Learn how AI picks brands.
Get certified for it.
Free lessons and live cohorts in AEO, GEO and SEO: how brands get found in Google and named by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews. You earn your certificate on a real brand.
What you'll learn to win on:
Google AI OverviewsGoogle AI Mode
Awarded to Your Name
- AEO
- GEO
- SEO
Three skills. One expert.
Search now has two front pages: the links and the AI answer above them. Experts win both.
AEO: Answer Engine Optimization
Get a brand named when people ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Claude what to buy.
- Find the questions buyers ask AI
- See who AI names instead, and why
GEO: Generative Engine Optimization
Get a brand's pages and reviews cited as sources inside AI-written answers.
- Find the sources AI answers are built from
- Write pages AI can read and quote
SEO: Search engine optimization
Still the base: AI answers lean on pages that rank, load fast and are easy to crawl.
- Fix what crawlers and AI bots can't read
- Tie AI traffic to Search Console and analytics
Why brands need this skill now
people use ChatGPT every week.
OpenAI DevDay, October 2025people a month see Google AI Overviews above the links.
Alphabet earnings call, July 2025drop in traditional search volume by 2026, as AI assistants take over questions.
Gartner forecast, February 2024Four levels. Each one earned by doing.
Start with the basics, prove it on a real brand, then teach others. Every level is free.
- Free · self-paced
Foundations
Short lessons on how search and AI answers work, then a quiz.
Your first certificate, with a public link.
- Free · four-week live cohort
Certified Practitioner
Scan a real brand, ship one fix and show what moved.
The Proofsource Certified badge for your LinkedIn.
- Free · reviewed by our team
Certified Expert
A three-brand project and a review call with our team.
A listing as a certified expert, and brands sent your way.
- By application
Ambassador
Run your first workshop with our kit, our team beside you.
Early access, a profile on our site and partner earnings.
What you'll learn
One loop, four parts: know where a brand stands, act on it, prove it worked, repeat.
How AI picks the brands it names
Where answers come from, which questions matter, and how to read where a brand stands against its competitors.
Your exam is a real result
No trivia. To earn Certified Practitioner you take one brand, your own or one we give you, and show that AI names it more after your fix.
- Scan the brand across the AI engines
- Ship one fix, dated in Proofsource
- Show the before and after, with the answers behind it
Pick your track
The same core, with examples and projects for the brands you work on.
- Agencies and consultantsPitch, run and report AI visibility for every client.
- In-house marketingOwn your brand's place in AI answers and report it upward.
- Lokale UnternehmenClinics, restaurants, salons: get named when people ask nearby.
- Ecommerce and ShopifyGet your products into AI shopping answers.
- SaaS and B2BWin the "best tool for" questions buyers now ask AI first.
- AppsGet your app recommended next to the store listings.
Built on what worked
The best software academies turned learners into experts who recommend them. We kept what worked.
| Program | What worked | What we kept |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Trailhead | Free, hands-on modules, with badges and ranks people show off | Four levels you climb by doing real work. |
| HubSpot Academy | Free certificates marketers list on their CVs | Every course and exam is free, and every certificate has a public link. |
| Google Skillshop | Certification tied to being listed as a partner | Certified Experts are listed and sent brands. |
| Community leader programs | Local leaders run meetups with the company's kit and support | Ambassadors run AEO workshops with our slides, demo brand and team. |
Fragen
Ist es wirklich kostenlos?
Yes. Every lesson, cohort, exam and certificate is free. Practice runs on a free Proofsource account or a demo brand we give you.
What is the difference between AEO, GEO and SEO?
SEO gets a page ranked in search results. AEO (answer engine optimization) gets a brand named in AI answers like ChatGPT's. GEO (generative engine optimization) gets a brand's pages cited as sources in those answers. Experts need all three.
Do I need to know SEO first?
No. Foundations assumes nothing. SEO experience helps from the Practitioner level on.
How do I sign up?
Email hi@proofsource.co. We add you to our Slack community and save you a seat in the next cohort.
How long does a certificate last?
One year. AI answers change fast, so you renew with a short refresher on what changed.
How do I become an Ambassador?
Earn Certified Expert, then apply. We run your first workshop with you, and Ambassadors earn as partners: see what Ambassadors get.
Be the expert brands call about AI.
Email hi@proofsource.co for a free seat in the next live cohort.