SEO/GEO Optimization Skill

Comprehensive SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) for websites. Optimize for both traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and AI search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude).

Quick Reference

GEO = Generative Engine Optimization - Optimizing content to be cited by AI search engines.

Key Insight: AI search engines don't rank pages - they cite sources. Being cited is the new "ranking #1".

Workflow

Step 1: Website Audit

Get the target URL and analyze current SEO/GEO status.

Basic SEO Audit (Free):

python3 scripts/seo_audit.py "https://example.com"

Use this for: Quick technical SEO check (title, meta, H1, robots, sitemap, load time). No API needed.

---

Check Meta Tags:

curl -sL "https://example.com" | grep -E "<title>|<meta name=\"description\"|<meta property=\"og:|application/ld\+json" | head -20

Use this for: Quick check of essential meta tags and schema markup on any webpage.

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Check robots.txt:

curl -s "https://example.com/robots.txt"

Use this for: Verify which bots are allowed/blocked. Critical for ensuring AI search engines can crawl your site.

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Check sitemap:

curl -s "https://example.com/sitemap.xml" | head -50

Use this for: Verify sitemap structure and ensure all important pages are included for search engine discovery.

Verify AI Bot Access:

# These bots should be allowed in robots.txt:
- Googlebot (Google)
- Bingbot (Bing/Copilot)
- PerplexityBot (Perplexity)
- ChatGPT-User (ChatGPT with browsing)
- ClaudeBot / anthropic-ai (Claude)
- GPTBot (OpenAI)

Step 2: Keyword Research

Use WebSearch to research target keywords:

WebSearch: "{keyword} keyword difficulty site:ahrefs.com OR site:semrush.com"
WebSearch: "{keyword} search volume 2026"
WebSearch: "site:{competitor.com} {keyword}"

Analyze:

• Search volume and difficulty
• Competitor keyword strategies
• Long-tail keyword opportunities
• International keyword conflicts (e.g., "OPC" = industrial automation in English markets)

Step 3: GEO Optimization (AI Search Engines)

Apply the 9 Princeton GEO Methods (see references/geo-research.md (./references/geo-research.md)):

Best Combination: Fluency + Statistics = Maximum boost

Generate FAQPage Schema (+40% AI visibility):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "What is [topic]?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "According to [source], [answer with statistics]."
    }
  }]
}

Optimize Content Structure:

• Use "answer-first" format (direct answer at top)
• Clear H1 > H2 > H3 hierarchy
• Bullet points and numbered lists
• Tables for comparison data
• Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max)

Step 4: Traditional SEO Optimization

Meta Tags Template:

<title>{Primary Keyword} - {Brand} | {Secondary Keyword}</title>
<meta name="description" content="{Compelling description with keyword, 150-160 chars}">
<meta name="keywords" content="{keyword1}, {keyword2}, {keyword3}">


<meta property="og:title" content="{Title}">
<meta property="og:description" content="{Description}">
<meta property="og:image" content="{Image URL 1200x630}">
<meta property="og:url" content="{Canonical URL}">
<meta property="og:type" content="website">


<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:title" content="{Title}">
<meta name="twitter:description" content="{Description}">
<meta name="twitter:image" content="{Image URL}">

JSON-LD Schema (see references/schema-templates.md (./references/schema-templates.md)):

• WebPage / Article for content pages
• FAQPage for FAQ sections
• Product for product pages
• Organization for about pages
• SoftwareApplication for tools/apps

Check Content:

• H1 contains primary keyword
• Images have descriptive alt text
• Internal links to related content
• External links have rel="noopener noreferrer"
• Content is mobile-friendly
• Page loads in < 3 seconds

Step 5: Validate & Monitor

Schema Validation:

# Open Google Rich Results Test
open "https://search.google.com/test/rich-results?url={encoded_url}"

# Open Schema.org Validator
open "https://validator.schema.org/?url={encoded_url}"

Check Indexing Status:

# Google (use Search Console API or manual check)
open "https://www.google.com/search?q=site:{domain}"

# Bing
open "https://www.bing.com/search?q=site:{domain}"

Generate Report:

## SEO/GEO Optimization Report

### Current Status
- Meta Tags: ✅/❌
- Schema Markup: ✅/❌
- AI Bot Access: ✅/❌
- Mobile Friendly: ✅/❌
- Page Speed: X seconds

### Recommendations
1. [Priority 1 action]
2. [Priority 2 action]
3. [Priority 3 action]

### GEO Optimizations Applied
- [ ] FAQPage schema added
- [ ] Statistics included
- [ ] Citations added
- [ ] Answer-first structure

Platform-Specific Optimization

See references/platform-algorithms.md (./references/platform-algorithms.md) for detailed ranking factors.

ChatGPT

• Focus on branded domain authority (cited 11% more than third-party)
• Update content within 30 days (3.2x more citations)
• Build backlinks (>350K referring domains = 8.4 avg citations)
• Match content style to ChatGPT's response format

Perplexity

• Allow PerplexityBot in robots.txt
• Use FAQ Schema (higher citation rate)
• Host PDF documents (prioritized for citation)
• Focus on semantic relevance over keywords

Google AI Overview (SGE)

• Optimize for E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)
• Use structured data (Schema markup)
• Build topical authority (content clusters + internal linking)
• Include authoritative citations (+132% visibility)

Microsoft Copilot / Bing

• Ensure Bing indexing (required for citation)
• Optimize for Microsoft ecosystem (LinkedIn, GitHub mentions help)
• Page speed < 2 seconds
• Clear entity definitions

Claude AI

• Ensure Brave Search indexing (Claude uses Brave, not Google)
• High factual density (data-rich content preferred)
• Clear structural clarity (easy to extract)

Skill Dependencies

This skill works best with:

• twitter skill - Search SEO experts for latest tips
• reddit skill - Search r/SEO, r/bigseo for discussions
• WebSearch - Keyword research and competitor analysis

References

• references/platform-algorithms.md (./references/platform-algorithms.md) - Detailed ranking factors for each platform
• references/geo-research.md (./references/geo-research.md) - Princeton GEO research (9 methods)
• references/schema-templates.md (./references/schema-templates.md) - JSON-LD templates
• references/seo-checklist.md (./references/seo-checklist.md) - Complete SEO audit checklist
• references/tools-and-apis.md (./references/tools-and-apis.md) - Tools and API reference
• examples/opc-skills-case-study.md (./examples/opc-skills-case-study.md) - Real-world optimization example

---

Supporting file: .claude-plugin/plugin.json

{ "name": "seo-geo", "version": "1.0.0", "description": "SEO & GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) for websites. Optimize for AI search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude) and traditional search (Google, Bing). Includes Princeton GEO research methods for +40% AI visibility.", "author": { "name": "ReScienceLab" }, "homepage": "https://github.com/ReScienceLab/opc-skills/tree/main/skills/seo-geo", "repository": "https://github.com/ReScienceLab/opc-skills", "license": "MIT", "keywords": [ "SEO", "GEO", "search optimization", "schema markup", "JSON-LD", "meta tags", "keyword research", "AI visibility", "ChatGPT ranking", "Perplexity" ], "skills": [ "./SKILL.md" ], "commands": [ "./scripts/" ] }

---

Supporting file: examples/opc-skills-case-study.md

Case Study: OPC Skills Website SEO/GEO Optimization

Real-world example of applying SEO and GEO optimization to opc.dev.

---

Background

Website: opc.dev
Product: AI Agent Skills for Solopreneurs
Platforms: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Factory Droid, OpenCode
Date: January 2026

Initial Status

---

Problem Analysis

1. Keyword Conflict

The term "OPC" has different meanings in different markets:

Decision: Focus on long-tail keywords for English market:

• "AI agent skills for solopreneurs"
• "Claude Code skills"
• "indie hacker tools"

2. Missing Schema Markup

No structured data meant:

• No rich results in Google
• Poor AI visibility
• No FAQ display

3. No GEO Optimization

Content lacked:

• Statistics and data points
• Expert citations
• FAQ format
• Answer-first structure

---

Implementation

Phase 1: Meta Tags Optimization

Before:

<title>OPC Skills</title>
<meta name="description" content="Skills for one person companies">

After:

<title>OPC Skills - AI Agent Skills for Solopreneurs & Indie Hackers | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex</title>
<meta name="description" content="10+ AI agent skills for solopreneurs. Domain hunting, social media research, logo creation. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Factory Droid. One-click install, 100% open source.">

Keywords targeted:

• solopreneur (high intent, low competition)
• indie hacker (community term)
• Claude Code skills (specific platform)
• AI agent skills (emerging category)

Phase 2: Schema Markup Implementation

Added comprehensive JSON-LD:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "name": "OPC Skills - AI Agent Skills for Solopreneurs",
      "description": "10+ agent skills for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex...",
      "dateModified": "2026-01-20",
      "speakable": {
        "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
        "cssSelector": ["h1", ".hero-description", ".faq-answer"]
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
      "name": "OPC Skills",
      "applicationCategory": "DeveloperApplication",
      "operatingSystem": "Cross-platform",
      "offers": {
        "@type": "Offer",
        "price": "0",
        "priceCurrency": "USD"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "FAQPage",
      "mainEntity": [
        {
          "@type": "Question",
          "name": "What is OPC Skills?",
          "acceptedAnswer": {
            "@type": "Answer",
            "text": "OPC Skills is a collection of 10+ AI agent skills..."
          }
        }
        // 12 total FAQ items
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Phase 3: GEO Optimization (Princeton Methods)

Statistics Addition (+37%)

Before:

"Skills for one person companies"

After:

"10+ Skills | 5 Platforms | One-Click Install | 100% Open Source"

FAQ Section (+40% AI Visibility)

Added 12 FAQ questions targeting high-search queries:

1. What is OPC Skills?
2. What platforms does OPC Skills support?
3. How do I install OPC Skills?
4. Is OPC Skills free?
5. What skills are included in OPC Skills?
6. How does the domain-hunter skill work?
7. Can I use OPC Skills with Claude Code?
8. What is the twitter skill used for?
9. How do I create a logo with OPC Skills?
10. Is OPC Skills open source?
11. How do I contribute to OPC Skills?
12. What is a solopreneur?

Authoritative Tone (+25%)

Before:

"Some tools for solo workers"

After:

"AI Agent Skills for Solopreneurs - The definitive skill library for 
one-person companies. Trusted by indie hackers worldwide."

Citations (+40%)

Added references to:

• Anthropic (Claude Code official documentation)
• Industry statistics on solopreneur growth
• Sam Altman's "billion-dollar one-person company" prediction

Phase 4: AI Bot Configuration

Updated robots.txt considerations:

# Allow AI bots for GEO visibility
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

Phase 5: Hero Section Rewrite

Before:

OPC Skills
Skills for OPCs

After:

AI Agent Skills for Solopreneurs

The skill library for one-person companies. 
Install once, use everywhere.

10+ Skills | 5 Platforms | One-Click Install | 100% Open Source

---

Results

Technical Improvements

SEO Improvements

GEO Improvements

Estimated total GEO visibility boost: 40-60%

---

Lessons Learned

1. Keyword Research is Critical

The "OPC" keyword conflict could have hurt visibility. Long-tail keywords solved this:

• "solopreneur tools" > "OPC tools"
• "Claude Code skills" > "AI skills"

2. FAQPage Schema is High-Impact

Adding 12 FAQ items with proper schema:

• Enables rich results
• Provides AI-extractable content
• Targets specific search queries

3. Statistics Make Content Quotable

"10+ Skills | 5 Platforms | One-Click Install | 100% Open Source"

These specific numbers are:

• Easy for AI to extract
• Memorable for users
• Differentiated from competitors

4. Answer-First Structure

Each FAQ answer starts with a direct answer:

• "OPC Skills is a collection of..." (not "Well, it depends...")
• This matches AI response patterns

---

Next Steps

Short-term (1 month)

• Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
• Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools
• Monitor indexing progress
• Track FAQ rich results

Medium-term (3 months)

• Monitor AI citation rate
• A/B test different FAQ questions
• Build backlinks from dev communities
• Create content for Reddit/HN

Long-term (6 months)

• Establish "OPC Skills = Solopreneur tools" brand
• Rank for "Claude Code skills" in AI search
• Get cited in AI responses about solopreneur tools

---

Replication Guide

To replicate this optimization for your own site:

1. Audit current state using seo-geo skill checklist
2. Research keywords - find long-tail opportunities
3. Write meta tags - include primary keyword in title/description
4. Add Schema markup - start with FAQPage and WebPage
5. Apply Princeton methods - statistics, citations, structure
6. Configure AI bot access - robots.txt
7. Validate schema - Google Rich Results Test
8. Submit to search engines - Search Console, Bing Webmaster
9. Monitor and iterate - track visibility, adjust content

---

Files Changed

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Supporting file: references/geo-research.md

GEO Research: Princeton Study & Optimization Methods

Paper Overview

Title: GEO: Generative Engine Optimization
Authors: Princeton University, IIT Delhi, Georgia Tech, Allen Institute for AI
Published: November 2023 (arXiv:2311.09735)
Accepted: KDD 2024 (30th ACM SIGKDD Conference)
Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.09735

---

Key Findings

What is GEO?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a novel framework to help content creators improve their visibility in generative engine responses (AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google SGE).

Unlike traditional SEO (ranking in search results), GEO focuses on being cited by AI systems.

Core Results

Why GEO Matters

1. Traditional search engines are being replaced by generative engines
2. Content creators have little control over how their content appears in AI responses
3. GEO provides systematic methods to improve visibility
4. Different domains need different strategies - no one-size-fits-all

---

The 9 Optimization Methods

Method 1: Cite Sources (+40%)

What: Add authoritative citations and references to your content.

Why it works: AI systems prefer content that appears well-researched and credible. Citations signal authority.

How to apply:

# Before
"Studies show that AI improves productivity."

# After
"According to a 2024 Stanford University study, AI tools improve developer 
productivity by 55% on average (Chen et al., 2024)."

Best for: All content types, especially academic/professional topics.

---

Method 2: Statistics Addition (+37%)

What: Include specific numbers, data points, and quantitative information.

Why it works: AI systems prioritize factual, verifiable information. Numbers make content more quotable.

How to apply:

# Before
"Many companies use AI for customer service."

# After
"67% of Fortune 500 companies now use AI chatbots for customer service, 
handling an average of 85% of routine inquiries without human intervention."

Best for: Business, finance, technology, health content.

---

Method 3: Quotation Addition (+30%)

What: Add expert quotes with proper attribution.

Why it works: Quotes from recognized experts boost credibility and provide extractable content for AI.

How to apply:

# Before
"AI will transform the workforce."

# After
"'We're likely to see the first one-person billion-dollar company in the 
next few years,' predicts Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI. 'AI will be the 
great equalizer for small businesses.'"

Best for: Law, academic, news, thought leadership content.

---

Method 4: Authoritative Tone (+25%)

What: Write with confidence and expertise.

Why it works: AI systems assess content quality partly through linguistic signals of authority.

How to apply:

# Before
"This might help with SEO, I think."

# After
"This strategy demonstrably improves SEO performance. Based on our 
analysis of 10,000 websites, implementing structured data increases 
organic traffic by an average of 30%."

Best for: Business, professional services, technical documentation.

---

Method 5: Easy-to-Understand (+20%)

What: Simplify complex concepts for broader accessibility.

Why it works: AI aims to provide helpful answers to users of all knowledge levels.

How to apply:

# Before
"The RAG architecture utilizes vector embeddings for semantic retrieval 
in conjunction with LLM-based generation."

# After
"RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) works like a research assistant: 
it first searches for relevant information, then uses AI to write a 
coherent answer based on what it found."

Best for: Health, education, general consumer content.

---

Method 6: Technical Terms (+18%)

What: Include domain-specific terminology appropriately.

Why it works: Technical terms signal expertise and help AI match content to specialized queries.

How to apply:

# Before
"The website loads slowly."

# After
"The website suffers from poor Core Web Vitals: LCP (Largest Contentful 
Paint) exceeds 4 seconds, and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) scores 0.3, 
indicating significant layout instability."

Best for: Technology, science, medical, legal content.

---

Method 7: Unique Words (+15%)

What: Increase vocabulary diversity and use distinctive phrasing.

Why it works: Diverse vocabulary indicates depth of knowledge and makes content more distinguishable.

How to apply:

• Use synonyms and varied terminology
• Avoid repetitive phrasing
• Include industry-specific jargon where appropriate
• Add contextual variations

Best for: All content types.

---

Method 8: Fluency Optimization (+15-30%)

What: Improve readability, flow, and grammatical quality.

Why it works: Well-written content is easier for AI to parse and more likely to be selected as authoritative.

How to apply:

• Use clear sentence structure
• Maintain logical flow between paragraphs
• Eliminate redundancy
• Use transition words
• Keep paragraphs focused (2-3 sentences)

Best for: All content types.

---

Method 9: Keyword Stuffing (-10%) ⚠️

What: Overloading content with target keywords.

Why it HURTS: Unlike traditional SEO, keyword stuffing actively decreases AI visibility.

Avoid:

# BAD - Keyword stuffing
"SEO optimization for SEO is the best SEO strategy. Our SEO experts 
provide SEO services for all your SEO needs. SEO is important for SEO."

# GOOD - Natural writing
"Search engine optimization is essential for online visibility. Our 
experts help businesses improve their search rankings through strategic 
content development and technical improvements."

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Best Combinations

The Princeton research found that combining methods yields better results:

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Domain-Specific Recommendations

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GEO Metrics

The paper introduces visibility metrics for evaluating GEO effectiveness:

Position-Adjusted Word Count

Measures how much of your content appears in AI responses, weighted by position (earlier = better).

Subjective Impression Score

Human evaluation of how prominently your content is featured in responses.

Word Count Share

Percentage of AI response that comes from your content vs. competitors.

---

Implementation Checklist

Content Optimization

• Add 2-3 authoritative citations per major section
• Include at least 5 relevant statistics with sources
• Add 1-2 expert quotes with attribution
• Use confident, authoritative language
• Ensure content is accessible to general audience
• Include appropriate technical terminology
• Vary vocabulary throughout
• Improve overall fluency and readability
• Remove any keyword stuffing

Structure Optimization

• Use "answer-first" format (direct answer at top)
• Clear H1 > H2 > H3 hierarchy
• Bullet points for lists
• Tables for comparisons
• Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences)
• Logical flow between sections

Schema Optimization

• Implement FAQPage schema (+40% AI visibility)
• Add Article schema with author info
• Include datePublished and dateModified
• Add SpeakableSpecification for voice search

---

Validation on Commercial Platforms

The researchers validated GEO methods on Perplexity.ai, a commercial generative engine:

These results confirm that GEO methods work on real-world AI search engines, not just research benchmarks.

---

Future of GEO

The paper concludes that GEO is essential for:

1. Content creators - Maintain visibility in AI-dominated search
2. Businesses - Ensure brand presence in AI responses
3. Publishers - Adapt to the citation economy
4. SEO professionals - Evolve practices for generative search

As AI search engines become more prevalent, GEO will become as important as traditional SEO.

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Supporting file: references/google-docs-summary.md

Google Official SEO Documentation Summary

Quick reference from Google Search Central.

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Search Three-Stage Process

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Core Web Vitals

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Structured Data Types

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Spam Policies (Avoid)

• Keyword stuffing
• Hidden text/links
• Link schemes
• Auto-generated content
• Scraped content
• Cloaking

---

Official Tools

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Reference

• https://developers.google.com/search
• https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide

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Supporting file: references/platform-algorithms.md

Platform Ranking Algorithms

Detailed ranking factors for AI search engines and traditional search engines (2025-2026).

---

1. ChatGPT Ranking Factors

Core Ranking System

ChatGPT uses a two-phase system:

1. Pre-training Knowledge - Built from diverse datasets (Wikipedia, books, web)
2. Real-time Retrieval - Web browsing for current information

Ranking Factor Weights

Key Findings (SE Ranking Study - 129K domains)

ChatGPT Top Citation Sources

Content-Answer Fit Analysis (400K pages study)

Optimization Checklist

• Build strong backlink profile (quality > quantity)
• Update content within 30 days
• Use clear H1/H2/H3 structure
• Include verifiable statistics with citations
• Write in ChatGPT's conversational style
• Ensure domain has high trust score

---

2. Perplexity AI Ranking Factors

Architecture

Perplexity uses Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) with a 3-layer reranking system:

1. Layer 1 (L1): Basic relevance retrieval
2. Layer 2 (L2): Traditional ranking factors scoring
3. Layer 3 (L3): ML models for quality evaluation (can discard entire result sets)

Core Ranking Factors

Perplexity Sonar Model Insights

Technical Requirements

# robots.txt - Allow PerplexityBot
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

# Provide clean sitemap
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml

Optimization Checklist

• Allow PerplexityBot in robots.txt
• Implement FAQ Schema markup
• Create publicly accessible PDF resources
• Use Article schema with timestamps
• Focus on semantic relevance, not keywords
• Build topical authority in your niche

---

3. Google AI Overview (SGE) Ranking Factors

Architecture

Google AI Overviews use multiple AI models:

• PaLM2 - Language understanding
• MUM - Multimodal understanding
• Gemini - Advanced reasoning

5-Stage Source Prioritization Pipeline

1. Retrieval - Identify candidate sources
2. Semantic Ranking - Evaluate topical relevance
3. LLM Re-ranking - Assess contextual fit (using Gemini)
4. E-E-A-T Evaluation - Filter for expertise/authority/trust
5. Data Fusion - Synthesize from multiple sources with citations

Key Statistics

Ranking Factors

Content Requirements

Traditional SEO still matters:
- Quality backlinks
- Original, helpful content
- Fast page speed
- Mobile-friendly design
- Secure (HTTPS)

Optimization Checklist

• Implement comprehensive Schema markup
• Build topical authority with content clusters
• Include authoritative citations and references
• Use E-E-A-T signals (author bios, credentials)
• Optimize for Google Merchant Center (e-commerce)
• Target informational "how-to" queries

---

4. Microsoft Copilot / Bing AI Ranking Factors

Architecture

Copilot is integrated into:

• Microsoft Edge browser
• Windows 11
• Microsoft 365 apps
• Bing Search

Uses Bing Index as primary data source.

Ranking Factors

Technical Requirements

# robots.txt
User-agent: Bingbot
Allow: /

User-agent: msnbot
Allow: /

# Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools
# Use IndexNow for faster indexing

Optimization Checklist

• Submit site to Bing Webmaster Tools
• Ensure Bingbot can crawl all pages
• Use IndexNow for new content
• Optimize page speed (< 2 seconds)
• Clear entity definitions in content
• Build presence on LinkedIn, GitHub

---

5. Claude AI Ranking Factors

Architecture

Important: Claude uses Brave Search, NOT Google or Bing!

Claude decides when to search based on:

• Query freshness requirements
• Specificity of question
• User intent

Ranking Factors

Key Statistic

Crawl-to-Refer Ratio: 38,065:1

• Claude consumes massive amounts of content
• Very selective about what it cites
• Quality and relevance are critical

Technical Requirements

# robots.txt
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

User-agent: anthropic-ai
Allow: /

Optimization Checklist

• Ensure Brave Search indexing
• Allow ClaudeBot in robots.txt
• Create high factual density content
• Use clear, extractable structure
• Include verifiable data points
• Cite authoritative sources

---

6. Traditional Google SEO Ranking Factors (2026)

Core Ranking Systems

Top 10 Ranking Factors

Core Web Vitals

E-E-A-T Guidelines

Optimization Checklist

• Build quality backlinks (guest posts, PR, original research)
• Create comprehensive, original content
• Optimize Core Web Vitals
• Ensure mobile-friendly design
• Use HTTPS
• Implement Schema markup
• Match content to search intent
• Update content regularly
• Add author bios with credentials
• Include E-E-A-T signals

---

Cross-Platform Optimization Summary

Universal Best Practices

1. Allow all major bots in robots.txt
2. Implement Schema markup (FAQPage, Article, Organization)
3. Build authoritative backlinks
4. Update content regularly (within 30 days)
5. Use clear structure (H1 > H2 > H3, lists, tables)
6. Include statistics and citations
7. Optimize page speed (< 2 seconds)
8. Ensure mobile-friendly design

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Supporting file: references/schema-templates.md

JSON-LD Schema Templates

Ready-to-use JSON-LD structured data templates for SEO and GEO optimization.

---

1. FAQPage Schema (+40% AI Visibility)

Best for: FAQ sections, knowledge base pages, product pages with Q&A.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is [Your Product/Service]?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "[Comprehensive answer with statistics. According to X, 85% of users report Y benefit.]"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does [Product/Service] work?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "[Step-by-step explanation. First, you... Then... Finally...]"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What are the benefits of [Product/Service]?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "[List key benefits with data. Users save an average of X hours per week.]"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How much does [Product/Service] cost?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "[Pricing information. Plans start at $X/month with a free tier available.]"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How do I get started with [Product/Service]?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "[Installation/signup instructions. Run: curl -fsSL example.com/install.sh | bash]"
      }
    }
  ]
}

---

2. WebPage Schema

Best for: Standard content pages, landing pages.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebPage",
  "name": "[Page Title]",
  "description": "[Page description, 150-160 characters]",
  "url": "https://example.com/page",
  "datePublished": "2024-01-15",
  "dateModified": "2024-12-20",
  "inLanguage": "en-US",
  "isPartOf": {
    "@type": "WebSite",
    "name": "[Site Name]",
    "url": "https://example.com"
  },
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "[Author Name]",
    "url": "https://example.com/about"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "[Organization Name]",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "speakable": {
    "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
    "cssSelector": ["h1", ".summary", ".key-points"]
  }
}

---

3. Article Schema

Best for: Blog posts, news articles, tutorials.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "[Article Title - Max 110 characters]",
  "description": "[Article summary]",
  "image": [
    "https://example.com/image-1x1.jpg",
    "https://example.com/image-4x3.jpg",
    "https://example.com/image-16x9.jpg"
  ],
  "datePublished": "2024-01-15T08:00:00+00:00",
  "dateModified": "2024-12-20T10:30:00+00:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "[Author Name]",
    "url": "https://example.com/author/name",
    "jobTitle": "[Job Title]",
    "worksFor": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "[Company]"
    }
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "[Publisher Name]",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png",
      "width": 600,
      "height": 60
    }
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@type": "WebPage",
    "@id": "https://example.com/article-url"
  },
  "keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2", "keyword3"],
  "articleSection": "[Category]",
  "wordCount": 2500
}

---

4. SoftwareApplication Schema

Best for: Tools, apps, software products.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "[App Name]",
  "description": "[App description]",
  "applicationCategory": "DeveloperApplication",
  "operatingSystem": "Cross-platform",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "downloadUrl": "https://example.com/download",
  "softwareVersion": "1.0.0",
  "releaseNotes": "https://example.com/changelog",
  "screenshot": "https://example.com/screenshot.png",
  "featureList": [
    "Feature 1 description",
    "Feature 2 description",
    "Feature 3 description"
  ],
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.8",
    "ratingCount": "150",
    "bestRating": "5",
    "worstRating": "1"
  },
  "author": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "[Company Name]",
    "url": "https://example.com"
  }
}

---

5. Organization Schema

Best for: About pages, company pages.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "[Organization Name]",
  "alternateName": "[Alternate Name]",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
  "description": "[Organization description]",
  "foundingDate": "2024",
  "founders": [
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "[Founder Name]"
    }
  ],
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressLocality": "[City]",
    "addressRegion": "[State]",
    "addressCountry": "[Country]"
  },
  "contactPoint": {
    "@type": "ContactPoint",
    "contactType": "customer service",
    "email": "support@example.com"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://twitter.com/example",
    "https://github.com/example",
    "https://linkedin.com/company/example"
  ]
}

---

6. Product Schema

Best for: E-commerce product pages.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "[Product Name]",
  "description": "[Product description]",
  "image": [
    "https://example.com/product-image-1.jpg",
    "https://example.com/product-image-2.jpg"
  ],
  "sku": "[SKU]",
  "brand": {
    "@type": "Brand",
    "name": "[Brand Name]"
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "url": "https://example.com/product",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "price": "99.99",
    "priceValidUntil": "2025-12-31",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "seller": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "[Seller Name]"
    }
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.5",
    "reviewCount": "89"
  },
  "review": [
    {
      "@type": "Review",
      "reviewRating": {
        "@type": "Rating",
        "ratingValue": "5",
        "bestRating": "5"
      },
      "author": {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "[Reviewer Name]"
      },
      "reviewBody": "[Review text]"
    }
  ]
}

---

7. HowTo Schema

Best for: Tutorials, guides, how-to articles.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "How to [Do Something]",
  "description": "[Brief description of what this guide covers]",
  "image": "https://example.com/how-to-image.jpg",
  "totalTime": "PT15M",
  "estimatedCost": {
    "@type": "MonetaryAmount",
    "currency": "USD",
    "value": "0"
  },
  "supply": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToSupply",
      "name": "[Required item 1]"
    }
  ],
  "tool": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToTool",
      "name": "[Required tool 1]"
    }
  ],
  "step": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Step 1: [Step Name]",
      "text": "[Detailed step instructions]",
      "image": "https://example.com/step-1.jpg",
      "url": "https://example.com/guide#step1"
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Step 2: [Step Name]",
      "text": "[Detailed step instructions]",
      "image": "https://example.com/step-2.jpg",
      "url": "https://example.com/guide#step2"
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Step 3: [Step Name]",
      "text": "[Detailed step instructions]",
      "image": "https://example.com/step-3.jpg",
      "url": "https://example.com/guide#step3"
    }
  ]
}

---

8. BreadcrumbList Schema

Best for: All pages with navigation hierarchy.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://example.com"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "[Category]",
      "item": "https://example.com/category"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "[Current Page]",
      "item": "https://example.com/category/page"
    }
  ]
}

---

9. LocalBusiness Schema

Best for: Local business pages.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "[Business Name]",
  "description": "[Business description]",
  "image": "https://example.com/business-image.jpg",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
  "email": "contact@example.com",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "[Street Address]",
    "addressLocality": "[City]",
    "addressRegion": "[State]",
    "postalCode": "[ZIP]",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": 37.7749,
    "longitude": -122.4194
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "17:00"
    }
  ],
  "priceRange": "$$"
}

---

10. SpeakableSpecification (GEO Enhancement)

Best for: Voice search optimization, AI extraction.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebPage",
  "name": "[Page Title]",
  "speakable": {
    "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
    "cssSelector": [
      "h1",
      ".summary",
      ".key-takeaways",
      ".faq-answer"
    ]
  }
}

---

Combined Schema Example

For a software product page with FAQ:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "name": "OPC Skills - AI Agent Skills for Solopreneurs",
      "description": "10+ agent skills for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex. Domain hunting, social media research, logo creation.",
      "url": "https://opc.dev",
      "dateModified": "2024-12-20",
      "speakable": {
        "@type": "SpeakableSpecification",
        "cssSelector": ["h1", ".hero-description", ".faq-answer"]
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
      "name": "OPC Skills",
      "applicationCategory": "DeveloperApplication",
      "operatingSystem": "Cross-platform",
      "offers": {
        "@type": "Offer",
        "price": "0",
        "priceCurrency": "USD"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "FAQPage",
      "mainEntity": [
        {
          "@type": "Question",
          "name": "What is OPC Skills?",
          "acceptedAnswer": {
            "@type": "Answer",
            "text": "OPC Skills is a collection of 10+ AI agent skills for solopreneurs, supporting Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex."
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "name": "OPC Skills",
      "url": "https://opc.dev",
      "sameAs": ["https://github.com/ReScienceLab/opc-skills"]
    }
  ]
}

---

Validation Tools

1. Google Rich Results Test

   https://search.google.com/test/rich-results?url={your-url}
   

2. Schema.org Validator

   https://validator.schema.org/?url={your-url}
   

3. Google Search Console

   • Check "Enhancements" for schema issues
   • Monitor rich result performance

---

Supporting file: references/seo-checklist.md

SEO/GEO Audit Checklist

Complete checklist for auditing and optimizing websites for both traditional SEO and GEO (AI search visibility).

Priority Levels

---

Technical SEO

P0 - Critical

• P0 robots.txt allows important pages
• P0 Site is accessible (no 5xx errors)
• P0 HTTPS enabled (valid SSL certificate)
• P0 Mobile-responsive design
• P0 No critical pages blocked by noindex
• P0 Site is indexed in Google (check: site:domain.com)

P1 - Important

• P1 robots.txt allows AI bots (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot)
• P1 XML sitemap exists and is submitted
• P1 Site is indexed in Bing (for Copilot visibility)
• P1 Canonical tags properly implemented
• P1 No duplicate content issues
• P1 Page load time < 3 seconds
• P1 LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) < 2.5s

P2 - Recommended

• P2 FID (First Input Delay) < 100ms
• P2 CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) < 0.1
• P2 Images optimized (WebP format, lazy loading)
• P2 CSS/JS minified
• P2 GZIP/Brotli compression enabled
• P2 CDN configured
• P2 Mobile-friendly test passed
• P2 No mixed content warnings
• P2 Secure headers configured

---

On-Page SEO

P0 - Critical

• P0 Unique <title> tag exists (50-60 characters)
• P0 Title contains primary keyword
• P0 Unique <meta description> exists (150-160 characters)
• P0 Single H1 tag per page
• P0 H1 contains primary keyword

P1 - Important

• P1 Description is compelling and includes keyword
• P1 <meta name="robots"> correctly set
• P1 Logical heading hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3)
• P1 All images have alt attributes
• P1 Internal links to related content
• P1 No broken links (404s)
• P1 Anchor text is descriptive

P2 - Recommended

• P2 og:title set
• P2 og:description set
• P2 og:image set (1200x630px recommended)
• P2 og:url set (canonical URL)
• P2 og:type set (website/article)
• P2 twitter:card set (summary_large_image)
• P2 twitter:title set
• P2 twitter:description set
• P2 twitter:image set
• P2 Paragraphs are short (2-3 sentences)
• P2 Bullet points used for lists
• P2 Tables used for comparisons
• P2 Alt text includes keywords where natural
• P2 Image file names are descriptive
• P2 External links have rel="noopener noreferrer"

---

Schema Markup (Structured Data)

P1 - Important

• P1 Organization schema on homepage
• P1 WebPage schema on all pages
• P1 Article schema on blog posts
• P1 Schema passes Google Rich Results Test
• P1 No errors in Search Console "Enhancements"

P2 - Recommended - GEO Enhanced

• P2 FAQPage schema on FAQ sections (+40% AI visibility)
• P2 BreadcrumbList schema for navigation
• P2 SpeakableSpecification for voice search
• P2 datePublished and dateModified included
• P2 Author information with credentials
• P2 Publisher information with logo
• P2 Schema passes Schema.org Validator

---

GEO Optimization (AI Search)

P1 - Important - Princeton GEO Methods

• P1 Content includes authoritative citations (+40%)
• P1 Statistics and data points included (+37%)
• P1 Expert quotes with attribution (+30%)
• P1 NO keyword stuffing (causes -10%)

P2 - Recommended - GEO Enhancement

• P2 Authoritative, confident tone (+25%)
• P2 Content is accessible/easy to understand (+20%)
• P2 Appropriate technical terminology (+18%)
• P2 Diverse vocabulary throughout (+15%)
• P2 High fluency and readability (+15-30%)

Content Structure for AI

• "Answer-first" format (direct answer at top)
• Clear, extractable paragraphs
• FAQ format for common questions
• Tables for comparison data
• Lists for step-by-step processes

AI Bot Access

• GPTBot allowed in robots.txt
• PerplexityBot allowed in robots.txt
• ClaudeBot allowed in robots.txt
• Anthropic-ai allowed in robots.txt
• Bingbot allowed in robots.txt

---

Off-Page SEO

Backlinks

• Quality backlinks from relevant sites
• Diverse referring domains
• No toxic/spammy backlinks
• Brand mentions (even without links)

E-E-A-T Signals

• Author bios with credentials
• About page with company info
• Contact information visible
• Privacy policy and terms
• Trust badges/certifications if applicable
• Customer reviews/testimonials

Social Presence

• Active social media profiles
• Links to social profiles on website
• Social sharing buttons on content
• Consistent branding across platforms

---

Content Strategy

Content Audit

• All pages have unique, valuable content
• No thin content (< 300 words for main pages)
• Content matches search intent
• Content is up-to-date (within 30 days for news/tech)
• Content provides unique value vs competitors

Keyword Strategy

• Primary keyword identified for each page
• Secondary keywords mapped
• Long-tail keywords targeted
• No keyword cannibalization
• Keywords match user intent

---

Monitoring & Analytics

Setup

• Google Analytics installed
• Google Search Console connected
• Bing Webmaster Tools connected
• Sitemap submitted to both

Regular Checks

• Weekly: Check Search Console for errors
• Weekly: Review Core Web Vitals
• Monthly: Analyze organic traffic trends
• Monthly: Review top performing pages
• Quarterly: Full SEO audit

---

Quick Audit Commands

# Check meta tags
curl -sL "https://example.com" | grep -E "<title>|<meta"

# Check robots.txt
curl -s "https://example.com/robots.txt"

# Check sitemap
curl -s "https://example.com/sitemap.xml" | head -30

# Check page speed (using PageSpeed Insights API)
# Requires API key
curl "https://www.googleapis.com/pagespeedonline/v5/runPagespeed?url=https://example.com&strategy=mobile"

# Check if indexed in Google
# Manual check: https://www.google.com/search?q=site:example.com

# Validate schema
# Open: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results?url=https://example.com

---

Priority Matrix

---

Supporting file: references/tools-and-apis.md

SEO/GEO Tools and API Reference

Curated list of tools and APIs for SEO and GEO optimization.

---

Free Tools

Schema Markup Generators

Validation Tools

SEO Audit Tools

---

Paid SEO Tools

Comprehensive Platforms

Content Optimization

---

GEO / AI Visibility Tools

AI Search Monitoring

AI Visibility Features to Look For

• Citation tracking across AI platforms
• Prompt-level insights
• Source attribution
• Sentiment analysis
• Competitive benchmarking
• Actionable recommendations

---

APIs for Automation

Google APIs

SEO Data APIs

Schema/Metadata APIs

---

Browser Extensions

SEO Analysis

Schema Testing

---

Command Line Tools

curl Commands for SEO Checks

# Check meta tags
curl -sL "https://example.com" | grep -E "<title>|<meta"

# Check robots.txt
curl -s "https://example.com/robots.txt"

# Check sitemap
curl -s "https://example.com/sitemap.xml"

# Check HTTP headers
curl -I "https://example.com"

# Check redirect chain
curl -sIL "https://example.com" | grep -E "HTTP|Location"

# Check page size
curl -sL "https://example.com" | wc -c

# Check load time
curl -o /dev/null -s -w "Total: %{time_total}s\n" "https://example.com"

Using Google APIs via curl

# PageSpeed Insights (no API key needed for basic)
curl "https://www.googleapis.com/pagespeedonline/v5/runPagespeed?url=https://example.com"

# With API key (more requests allowed)
curl "https://www.googleapis.com/pagespeedonline/v5/runPagespeed?url=https://example.com&key=YOUR_API_KEY"

---

Robots.txt Template for AI Bots

# Search Engines
User-agent: Googlebot
Allow: /

User-agent: Bingbot
Allow: /

# AI Bots
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ChatGPT-User
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

User-agent: anthropic-ai
Allow: /

User-agent: Applebot-Extended
Allow: /

# Sitemap
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml

---

Scripts

Ready-to-use Python scripts in scripts/ folder.

Setup (DataForSEO scripts)

export DATAFORSEO_LOGIN=your_login
export DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD=your_password

seo_audit.py

Full SEO audit - meta tags, robots.txt, sitemap, load time, schema, AI bot access. No API required.

python3 scripts/seo_audit.py "https://example.com"

keyword_research.py

Get keyword ideas, search volume, difficulty.

python3 scripts/keyword_research.py "seo tools" --limit 20
python3 scripts/keyword_research.py "seo tools" --location 2826  # UK

serp_analysis.py

Analyze top 20 Google results for a keyword.

python3 scripts/serp_analysis.py "best seo tools" --depth 20

backlinks.py

Get backlink profile for a domain.

python3 scripts/backlinks.py "example.com" --limit 20

domain_overview.py

Get domain metrics - traffic, keywords, rankings.

python3 scripts/domain_overview.py "example.com"

---

Workflow Integration

Using with OPC Skills

# Use twitter skill to find SEO tips
python3 scripts/search_tweets.py "SEO tips 2026" --limit 20

# Use reddit skill to find discussions
python3 scripts/search_posts.py "GEO optimization" --subreddit SEO --limit 10

# Use WebSearch for keyword research
# (Built into agent)

Automation Ideas

1. Weekly SEO audit - Crawl site with curl, check for errors
2. Schema monitoring - Validate schema after deploys with Rich Results Test API
3. Ranking tracking - Monitor AI visibility with Otterly.ai or Profound
4. Content freshness - Flag outdated content based on dateModified
5. Competitor monitoring - Track competitor changes with DataForSEO API

---

Resources

Learning

GEO Research

Communities