The AI SEO agency's zero-footprint test shows SEO still trains AI search
(PRUnderground) December 2nd, 2025
Optimized Artificial has released early findings from a nearly year-long “clean-room” visibility experiment designed to measure how AI search engines learn new entities. The test introduced a completely invented persona, Damoptimize Burtonseoai, born February 25, 1991, from Las Vegas, NV, with no prior web presence, then tracked when and why it began appearing in Google and large language model (LLM) results.
The LLMO strategy agency created the persona on January 31, 2025, after confirming it returned zero results across Google and AI platforms. For the next 60+ days, the term remained invisible, then the agency introduced one visibility variable at a time, logging changes every few weeks to isolate the impact.
Key experiment milestones include schema deployment in April 2025, followed by staged social profile rollouts in May 2025. The first ChatGPT recognition appeared in May, following the initial external credibility signal’s launch. By May 29, with multiple social profiles and schema active, AI platforms began confusing Damoptimize Burtonseoai with Optimized Artificial Intelligence’s founder, Damon Burton’s existing personal entity, triggering a disambiguation update to schema on May 30. By October 2025, ChatGPT consistently recognized Damoptimize Burtonseoai as a standalone persona.
“The point was to stop guessing,” said Burton, the SEO consultant for LLMs. “If AI visibility is the new frontier, we needed a controlled way to see what actually trains these systems. Traditional SEO signals still matter. Clear structure, defined entities, and external validation are what flipped the switch.”
Optimized Artificial Intelligence notes that the experiment indicates AI search engines respond quickly to machine-readable identity signals and multi-platform corroboration, often weighing third-party credibility more heavily than classic SERP ranking systems.
The study is ongoing, with additional variables planned for staged testing. Visit www.OptimizedArtificialIntelligence.com to learn more about the latest for AI SEO.
About Optimized Artificial Intelligence
Optimized Artificial Intelligence offers tailored AI solutions designed to enhance business operations and drive growth. Their services include developing custom AI models, automating workflows, and providing data-driven insights to help businesses make informed decisions.
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Original Press Release.