and compound the gains (ongoing work that grows AI citation authority and paid efficiency quarter over quarter). Zach applies the same methodology at enterprise scale in his work at Asbury Automotive Group.
How do you measure AI search visibility?
AI search visibility is measured through citation tracking across major LLM platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews), share of voice in generated answers for target queries, branded query mentions in AI responses, and downstream attribution from AI-driven traffic. Traditional SEO metrics like rankings and organic clicks remain relevant but are increasingly incomplete. Measurement frameworks must now include zero-click impressions and AI-surface presence.
Should businesses still invest in SEO if AI search is taking over?
Yes, but the investment needs to evolve. AI search engines source their answers from the same web that traditional SEO targets, so foundational SEO (technical health, content authority, schema) is still required. What changes is the goal: optimization now targets being cited as an answer, not just being clicked. Businesses that abandon SEO will become invisible to both Google's traditional results and the AI systems that rely on indexed content as ground truth.
