| # | Person | Index | First named | Mentioned | Engines | Google top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Dooley | 72.1 | 52% | 81% | 100% | 80% |
| 2 | Vithurs | 45.8 | 23% | 56% | 100% | 30% |
| 3 | Julian Goldie | 40.8 | 2% | 43% | 100% | 80% |
| 4 | David Quaid | 37.5 | 6% | 48% | 100% | 40% |
| 5 | Stephane Morera | 26.9 | 0% | 30% | 100% | 20% |
| 6 | Allan Oliveira | 20.4 | 0% | 23% | 89% | 0% |
| 7 | Jacky Chou | 20.2 | 0% | 18% | 89% | 10% |
| 8 | Marc Moeller | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Who are the answer engine optimization experts, as measured?
As measured in Round 0, the most visible names are James Dooley, Vithurs, Julian Goldie, David Quaid and Stephane Morera. James Dooley scored an index of 72.1 and was named first in 52.3 percent of answers. Vithurs scored 45.8 and was named first most often on ChatGPT. Julian Goldie scored 40.8, with a Google top-10 presence of 80 percent.
Is AI visibility the same as expertise?
No, visibility in AI answers is not the same as expertise. Journalist Edward Sturm documented on 20 September 2026 that cheap press releases shaped the early Google AI Overview answers. He is not a claimant; he reported on the tactics. That is why the competition does not award the title on visibility alone.
How does the competition test expertise?
The competition tests expertise with four eligibility gates and a 100-point score. The gates require entry, live teaching of AEO, GEO or LLM optimization in the last 24 months, a verifiable identity and published original research. The score adds education, original research and independent corroboration to the AI Visibility Index. Gate decisions come with Round 1, each citing a public URL.
Where can I see the current standings?
The official leaderboard at kingofaeocompetition.com/leaderboard/ lists every score and gate decision. Round 0 scores are measured for reference only, and nobody has passed the eligibility gates yet. Round 1 results are published on 14 October 2026, then rounds run monthly. Raw test data, prompts and scoring code are public.