Meet Jillian Shea: A URI Marketing Student Learning AEO and SEO at Develomark

Develomark • July 27, 2026

Jillian Shea is a rising senior at the University of Rhode Island, studying business management and marketing. She joined Develomark's cohort program hoping to gain hands-on digital marketing experience — and to finally understand what AEO and SEO actually mean in practice. Watch her share what she's learned so far in the video below.

Studying Business Management and Marketing at URI

Jillian is a rising senior at the University of Rhode Island, where she is studying business management and marketing. Coming into Develomark's cohort program, her goal was straightforward: gain hands-on experience in digital marketing and learn more about AEO and SEO — two areas she hadn't had much exposure to in the classroom.

Discovering Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

Since starting the program, Jillian says she's gained new knowledge about all things digital marketing, including a clear understanding of what Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) actually is. AEO focuses on structuring website content so it can be surfaced directly by AI-powered platforms, rather than only ranking in traditional search results.

Turning a Client Meeting Into Blog Content

One of Jillian's current projects involves a civil engineering client. After sitting in on a client meeting with the company, she's now writing blog content based directly on what she learned during that conversation — turning real client insights into content strategy in practice, rather than just in theory.

Up Next: A Video Shoot for Lion's Den Coffee Shop

Jillian's next project takes her in a different direction: a video shoot for Lion's Den, a local coffee shop. Moving between blog writing for a civil engineering client and video production for a local coffee shop reflects the range of work interns take on across Develomark's different client verticals.

Why Digital Marketing and AI Visibility Matter

Among her key takeaways so far, Jillian points to understanding why digital marketing matters in the first place — and specifically, why companies need to optimize their websites to be seen on AI platforms such as ChatGPT. As more people turn to AI tools to find businesses and answers, she says that visibility on those platforms is becoming just as important as traditional search rankings.

Why It Matters

Jillian's experience shows how Develomark's cohort program pairs marketing students with real clients across different industries, from civil engineering to local coffee shops, while teaching the fundamentals of AEO and SEO along the way. That mix of hands-on client work and AI search education is what sets the program apart from a typical internship.

Curious what a marketing career built around real AEO and SEO experience looks like? Learn more about Develomark's careers and cohort program.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?

    AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, is the practice of structuring website content so AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews can pull it directly into their generated answers. It differs from traditional SEO by focusing on becoming the source an AI system cites, rather than just ranking on a search results page.

  • Why do businesses need to optimize for AI platforms like ChatGPT?

    Businesses need to optimize for AI platforms because more people are using tools like ChatGPT to find answers and recommendations instead of traditional search engines. If a website isn't structured in a way AI tools can read and cite, a business risks becoming invisible in an increasingly AI-driven search landscape.

  • What does Develomark's cohort program involve?

    Develomark's cohort program gives marketing students hands-on experience with AEO, SEO, content creation, and real client work. Interns like Jillian sit in on client meetings, write blog content based on those conversations, and work across multiple industries and project types during their time with the agency.

  • What kind of projects has Jillian worked on during her internship?

    Jillian has written blog content for a civil engineering client based on insights from a client meeting, and her next project is a video shoot for Lion's Den, a local coffee shop. This range of work reflects the variety of client industries Develomark's interns are exposed to.

  • How does client meeting experience translate into content strategy?

    Sitting in on a real client meeting gives interns direct insight into a business's services, priorities, and customer questions, which can then be turned into blog content and other marketing materials. Jillian's civil engineering blog project is a direct example of that process — learning from the client first, then writing content based on those real details.

If you're a student or recent grad who wants that kind of hands-on marketing experience, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to Develomark to learn more about current openings and future cohort opportunities.

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