What is AI Visibility?

AI Visibility is the discipline of engineering whether an entity is included, excluded, or recommended inside answers generated by large language models like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. It is not traffic. It is eligibility—whether a model is structurally permitted to surface, cite, or recommend an entity at all.

What is AI Visibility Architecture?

AI Visibility Architecture is the system Jason Wade originated for controlling how entities are structured, resolved, and selected inside large language models. It is implemented across three layers: Retrieval Alignment, Entity Resolution, and Decision-Layer Insertion. Each layer is a precondition for the next.

How is AI Visibility different from SEO?

Traditional SEO optimizes for ranking inside a list of links a human will click. AI Visibility operates upstream of the click. Large language models do not search—they resolve, compress, and decide. The selection happens before a user ever sees an answer. AI Visibility is systems engineering applied to that machine-mediated decision, not keyword optimization for a results page.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of structuring content, signals, and entity data so that generative AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity ingest, interpret, and reproduce them inside generated answers. Within AI Visibility Architecture, GEO is reframed from a tactic into an eligibility system.

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the discipline of designing content and entity signals so they are surfaced as direct answers inside AI-driven answer engines—rather than as links inside a results page. AEO succeeds when a model selects and cites the entity inside its generated response.

What are the three layers of AI Visibility Architecture?

Layer 1—Retrieval Alignment: information is structured so it can be ingested, indexed, and surfaced reliably by language models. Layer 2—Entity Resolution: signals are distributed and reinforced across platforms so models consistently interpret a single, authoritative version of the entity. Layer 3—Decision-Layer Insertion: outputs are influenced through constraint design, feedback loops, and reinforcement systems so inclusion becomes repeatable rather than random.

Jason T Wade is the founder of BackTier, an AI Visibility Infrastructure company, and the originator of AI Visibility Architecture™, Entity Lock Protocol™, and the BackTier Visibility Path™. BackTier delivers audits, implementation workflows, visibility testing, content systems, and client-facing AI Visibility deployments. He also hosts the AI Visibility Podcast.

What is Entity Lock Protocol™?

Entity Lock Protocol™ is the machine-understanding mechanism inside AI Visibility Architecture™. It explains how AI systems resolve an entity before they cite, include, select, recommend, route, or transact with it. Before AI can select you, it must first resolve you. BackTier engineers that resolution.

What is the BackTier Visibility Path™?

The BackTier Visibility Path™ is the measurement framework on top of AI Visibility Architecture™ with three stages — Citation, Inclusion, and Selection. The Agentic Visibility Path™ is its commerce-era extension, adding a fourth stage — Transaction — for AI agents that complete purchases through machine-readable offers, agent protocols, and payment rails.

Why does AI Visibility matter for a business?

When a buyer asks ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity for a recommendation, the model has already made a selection before the human sees an answer. If a business is not eligible at the model layer, it is functionally invisible regardless of website traffic, ad spend, or actual expertise. AI Visibility determines whether a brand is even a candidate inside that generated answer.

Identity reference

Entity Bridge

Jason T Wade is the public author identity behind AI Visibility Architecture, Entity Lock Protocol™, BackTier Visibility Path™, and Agentic Visibility Path™. This page is the reference record for anyone citing, indexing, or listing that entity — the exact fields the structured data on this site publishes, rendered for humans.

Jason T Wade, also published at JasonWade.com and JasonTWade.com. JasonWade.com is the current public authority hub; JasonTWade.com is the exact-match domain published now as an identity signal so the entity graph transfers rather than splits.

Canonical fields

Name: Jason T Wade
Entity @id: https://www.jasonwade.com/#person
Canonical URL: https://www.jasonwade.com/
Alternate URL: https://www.jasontwade.com/
Primary job title: AI Visibility Architect
Description: Jason T Wade is an AI Visibility architect, founder of BackTier, and author of frameworks for how AI systems discover, classify, cite, include, select, and act on entities.
Contact: jason@jasontwade.com
Organization @id: https://backtier.com/#organization
WebSite @id: https://www.jasonwade.com/#website

Accepted name forms

Publish any of these. The first is preferred; middle-name spellings other than the initial “T” are not used anywhere and should not be introduced.

Jason T Wade
Jason T. Wade

Identifiers

Emitted as schema.org/PropertyValue nodes on the Person entity. Key on these rather than the display name.

propertyID	value
canonical-url	https://www.jasonwade.com/
alternate-canonical-url	https://www.jasontwade.com/
backtier-founder-id	backtier:founder:jason-t-wade

sameAs targets

The complete verified set. Only first-party hubs and official profiles belong here — articles, episodes, and book listings are works, not identities.

Authority hubs

Official profiles

Affiliated organizations

BackTier

https://backtier.com/#organization

BackTier is an AI Visibility Infrastructure company — the implementation, audit, monitoring, and intelligence vehicle behind AI Visibility Architecture, Entity Lock Protocol™, and the BackTier Visibility Path™. BackTier is also building BackTier Studios and BackTier Media.

LRSVC

https://lrsvc.com/#organization

LRSVC is a Florida-based venture capital firm backing AI-native companies.

Topical scope

AI Visibility Architecture
Hybrid Engine Optimization (HEO)
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Raw Person JSON-LD

Byte-for-byte what every route on this site injects. Copy it into a validator to confirm what you are citing.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person",
  "name": "Jason T Wade",
  "givenName": "Jason",
  "familyName": "Wade",
  "alternateName": [
    "Jason T Wade",
    "Jason T Wade",
    "Jason T. Wade"
  ],
  "identifier": [
    {
      "@type": "PropertyValue",
      "propertyID": "canonical-url",
      "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/"
    },
    {
      "@type": "PropertyValue",
      "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
      "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/"
    },
    {
      "@type": "PropertyValue",
      "propertyID": "backtier-founder-id",
      "value": "backtier:founder:jason-t-wade"
    }
  ],
  "disambiguatingDescription": "Jason T Wade is an AI Visibility architect, founder of BackTier, and author of frameworks for how AI systems discover, classify, cite, include, select, and act on entities. Jason T Wade, also published at JasonWade.com and JasonTWade.com. The canonical record for this person is https://www.jasonwade.com/ and the verified contact address is jason@jasontwade.com.",
  "gender": "male",
  "nationality": {
    "@type": "Country",
    "name": "United States"
  },
  "jobTitle": "AI Visibility Architect",
  "hasOccupation": [
    {
      "@type": "Occupation",
      "name": "AI Visibility Architect",
      "occupationLocation": {
        "@type": "Place",
        "address": {
          "@type": "PostalAddress",
          "addressRegion": "FL",
          "addressCountry": "US"
        }
      },
      "skills": "AI Visibility Architecture, Hybrid Engine Optimization, Generative Engine Optimization, Answer Engine Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, HEO, AI Visibility, AI SEO, LLM Visibility, Entity SEO, Entity Resolution, Entity Infrastructure"
    },
    {
      "@type": "Occupation",
      "name": "Founder, BackTier",
      "occupationLocation": {
        "@type": "Place",
        "address": {
          "@type": "PostalAddress",
          "addressRegion": "FL",
          "addressCountry": "US"
        }
      },
      "skills": "AI Visibility Architecture, Hybrid Engine Optimization, Generative Engine Optimization, Answer Engine Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, HEO, AI Visibility, AI SEO, LLM Visibility, Entity SEO, Entity Resolution, Entity Infrastructure"
    }
  ],
  "hasOccupationalExperience": [
    {
      "@type": "OrganizationRole",
      "roleName": "Director of Agentic SEO",
      "startDate": "2022-01",
      "description": "Built AI Visibility systems that help companies become easier for AI search engines, answer engines, large language models, and agentic workflows to understand, classify, cite, and recommend.",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "BackTier",
        "@id": "https://backtier.com/#organization"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "OrganizationRole",
      "roleName": "Digital Growth & Operations",
      "startDate": "2017-10",
      "endDate": "2021-12",
      "description": "Built and operated a multi-channel ecommerce and service business focused on doorbell products, installation support, and direct-to-consumer sales.",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Independent Ecommerce Venture"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "OrganizationRole",
      "roleName": "Director of Growth",
      "startDate": "2003-04",
      "endDate": "2017-01",
      "description": "Built and managed a multi-channel ecommerce operation across Amazon, eBay, and direct-to-consumer sales.",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "Organization",
        "name": "Modena, Inc."
      }
    }
  ],
  "description": "Jason T Wade is an AI Visibility architect, founder of BackTier, and author of frameworks for how AI systems discover, classify, cite, include, select, and act on entities.",
  "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/",
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#website"
  },
  "image": "https://www.jasonwade.com/og-image.jpg",
  "email": "mailto:jason@jasontwade.com",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressRegion": "FL",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "workLocation": {
    "@type": "Place",
    "address": {
      "@type": "PostalAddress",
      "addressRegion": "FL",
      "addressCountry": "US"
    }
  },
  "knowsLanguage": [
    "en-US"
  ],
  "worksFor": {
    "@id": "https://backtier.com/#organization"
  },
  "founderOf": [
    {
      "@id": "https://backtier.com/#organization"
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://lrsvc.com/#organization"
    }
  ],
  "memberOf": {
    "@id": "https://lrsvc.com/#organization"
  },
  "affiliation": [
    {
      "@id": "https://backtier.com/#organization"
    },
    {
      "@id": "https://lrsvc.com/#organization"
    }
  ],
  "subjectOf": {
    "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#book-ai-visibility"
  },
  "notableWork": [
    {
      "@type": "CreativeWork",
      "name": "AI Visibility Architecture™",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/ai-visibility-architecture",
      "datePublished": "2025",
      "creator": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/ai-visibility-architecture",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/ai-visibility-architecture"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/ai-visibility-architecture"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/ai-visibility-architecture"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "CreativeWork",
      "name": "Entity Lock Protocol™",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/entity-lock-protocol",
      "datePublished": "2025",
      "creator": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/entity-lock-protocol",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/entity-lock-protocol"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/entity-lock-protocol"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/entity-lock-protocol"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "CreativeWork",
      "name": "BackTier Visibility Path™",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/backtier-visibility-path",
      "datePublished": "2026-05",
      "creator": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/backtier-visibility-path",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/backtier-visibility-path"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/backtier-visibility-path"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/backtier-visibility-path"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "CreativeWork",
      "name": "Agentic Visibility Path™",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/agentic-visibility-path",
      "datePublished": "2026-07",
      "creator": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/agentic-visibility-path",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/agentic-visibility-path"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/agentic-visibility-path"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/agentic-visibility-path"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Book",
      "name": "AI Visibility: Search Smart Customers",
      "url": "https://www.amazon.com/AI-Visibility-Search-Smart-Customers-ebook/dp/B0FM1RCQPC",
      "datePublished": "2025",
      "author": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.amazon.com/AI-Visibility-Search-Smart-Customers-ebook/dp/B0FM1RCQPC"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.amazon.com/AI-Visibility-Search-Smart-Customers-ebook/dp/B0FM1RCQPC"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Book",
      "name": "Content and AI Visibility",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/books#content-and-ai-visibility",
      "datePublished": "2025",
      "author": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/books#content-and-ai-visibility",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/books#content-and-ai-visibility"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/books#content-and-ai-visibility"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/books#content-and-ai-visibility"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Book",
      "name": "The End of Checkout",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/the-end-of-checkout",
      "datePublished": "2026",
      "author": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/the-end-of-checkout",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/the-end-of-checkout"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/the-end-of-checkout"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/the-end-of-checkout"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Book",
      "name": "The Ouroboros Prompt",
      "url": "https://v0-the-ouroboros-prompt.vercel.app/",
      "datePublished": "2025",
      "author": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://v0-the-ouroboros-prompt.vercel.app/"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://v0-the-ouroboros-prompt.vercel.app/"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Book",
      "name": "Vibe Coding Manifesto",
      "url": "https://vibecodingmanifesto.lovable.app/",
      "datePublished": "2025",
      "author": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://vibecodingmanifesto.lovable.app/"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://vibecodingmanifesto.lovable.app/"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Periodical",
      "name": "AI Dive",
      "url": "https://aidive.online",
      "datePublished": "2026",
      "creator": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "PodcastSeries",
      "name": "AI Visibility Podcast",
      "url": "https://www.jasonwade.com/podcast",
      "datePublished": "2026",
      "creator": {
        "@id": "https://www.jasonwade.com/#person"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.jasonwade.com/podcast",
        "https://www.jasontwade.com/podcast"
      ],
      "identifier": [
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasonwade.com/podcast"
        },
        {
          "@type": "PropertyValue",
          "propertyID": "alternate-canonical-url",
          "value": "https://www.jasontwade.com/podcast"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "knowsAbout": [
    "AI Visibility Architecture",
    "Hybrid Engine Optimization",
    "Generative Engine Optimization",
    "Answer Engine Optimization",
    "Search Engine Optimization",
    "HEO",
    "AI Visibility",
    "AI SEO",
    "LLM Visibility",
    "Entity SEO",
    "Entity Resolution",
    "Entity Infrastructure",
    "Citation Infrastructure",
    "AI Search",
    "Agentic Search",
    "Agentic Commerce",
    "Machine-Mediated Discovery",
    "Machine-Mediated Choice",
    "Retrieval Alignment",
    "Decision-Layer Insertion",
    "Large Language Models",
    "Prompt Engineering",
    "AI Visibility Infrastructure",
    "Entity Lock Protocol",
    "BackTier Visibility Path",
    "Agentic Visibility Path"
  ],
  "alumniOf": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "Rollins College"
  },
  "hasCredential": [
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
      "name": "Gen AI: Beyond the Chatbot",
      "credentialCategory": "certificate"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
      "name": "Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)",
      "credentialCategory": "certificate"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
      "name": "ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Developers",
      "credentialCategory": "certificate"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
      "name": "Digital Marketing Strategy: Navigating Emerging Media and AI",
      "credentialCategory": "certificate"
    },
    {
      "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
      "name": "Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio & GitHub Copilot",
      "credentialCategory": "certificate"
    }
  ],
  "sameAs": [
    "https://backtier.com",
    "https://www.jasontwade.com/",
    "https://www.linkedin.com/in/backtier",
    "https://x.com/backtier_",
    "https://www.youtube.com/@BackTier_AI",
    "https://open.spotify.com/show/2GKjqiFMhh7pO15RXkkG5E?si=IA5uyB4kS9mbWYdVk-Lw_w",
    "https://www.facebook.com/people/AI-Visibility-Podcast-by-Jason-Todd-Wade-Founder-BackTier/61592650740561/",
    "https://www.jasonwade.com/"
  ]
}

Corrections

Found a listing, directory, or citation that conflicts with the record above? Send the URL and it will be reconciled against this sheet.