diff --git a/skills/ai-seo/SKILL.md b/skills/ai-seo/SKILL.md index 2f60334..49bd12c 100644 --- a/skills/ai-seo/SKILL.md +++ b/skills/ai-seo/SKILL.md @@ -66,6 +66,45 @@ In traditional search, you need to rank on page 1. In AI search, a well-structur - Optimized content gets cited 3x more often than non-optimized - Statistics and citations boost visibility by 40%+ across queries +### Google's Official Stance vs. Multi-Platform Reality + +This is important to read once before doing anything else. + +**Google's position** ([AI features optimization guide](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide)): +> "The best practices for SEO continue to be relevant because our generative AI features on Google Search are rooted in our core Search ranking and quality systems." + +Google explicitly says: +- **No special markup or files are required** for AI Overviews or AI Mode +- **Don't chunk content for AI** — write for people, organize with normal headings and paragraphs +- **Don't write separate content for AI** — that risks "scaled content abuse" spam policy +- **Helpful, reliable, people-first content** wins — same E-E-A-T standards as regular Search +- **No AI-specific Search Console reporting** — use standard SEO metrics + +**Other AI engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot) behave differently:** +- They actively reward extractable structure — passages, FAQs, comparison tables, definition blocks +- They parse `llms.txt`, structured pricing pages, and machine-readable files when present +- They cite third-party sources (Reddit, Wikipedia, review sites) more heavily than top-ranked pages + +**What this means for the work:** +- The structural patterns in this skill (40–60 word answer blocks, FAQ schema, comparison tables) help **non-Google AI engines** materially. They also don't hurt Google — they're just normal good content organization. +- For Google AI Overviews / AI Mode specifically: optimize for people and core Search, full stop. Strong E-E-A-T, original information, semantic HTML, clean indexability. +- For ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity: layer on the extractable structure + llms.txt + machine-readable files. + +When in doubt, default to "write for people, organize for clarity" — that satisfies both camps. + +### Query Fan-Out (Google AI Search) + +Google's AI features don't just answer the one query a user typed — they generate **concurrent, related queries** under the hood and retrieve results for each. + +Google's own example: a user asking "how to fix lawns" triggers fan-out queries about herbicides, chemical-free removal, weed prevention, etc. The AI synthesizes across all of them. + +**Implications:** +- Single-page-per-keyword targeting is less effective. Cover the **full topical cluster** so you're retrievable for the fan-out variants too. +- Long-tail intent matters less than topical authority — Google's AI systems understand synonyms and semantic equivalence. +- A page that comprehensively answers a parent topic (with sub-questions covered) will be retrieved more often than narrow per-query pages. + +**Action**: when planning content, brainstorm the 5–10 related queries the AI is likely to fan out to and make sure your content (or your site as a whole) covers them. + --- ## AI Visibility Audit @@ -228,6 +267,10 @@ AI systems don't just cite your website — they cite where you appear. ### Machine-Readable Files for AI Agents +> **Google's stance**: not required for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Their guide explicitly says you don't need new markup, AI files, or markdown to appear in generative AI search. +> +> **Why include them anyway**: non-Google AI engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) and autonomous buying agents do reward extractable structure. The files below help with those engines without harming Google. + AI 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. Add these machine-readable files to your site root: @@ -284,7 +327,32 @@ Structured data helps AI systems understand your content. Key schemas: | Reviews | `Review`, `AggregateRating` | Trust signals | | Organization | `Organization` | Entity recognition | -Content with proper schema shows 30-40% higher AI visibility. For implementation, use the **schema** skill. +Content with proper schema shows 30-40% higher AI visibility on non-Google AI engines. **Google's note**: structured data is "not required for generative AI search" but is recommended for overall SEO strategy. For implementation, use the **schema** skill. + +--- + +## Agentic Experiences + +Beyond AI search engines summarizing content, autonomous agents are starting to access sites directly — clicking, reading, comparing, even buying on behalf of users. Google's guide flags this as an emerging category to plan for. + +**How agents access your site:** +- **Visual rendering** — they screenshot/read the page like a user would +- **DOM inspection** — they parse the page's HTML structure +- **Accessibility tree** — they rely on the same semantic information assistive tech uses (labels, roles, landmarks, headings) + +**What to do:** +- **Render meaningful content without heavy JS gymnastics** — if the page is blank until 4 frameworks finish loading, agents see blank +- **Semantic HTML** — use `
`, `