Question 1

What is social proof and why does it matter for AEO?

Accepted Answer

Social proof is evidence that others trust and have benefited from your product or service — testimonials, reviews, case studies, press mentions, client logos, and statistics. For Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), social proof matters because AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are trained to evaluate E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Pages with strong social proof signals are more likely to be cited in AI-generated answers because they are verifiably credible.

Question 2

Which social proof signals have the biggest impact on AI citation?

Accepted Answer

The highest-impact signals are: (1) Structured data — Review and AggregateRating JSON-LD schema that AI can parse directly; (2) Testimonials with specific outcomes and real names — AI can extract and cite specific quotes; (3) Quantified statistics like '5,000+ customers' or '98% satisfaction rate' — AI loves specific, citable data points; (4) Press mentions from recognized publications — these are strong authority signals; (5) Team credentials with Person schema markup — establishes expertise for AI trust assessment.

Question 3

How does this tool detect social proof signals?

Accepted Answer

This tool parses your raw HTML client-side (nothing is sent to a server) and analyzes 12 categories of social proof signals. It examines HTML elements, CSS classes, text patterns, aria attributes, JSON-LD structured data, image alt text, and link destinations. Each category is scored as pass, warning, or fail based on the quantity and quality of signals detected, producing an overall Social Proof Score from 0 to 100.

Question 4

What is a good Social Proof Score?

Accepted Answer

A score of 80+ (A or A+) indicates strong social proof with multiple verified signals across most categories. A score of 60–79 (B or C) suggests decent presence with notable gaps to address. A score below 60 (D or F) indicates significant social proof deficiencies that are likely hindering AI citation rates and conversion. Most landing pages score between 30–60, making this a significant competitive differentiation opportunity.

Question 5

How should I add testimonials for maximum AI citation impact?

Accepted Answer

For AI engines: (1) Use blockquote HTML elements for semantic markup; (2) Include the customer's full name, job title, and company name; (3) Make testimonials specific — 'saved us 10 hours per week' beats 'great product'; (4) Implement Review JSON-LD schema with reviewBody, author (Person schema), and datePublished; (5) Link to verifiable sources where possible (e.g., a G2 or Trustpilot review). AI engines like Perplexity will cite specific, attributed quotes when answering questions about your product.

Question 6

Why do press mentions matter so much for AEO?

Accepted Answer

Third-party validation from recognized publications is one of the strongest authority signals in AI training data. When Forbes, TechCrunch, or an industry publication writes about your business, that creates external, verifiable evidence of credibility. AI engines are trained on web content where these publications are high-authority sources. Being mentioned in them — and prominently displaying those mentions — dramatically increases the likelihood of your content being cited in AI-generated answers about your industry.

Social Proof Analyzer

How it works

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Analyze trust signals

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Why social proof matters for AI search

E-E-A-T and AI citation

Specific data gets cited

Structured data unlocks AI parsing

Third-party validation is key

The 12 social proof signals we analyze

Frequently asked questions

Improve your social proof score