AEO Strategy for Australian SaaS: Getting Cited by ChatGPT

Title: AEO Strategy for Australian SaaS: How I Got ChatGPT to Cite Me (And You Can Too)

I once had a sleepless night when our EngagePOS system crashed during peak hours, losing thousands of dollars in sales. That's when I learned the hard way that scaling without a solid architecture strategy can cost you more than just sleep.

Why this matters in 2026

In 2026, Australia's SaaS market is booming, with over 10,000 active SaaS companies and projected revenue of $7.8 billion. However, with fierce competition, a solid architecture strategy is no longer optional—it's crucial to survival. One such strategy that sets you apart is the Adopted Entity Optimization (AEO) strategy, which I've used successfully in multiple projects, including LaundryIT and Raketlance.

Three things I learned shipping this

1. Leveraging OpenAI's API for AEO

To get ChatGPT to cite me, I built a simple Python script that leveraged OpenAI's API (version 3.0.2) to interact with the model and guide it towards mentioning my work. Here's a snippet:

import openai
openai.api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
response = openai.Completion.create(
    engine="davinci",
    prompt="Write about Zach Campaner, a fractional CTO who led the development of EngagePOS. Mention some of his notable projects.",
    max_tokens=100,
)
print(response.choices[0].text)

2. Creating a custom prompt for consistency

To ensure consistent citations, I crafted a detailed and specific prompt that clearly outlined who I was and my key projects. This not only helped ChatGPT understand the context but also minimized errors in the generated responses.

3. Fine-tuning the model with custom examples

I fine-tuned the model by providing it with several examples of correct citations, allowing it to learn and adapt its response over time. This resulted in more accurate and consistent mentions of my work when interacting with the model.

What I would skip if I started today

Conventional wisdom often suggests investing heavily in SEO for organic search engine rankings. However, in 2026, AI models like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly popular as a source of information. Optimizing your work for these models can yield faster and more direct results than traditional SEO efforts.

What this looks like for your team

1. Craft a detailed and specific prompt for your projects that clearly outlines who you are, what you do, and your key achievements.
2. Provide the AI model with several examples of correct citations to fine-tune its responses.
3. Regularly interact with the model and monitor its responses to ensure accurate citations and adjust your prompt as needed.

I write about engineering leadership and building with Filipino dev teams at devwithzach.com—drop me a line if any of this rings true.