Question 1

What does "findability" actually mean?

Accepted Answer

It means showing up when someone searches for what you do, in Google, in ChatGPT, in Perplexity, in Google AI Overview. Not just having a website, but having a digital presence that search engines and AI systems can read, parse, and recommend to the people looking for your expertise.

Question 2

My website looks professional. Isn't that enough?

Accepted Answer

A professional-looking website is a starting point, not the finish line. Most websites are built for human visitors but invisible to AI systems. They lack structured data, schema markup, proper crawl configurations, and the content architecture that AI engines need to cite you. Looking professional and being findable are different problems.

Question 3

What's the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?

Accepted Answer

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) gets you ranked in Google. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) gets you cited by AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) ensures that when AI engines do cite you, they quote you accurately and in context. They're layers, not alternatives, you need all three.

Question 4

How long does it take to become findable by AI search?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your starting point. The structural foundation, schema, sitemap, llms.txt, markdown mirrors, can be built in days. Being consistently cited by AI engines takes weeks to months, because the models need to crawl, index, and learn to trust your content. The earlier you start, the sooner you compound.

Question 5

What is EEAT and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's Google's framework for evaluating content quality, and AI systems use similar signals. It's not a checklist, it's a content philosophy. Your credentials need to be verifiable, your expertise needs to be demonstrated (not just claimed), and your information needs to be consistent across every surface where you appear.

Question 6

What do you mean by "codification"?

Accepted Answer

Codification is the process of turning implicit expertise, the knowledge that lives in your head, in conversations, in client sessions, into structured, named, teachable, publishable form. Frameworks, methodologies, documented processes. The things that make your work communicable without you in the room.

Question 7

I already have a website and social media. Why do I need authority building?

Accepted Answer

Having a website and posting content creates visibility. Authority is different, it's whether what people find when they look for you actually proves your expertise. Can a stranger verify your credentials? Do independent sources confirm your standing? Is your methodology documented anywhere? Authority is the substance behind the visibility.

Question 8

What's the difference between "fixable" and "argued" authority gaps?

Accepted Answer

Fixable gaps are things you can correct immediately, a missing directory listing, an incomplete LinkedIn profile, a bio that undersells your credentials. Argued gaps require original work, creating a named framework, publishing your methodology, building a documented body of evidence. Every engagement starts by sorting which gaps are which.

Question 9

How is this different from content marketing?

Accepted Answer

Content marketing produces content to attract attention. Authority building produces intellectual property to establish standing. The output might look similar, articles, frameworks, published thinking, but the intent is different. We're not filling a content calendar. We're building a body of work that makes your expertise legible, citable, and durable.

Question 10

Do I really need an AI strategy for my small business?

Accepted Answer

Not every business does. The honest answer is that AI creates significant leverage in some operations and adds noise in others. The value of a strategic assessment is knowing which is which before you spend money on tools or time on pilots that don't connect to anything.

Question 11

Will AI replace what I do?

Accepted Answer

For most expertise-driven businesses, AI won't replace what you do, it will replace the way people find you. The shift from search to AI-mediated discovery means your clients' buying journey is changing, even if your service delivery isn't. The question isn't whether AI replaces you. It's whether AI can find you.

Question 12

I'm overwhelmed by all the AI tools. Where do I start?

Accepted Answer

Start with the business problem, not the tool. What workflow takes the most time for the least value? Where are your people doing work that a well-configured AI tool could handle? Start there. One workflow, one tool, one measurable outcome. Then expand based on what you learn.

Question 13

What does a first engagement typically look like?

Accepted Answer

It starts with a Second Look, a free, twenty-minute diagnostic that shows you what AI engines currently find when they search for your business. From there, we discuss what the findings mean and whether there's a fit. No commitment until you've seen what we see.

Question 14

Do you build websites?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Websites built specifically for findability, SEO, AEO, GEO, and EEAT optimization built into the architecture from day one. Not template sites with bolt-on SEO. You can see examples on our websites page.

Question 15

Do you work with businesses outside of Dallas?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The consultancy is based in the Dallas Metroplex but the work is digital, clients are anywhere. The principles of findability and authority don't change by geography.

Question 16

How is Jean Dorff Consultancy different from an SEO agency?

Accepted Answer

SEO agencies optimize your website for search rankings. We optimize your entire digital presence, across search engines, AI systems, directories, and third-party sources, for findability, authority, and citation. SEO is one layer of what we do. The methodology is broader: mentions, not just links; authority, not just rankings; AI visibility, not just Google.