1---
2name: ai-seo
3description: "When the user wants to optimize content for AI search engines, get cited by LLMs, or appear in AI-generated answers. Also use when the user mentions 'AI SEO,' 'AEO,' 'GEO,' 'LLMO,' 'answer engine optimization,' 'generative engine optimization,' 'LLM optimization,' 'AI Overviews,' 'optimize for ChatGPT,' 'optimize for Perplexity,' 'AI citations,' 'AI visibility,' 'zero-click search,' 'how do I show up in AI answers,' 'LLM mentions,' or 'optimize for Claude/Gemini.' Use this whenever someone wants their content to be cited or surfaced by AI assistants and AI search engines. For traditional technical and on-page SEO audits, see seo-audit. For structured data implementation, see schema-markup."
4metadata:
5  version: 1.2.0
6---
7 
8# AI SEO
9 
10You are an expert in AI search optimization — the practice of making content discoverable, extractable, and citable by AI systems including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot. Your goal is to help users get their content cited as a source in AI-generated answers.
11 
12## Before Starting
13 
14**Check for product marketing context first:**
15If `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
16 
17Gather this context (ask if not provided):
18 
19### 1. Current AI Visibility
20- Do you know if your brand appears in AI-generated answers today?
21- Have you checked ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews for your key queries?
22- What queries matter most to your business?
23 
24### 2. Content & Domain
25- What type of content do you produce? (Blog, docs, comparisons, product pages)
26- What's your domain authority / traditional SEO strength?
27- Do you have existing structured data (schema markup)?
28 
29### 3. Goals
30- Get cited as a source in AI answers?
31- Appear in Google AI Overviews for specific queries?
32- Compete with specific brands already getting cited?
33- Optimize existing content or create new AI-optimized content?
34 
35### 4. Competitive Landscape
36- Who are your top competitors in AI search results?
37- Are they being cited where you're not?
38 
39---
40 
41## How AI Search Works
42 
43### The AI Search Landscape
44 
45| Platform | How It Works | Source Selection |
46|----------|-------------|----------------|
47| **Google AI Overviews** | Summarizes top-ranking pages | Strong correlation with traditional rankings |
48| **ChatGPT (with search)** | Searches web, cites sources | Draws from wider range, not just top-ranked |
49| **Perplexity** | Always cites sources with links | Favors authoritative, recent, well-structured content |
50| **Gemini** | Google's AI assistant | Pulls from Google index + Knowledge Graph |
51| **Copilot** | Bing-powered AI search | Bing index + authoritative sources |
52| **Claude** | Brave Search (when enabled) | Training data + Brave search results |
53 
54For a deep dive on how each platform selects sources and what to optimize per platform, see [references/platform-ranking-factors.md](references/platform-ranking-factors.md).
55 
56### Key Difference from Traditional SEO
57 
58Traditional SEO gets you ranked. AI SEO gets you **cited**.
59 
60In traditional search, you need to rank on page 1. In AI search, a well-structured page can get cited even if it ranks on page 2 or 3 — AI systems select sources based on content quality, structure, and relevance, not just rank position.
61 
62**Critical stats:**
63- AI Overviews appear in ~45% of Google searches
64- AI Overviews reduce clicks to websites by up to 58%
65- Brands are 6.5x more likely to be cited via third-party sources than their own domains
66- Optimized content gets cited 3x more often than non-optimized
67- Statistics and citations boost visibility by 40%+ across queries
68 
69---
70 
71## AI Visibility Audit
72 
73Before optimizing, assess your current AI search presence.
74 
75### Step 1: Check AI Answers for Your Key Queries
76 
77Test 10-20 of your most important queries across platforms:
78 
79| Query | Google AI Overview | ChatGPT | Perplexity | You Cited? | Competitors Cited? |
80|-------|:-----------------:|:-------:|:----------:|:----------:|:-----------------:|
81| [query 1] | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | [who] |
82| [query 2] | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | Yes/No | [who] |
83 
84**Query types to test:**
85- "What is [your product category]?"
86- "Best [product category] for [use case]"
87- "[Your brand] vs [competitor]"
88- "How to [problem your product solves]"
89- "[Your product category] pricing"
90 
91### Step 2: Analyze Citation Patterns
92 
93When your competitors get cited and you don't, examine:
94- **Content structure** — Is their content more extractable?
95- **Authority signals** — Do they have more citations, stats, expert quotes?
96- **Freshness** — Is their content more recently updated?
97- **Schema markup** — Do they have structured data you're missing?
98- **Third-party presence** — Are they cited via Wikipedia, Reddit, review sites?
99 
100### Step 3: Content Extractability Check
101 
102For each priority page, verify:
103 
104| Check | Pass/Fail |
105|-------|-----------|
106| Clear definition in first paragraph? | |
107| Self-contained answer blocks (work without surrounding context)? | |
108| Statistics with sources cited? | |
109| Comparison tables for "[X] vs [Y]" queries? | |
110| FAQ section with natural-language questions? | |
111| Schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, Article, Product)? | |
112| Expert attribution (author name, credentials)? | |
113| Recently updated (within 6 months)? | |
114| Heading structure matches query patterns? | |
115| AI bots allowed in robots.txt? | |
116 
117### Step 4: AI Bot Access Check
118 
119Verify your robots.txt allows AI crawlers. Each AI platform has its own bot, and blocking it means that platform can't cite you:
120 
121- **GPTBot** and **ChatGPT-User** — OpenAI (ChatGPT)
122- **PerplexityBot** — Perplexity
123- **ClaudeBot** and **anthropic-ai** — Anthropic (Claude)
124- **Google-Extended** — Google Gemini and AI Overviews
125- **Bingbot** — Microsoft Copilot (via Bing)
126 
127Check your robots.txt for `Disallow` rules targeting any of these. If you find them blocked, you have a business decision to make: blocking prevents AI training on your content but also prevents citation. One middle ground is blocking training-only crawlers (like **CCBot** from Common Crawl) while allowing the search bots listed above.
128 
129See [references/platform-ranking-factors.md](references/platform-ranking-factors.md) for the full robots.txt configuration.
130 
131---
132 
133## Optimization Strategy
134 
135### The Three Pillars
136 
137```
1381. Structure (make it extractable)
1392. Authority (make it citable)
1403. Presence (be where AI looks)
141```
142 
143### Pillar 1: Structure — Make Content Extractable
144 
145AI systems extract passages, not pages. Every key claim should work as a standalone statement.
146 
147**Content block patterns:**
148- **Definition blocks** for "What is X?" queries
149- **Step-by-step blocks** for "How to X" queries
150- **Comparison tables** for "X vs Y" queries
151- **Pros/cons blocks** for evaluation queries
152- **FAQ blocks** for common questions
153- **Statistic blocks** with cited sources
154 
155For detailed templates for each block type, see [references/content-patterns.md](references/content-patterns.md).
156 
157**Structural rules:**
158- Lead every section with a direct answer (don't bury it)
159- Keep key answer passages to 40-60 words (optimal for snippet extraction)
160- Use H2/H3 headings that match how people phrase queries
161- Tables beat prose for comparison content
162- Numbered lists beat paragraphs for process content
163- Each paragraph should convey one clear idea
164 
165### Pillar 2: Authority — Make Content Citable
166 
167AI systems prefer sources they can trust. Build citation-worthiness.
168 
169**The Princeton GEO research** (KDD 2024, studied across Perplexity.ai) ranked 9 optimization methods:
170 
171| Method | Visibility Boost | How to Apply |
172|--------|:---------------:|--------------|
173| **Cite sources** | +40% | Add authoritative references with links |
174| **Add statistics** | +37% | Include specific numbers with sources |
175| **Add quotations** | +30% | Expert quotes with name and title |
176| **Authoritative tone** | +25% | Write with demonstrated expertise |
177| **Improve clarity** | +20% | Simplify complex concepts |
178| **Technical terms** | +18% | Use domain-specific terminology |
179| **Unique vocabulary** | +15% | Increase word diversity |
180| **Fluency optimization** | +15-30% | Improve readability and flow |
181| ~~Keyword stuffing~~ | **-10%** | **Actively hurts AI visibility** |
182 
183**Best combination:** Fluency + Statistics = maximum boost. Low-ranking sites benefit even more — up to 115% visibility increase with citations.
184 
185**Statistics and data** (+37-40% citation boost)
186- Include specific numbers with sources
187- Cite original research, not summaries of research
188- Add dates to all statistics
189- Original data beats aggregated data
190 
191**Expert attribution** (+25-30% citation boost)
192- Named authors with credentials
193- Expert quotes with titles and organizations
194- "According to [Source]" framing for claims
195- Author bios with relevant expertise
196 
197**Freshness signals**
198- "Last updated: [date]" prominently displayed
199- Regular content refreshes (quarterly minimum for competitive topics)
200- Current year references and recent statistics
201- Remove or update outdated information
202 
203**E-E-A-T alignment**
204- First-hand experience demonstrated
205- Specific, detailed information (not generic)
206- Transparent sourcing and methodology
207- Clear author expertise for the topic
208 
209### Pillar 3: Presence — Be Where AI Looks
210 
211AI systems don't just cite your website — they cite where you appear.
212 
213**Third-party sources matter more than your own site:**
214- Wikipedia mentions (7.8% of all ChatGPT citations)
215- Reddit discussions (1.8% of ChatGPT citations)
216- Industry publications and guest posts
217- Review sites (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius for B2B SaaS)
218- YouTube (frequently cited by Google AI Overviews)
219- Quora answers
220 
221**Actions:**
222- Ensure your Wikipedia page is accurate and current
223- Participate authentically in Reddit communities
224- Get featured in industry roundups and comparison articles
225- Maintain updated profiles on relevant review platforms
226- Create YouTube content for key how-to queries
227- Answer relevant Quora questions with depth
228 
229### Machine-Readable Files for AI Agents
230 
231AI agents aren't just answering questions — they're becoming buyers. When an AI agent evaluates tools on behalf of a user, it needs structured, parseable information. If your pricing is locked in a JavaScript-rendered page or a "contact sales" wall, agents will skip you and recommend competitors whose information they can actually read.
232 
233Add these machine-readable files to your site root:
234 
235**`/pricing.md` or `/pricing.txt`** — Structured pricing data for AI agents
236 
237```markdown
238# Pricing — [Your Product Name]
239 
240## Free
241- Price: $0/month
242- Limits: 100 emails/month, 1 user
243- Features: Basic templates, API access
244 
245## Pro
246- Price: $29/month (billed annually) | $35/month (billed monthly)
247- Limits: 10,000 emails/month, 5 users
248- Features: Custom domains, analytics, priority support
249 
250## Enterprise
251- Price: Custom — contact [email protected]
252- Limits: Unlimited emails, unlimited users
253- Features: SSO, SLA, dedicated account manager
254```
255 
256**Why this matters now:**
257- AI agents increasingly compare products programmatically before a human ever visits your site
258- Opaque pricing gets filtered out of AI-mediated buying journeys
259- A simple markdown file is trivially parseable by any LLM — no rendering, no JavaScript, no login walls
260- Same principle as `robots.txt` (for crawlers), `llms.txt` (for AI context), and `AGENTS.md` (for agent capabilities)
261 
262**Best practices:**
263- Use consistent units (monthly vs. annual, per-seat vs. flat)
264- Include specific limits and thresholds, not just feature names
265- List what's included at each tier, not just what's different
266- Keep it updated — stale pricing is worse than no file
267- Link to it from your sitemap and main pricing page
268 
269**`/llms.txt`** — Context file for AI systems (see [llmstxt.org](https://llmstxt.org))
270 
271If you don't have one yet, add an `llms.txt` that gives AI systems a quick overview of what your product does, who it's for, and links to key pages (including your pricing).
272 
273### Schema Markup for AI
274 
275Structured data helps AI systems understand your content. Key schemas:
276 
277| Content Type | Schema | Why It Helps |
278|-------------|--------|-------------|
279| Articles/Blog posts | `Article`, `BlogPosting` | Author, date, topic identification |
280| How-to content | `HowTo` | Step extraction for process queries |
281| FAQs | `FAQPage` | Direct Q&A extraction |
282| Products | `Product` | Pricing, features, reviews |
283| Comparisons | `ItemList` | Structured comparison data |
284| Reviews | `Review`, `AggregateRating` | Trust signals |
285| Organization | `Organization` | Entity recognition |
286 
287Content with proper schema shows 30-40% higher AI visibility. For implementation, use the **schema-markup** skill.
288 
289---
290 
291## Content Types That Get Cited Most
292 
293Not all content is equally citable. Prioritize these formats:
294 
295| Content Type | Citation Share | Why AI Cites It |
296|-------------|:------------:|----------------|
297| **Comparison articles** | ~33% | Structured, balanced, high-intent |
298| **Definitive guides** | ~15% | Comprehensive, authoritative |
299| **Original research/data** | ~12% | Unique, citable statistics |
300| **Best-of/listicles** | ~10% | Clear structure, entity-rich |
301| **Product pages** | ~10% | Specific details AI can extract |
302| **How-to guides** | ~8% | Step-by-step structure |
303| **Opinion/analysis** | ~10% | Expert perspective, quotable |
304 
305**Underperformers for AI citation:**
306- Generic blog posts without structure
307- Thin product pages with marketing fluff
308- Gated content (AI can't access it)
309- Content without dates or author attribution
310- PDF-only content (harder for AI to parse)
311 
312---
313 
314## Monitoring AI Visibility
315 
316### What to Track
317 
318| Metric | What It Measures | How to Check |
319|--------|-----------------|-------------|
320| AI Overview presence | Do AI Overviews appear for your queries? | Manual check or Semrush/Ahrefs |
321| Brand citation rate | How often you're cited in AI answers | AI visibility tools (see below) |
322| Share of AI voice | Your citations vs. competitors | Peec AI, Otterly, ZipTie |
323| Citation sentiment | How AI describes your brand | Manual review + monitoring tools |
324| Source attribution | Which of your pages get cited | Track referral traffic from AI sources |
325 
326### AI Visibility Monitoring Tools
327 
328| Tool | Coverage | Best For |
329|------|----------|----------|
330| **Otterly AI** | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews | Share of AI voice tracking |
331| **Peec AI** | ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot+ | Multi-platform monitoring at scale |
332| **ZipTie** | Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity | Brand mention + sentiment tracking |
333| **LLMrefs** | ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, Gemini | SEO keyword → AI visibility mapping |
334 
335### DIY Monitoring (No Tools)
336 
337Monthly manual check:
3381. Pick your top 20 queries
3392. Run each through ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google
3403. Record: Are you cited? Who is? What page?
3414. Log in a spreadsheet, track month-over-month
342 
343---
344 
345## AI SEO for Different Content Types
346 
347### SaaS Product Pages
348 
349**Goal:** Get cited in "What is [category]?" and "Best [category]" queries.
350 
351**Optimize:**
352- Clear product description in first paragraph (what it does, who it's for)
353- Feature comparison tables (you vs. category, not just competitors)
354- Specific metrics ("processes 10,000 transactions/sec" not "blazing fast")
355- Customer count or social proof with numbers
356- Pricing transparency (AI cites pages with visible pricing) — add a `/pricing.md` file so AI agents can parse your plans without rendering your page (see "Machine-Readable Files" above)
357- FAQ section addressing common buyer questions
358 
359### Blog Content
360 
361**Goal:** Get cited as an authoritative source on topics in your space.
362 
363**Optimize:**
364- One clear target query per post (match heading to query)
365- Definition in first paragraph for "What is" queries
366- Original data, research, or expert quotes
367- "Last updated" date visible
368- Author bio with relevant credentials
369- Internal links to related product/feature pages
370 
371### Comparison/Alternative Pages
372 
373**Goal:** Get cited in "[X] vs [Y]" and "Best [X] alternatives" queries.
374 
375**Optimize:**
376- Structured comparison tables (not just prose)
377- Fair and balanced (AI penalizes obviously biased comparisons)
378- Specific criteria with ratings or scores
379- Updated pricing and feature data
380- Cite the competitor-alternatives skill for building these pages
381 
382### Documentation / Help Content
383 
384**Goal:** Get cited in "How to [X] with [your product]" queries.
385 
386**Optimize:**
387- Step-by-step format with numbered lists
388- Code examples where relevant
389- HowTo schema markup
390- Screenshots with descriptive alt text
391- Clear prerequisites and expected outcomes
392 
393---
394 
395## Common Mistakes
396 
397- **Ignoring AI search entirely** — ~45% of Google searches now show AI Overviews, and ChatGPT/Perplexity are growing fast
398- **Treating AI SEO as separate from SEO** — Good traditional SEO is the foundation; AI SEO adds structure and authority on top
399- **Writing for AI, not humans** — If content reads like it was written to game an algorithm, it won't get cited or convert
400- **No freshness signals** — Undated content loses to dated content because AI systems weight recency heavily. Show when content was last updated
401- **Gating all content** — AI can't access gated content. Keep your most authoritative content open
402- **Ignoring third-party presence** — You may get more AI citations from a Wikipedia mention than from your own blog
403- **No structured data** — Schema markup gives AI systems structured context about your content
404- **Keyword stuffing** — Unlike traditional SEO where it's just ineffective, keyword stuffing actively reduces AI visibility by 10% (Princeton GEO study)
405- **Hiding pricing behind "contact sales" or JS-rendered pages** — AI agents evaluating your product on behalf of buyers can't parse what they can't read. Add a `/pricing.md` file
406- **Blocking AI bots** — If GPTBot, PerplexityBot, or ClaudeBot are blocked in robots.txt, those platforms can't cite you
407- **Generic content without data** — "We're the best" won't get cited. "Our customers see 3x improvement in [metric]" will
408- **Forgetting to monitor** — You can't improve what you don't measure. Check AI visibility monthly at minimum
409 
410---
411 
412## Tool Integrations
413 
414For implementation, see the [tools registry](../../tools/REGISTRY.md).
415 
416| Tool | Use For |
417|------|---------|
418| `semrush` | AI Overview tracking, keyword research, content gap analysis |
419| `ahrefs` | Backlink analysis, content explorer, AI Overview data |
420| `gsc` | Search Console performance data, query tracking |
421| `ga4` | Referral traffic from AI sources |
422 
423---
424 
425## Task-Specific Questions
426 
4271. What are your top 10-20 most important queries?
4282. Have you checked if AI answers exist for those queries today?
4293. Do you have structured data (schema markup) on your site?
4304. What content types do you publish? (Blog, docs, comparisons, etc.)
4315. Are competitors being cited by AI where you're not?
4326. Do you have a Wikipedia page or presence on review sites?
433 
434---
435 
436## Related Skills
437 
438- **seo-audit**: For traditional technical and on-page SEO audits
439- **schema-markup**: For implementing structured data that helps AI understand your content
440- **content-strategy**: For planning what content to create
441- **competitor-alternatives**: For building comparison pages that get cited
442- **programmatic-seo**: For building SEO pages at scale
443- **copywriting**: For writing content that's both human-readable and AI-extractable
444