From invisible to top 5: How 1840 & Co. achieved 11% AI visibility in remote staffing

The challenge: standing out against heavyweights

• •Industry giants: Toptal boasts around 74% AI visibility in the remote staffing space; Upwork claims about 29%.
• •1840 & Co.'s starting point: 0% AI visibility, meaning they simply never appeared in AI answers — no matter how relevant they were.

Despite well-established names dominating traditional search results, 1840 & Co. recognized that AI search was a fresh playing field. They could leapfrog competitors by mastering this emerging channel first. That's where Anthroly came in.

The shift to AEO: why traditional SEO isn't enough

Traditional SEO once hinged on keywords and backlinks. But answer engines don't serve up 10 blue links; they generate a single consolidated response. A brand's mention depends less on backlink quantity and more on content clarity and direct brand statements.

1840 & Co.'s path to 11% visibility

1. Discovering the gaps with Anthroly

Using Anthroly's platform, 1840 & Co. scanned hundreds of queries — like "best remote staffing agencies" or "top US-based staffing for developers" — across popular AI engines. Anthroly's Citation Analysis revealed:

• •Key competitors: Toptal, Upwork, and a few unexpected smaller firms.
• •Winning content formats: short compare-and-contrast lists, straightforward "Why Choose Us" statements, and FAQ sections.
• •Potential 'hidden influencers': niche industry blogs that held surprising sway in AI citations.

Insight: by mapping the AI citation landscape, 1840 & Co. realized they didn't need million-dollar ad budgets or a massive SEO overhaul. They just needed precise, AI-friendly content.

2. Crafting AI-optimized content

Armed with Anthroly's insights, 1840 & Co. published one targeted blog post:

• •Headings & bullet points: clear segment titles like "10 Best Agencies For Remote Staffing Solutions."
• •Direct brand placement: instead of burying themselves in a bottom paragraph, 1840 & Co. placed themselves at the top of curated lists.
• •Short, relevant FAQs: AI often cites bite-sized Q&A sections.

Insight: in just two weeks, visibility jumped from 0% to 6%. By the end of the month, it climbed to 11% — making 1840 & Co. one of the top five players cited by AI-driven searches in their space.

3. Iteration & monitoring

Rather than a set-it-and-forget-it approach, 1840 & Co. tapped into Anthroly's real-time tracking:

• •Citation share: they observed exactly how often AI answers included their brand.
• •Content insights: learning exactly what type of content was being cited across answer engines gave 1840 & Co. a clear direction for their content strategy.
• •Competitive benchmarking: comparing their improvements against Toptal, Upwork, and others kept them nimble.

Insight: continuous monitoring allowed 1840 & Co. to see immediate impact from each content tweak and quickly outpace bigger rivals.

Why this matters for your brand

• •First-mover advantage: while competitors focus on traditional SEO, you can establish early dominance in AI search results.
• •Rapid results: a single well-structured post can yield measurable gains within weeks — no huge link-building campaigns required.
• •High-intent visibility: AI-driven answers often cater to specific, conversion-ready queries. When your brand is cited, it shapes the narrative. You own the discussion around your brand, products, and even wider industry.
• •Long-term flexibility: as AI models evolve, you can adapt content strategy in real-time using Anthroly's data to stay ahead.

How Anthroly delivers AEO ROI

“Anthroly has given us actionable insights on how our brand is performing for GEO. It's exciting to see our visibility going up and which citations are affecting the score. Using Anthroly, I can start to get a good idea of how and what to do to improve our GEO.”

Anthroly is built to track, analyze, and boost AI visibility:

• •Citation & content analysis: learn which content pieces AI engines value most — yours and your competitors'.
• •Content pattern discovery: uncover exactly what content formats, structures, and messaging styles drive AI citations — from heading patterns to content depth.
• •Search intent analysis: track keyword volume and discover what users are actually asking AI about your industry — helping you create content that matches real search behavior.
• •Continuous insight: we run thousands of queries daily to ensure you're always up-to-date with the latest AI visibility trends.

For 1840 & Co., Anthroly meant not just playing catch-up — it meant leaping into the top tier of remote staffing results overnight.

Final thoughts

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is no longer a futuristic concept — it's already reshaping how consumers discover and choose brands. 1840 & Co.'s journey from total obscurity to a top 5 player is a clear, data-driven testament that any brand can capture AI-driven leads with the right approach.

At Anthroly, we empower you to unlock these same results — helping marketers reach qualified prospects swiftly and cost-effectively in the age of AI.