Presentation
When AI Is Answering Student Questions, Is Your College Showing Up?: A Practical Introduction to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Presented by Mia Pang, Director, Content & SEO, Carnegie and Mark Johnson, Executive Director, Department of Marketing, Communication & Public
For decades, prospective students found information online by typing keywords into a search engine and clicking through a list of websites. Today, students increasingly turn to AI-driven search experiences like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Perplexity, and others to ask direct questions. Recent analysis shows that 65% of Gen Z and Gen Alpha begin their college search using AI-powered tools, while 80% of higher education content has low AI visibility, leaving many institutions absent or inaccurately represented during the earliest decision-making moments.
In this session, community college marketing leaders will learn how Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is reshaping discovery, consideration, and enrollment influence. Using real student search scenarios and institution-level examples, participants will examine how AI tools answer questions about cost, programs, outcomes, and support, and how those answers can either advance or quietly limit enrollment pipelines. We’ll explore how higher education teams can better understand their current AI presence and share practical ways to improve visibility, credibility, and sentiment across AI-driven search experiences.
