SEO AI Search

SEO & AI Search

Full-stack SEO and AI search optimization. Replaces: ai-seo, seo-audit, programmatic-seo, site-architecture.

Trigger

SEO, search rankings, AI citations, site structure, organic traffic, LLM discovery, content clusters, technical SEO, keyword strategy.

Technical SEO Audit

Core Vitals Checklist

Crawlability

• robots.txt configured correctly (no accidental blocks)
• Sitemap.xml present, submitted to GSC/Bing
• No orphan pages (all pages linked from somewhere)
• Canonical tags correct (no self-referencing canonicals on paginated pages)
• No duplicate content (parameter handling, www vs non-www, http vs https)

Indexability

• Noindex not on pages that should rank
• Hreflang correct for multi-language
• Structured data (schema.org) on key page types
• Open Graph + Twitter Card meta tags

Page Speed (Core Web Vitals)

• LCP < 2.5s (Largest Contentful Paint)
• INP < 200ms (Interaction to Next Paint)
• CLS < 0.1 (Cumulative Layout Shift)
• TTFB < 600ms

Architecture

• URL structure: flat hierarchy (max 3 levels deep)
• Internal linking: hub pages link to cluster content
• Breadcrumbs on all interior pages
• Pagination handled (rel=prev/next or canonical to page 1)

Common Technical Issues → Fixes

Keyword & Content Strategy

Keyword Research Framework

1. Seed keywords: Core topic terms (3-5 words describing your product/service)
2. Expand by intent:
   • Informational: "how to X", "what is X", "X explained"
   • Commercial: "best X", "X alternatives", "X vs Y", "X pricing"
   • Transactional: "buy X", "X free trial", "X software"
3. Prioritize by: Volume × Relevance ÷ Difficulty

Content Cluster Model

Pillar Page (broad topic, 2,000+ words)
├── Cluster Page 1 (subtopic A)
├── Cluster Page 2 (subtopic B)
├── Cluster Page 3 (subtopic C)
└── Cluster Page 4 (subtopic D)

• Pillar links to all clusters
• Each cluster links back to pillar
• Clusters link to each other when relevant

On-Page Optimization Checklist

• Target keyword in title tag (front-loaded)
• Title tag 50-60 chars
• Meta description 150-160 chars, includes keyword + CTA
• H1 includes primary keyword (once only)
• H2s include secondary keywords naturally
• First 100 words include primary keyword
• Images: descriptive alt text, compressed
• Internal links: 3-5 to relevant pages
• External links: 1-2 to authoritative sources
• URL: short, hyphenated, includes keyword

Programmatic SEO

When to Use Programmatic SEO

• You have structured data that maps to user search queries
• Each variation has genuine unique value (not thin content)
• Target: 100+ pages with similar template but different data

Page Templates That Work

• Location pages: "[Service] in [City]"
• Comparison pages: "[Brand A] vs [Brand B]"
• Category pages: "Best [Product Type] for [Use Case]"
• Listicles: "Top [X] [Category] in [Year]"
• Integration pages: "[Your Tool] + [Integration] integration"
• Glossary/definition pages: "[Term] definition and examples"

Programmatic SEO Quality Controls

Never generate: Pages with <300 words of unique content Always include:

• Unique intro paragraph with location/entity-specific data
• Dynamic content pulled from real data (reviews, stats, pricing)
• Local signals for location pages (address, hours, map embed)
• FAQ section with entity-specific questions

Technical Implementation

Template: /blog/[competitor]-alternative
Data source: competitors table with name, strengths, weaknesses, pricing
Unique content blocks:
  - Intro: Why people look for [competitor] alternatives
  - Comparison table: dynamic from data
  - Your positioning vs this specific competitor
  - FAQ: competitor-specific questions

Site Architecture

Information Architecture Principles

• Flat structure: Max 3 clicks from homepage to any content
• Logical grouping: Related content in same directory
• Descriptive URLs: /blog/email-marketing-tips vs /blog/post-1234
• Navigation reflects priority: Most important pages in main nav

Recommended URL Structure

/ (homepage)
/features/ (or /product/)
/pricing/
/blog/ (or /resources/)
  /blog/[category]/[slug]
/[use-case]/ (solution pages)
/[competitor]-alternative/ (comparison pages)
/integrations/ 
  /integrations/[tool-name]/
/customers/ (or /case-studies/)
/about/
/contact/

Internal Linking Strategy

• Every new page: 3-5 internal links from existing content
• Hub pages (pillar, homepage): Link to all key sub-pages
• Blog posts: Link to relevant product/feature pages
• Run quarterly: find orphan pages, add internal links

AI Search Optimization (LLM Citation)

How LLMs Discover and Cite Content

LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) pull from:

1. Training data (crawled web content, pre-cutoff)
2. Real-time search (Perplexity, SearchGPT, Claude with web access)
3. Bing index (many AI search products use Bing)

AI Citation Optimization Framework

1. Establish Topical Authority

• Create comprehensive, definitive content on your core topics
• Cover topics more thoroughly than competitors
• Use the hub-and-spoke model (pillar + clusters)

2. Be Citable

• Include quotable statistics and data points
• Write clear definitions for industry terms
• Create opinionated frameworks with your name attached
• Structure content with clear headings LLMs can extract

3. Structured Content Signals

• Use FAQ schema (LLMs love Q&A format)
• Numbered lists and step-by-step guides cite cleanly
• Tables with clear headers extract well
• "The X Framework" / "The X Method" naming builds citations

4. Authority Signals

• Earn backlinks from authoritative sites in your niche
• Get mentioned on podcasts, in newsletters, at conferences
• Create original research/data (most cited content type)
• Wikipedia-style factual coverage of your space

5. Direct LLM Visibility

• Include structured data that helps LLMs understand entity relationships
• Build a Wikipedia page if applicable (entity recognition)
• Maintain consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) for local businesses
• Get listed in industry directories and roundup posts

AI Search Content Checklist

• Defines key terms clearly (LLMs pull definitions)
• Contains specific statistics with sources
• Has a clear "what is X" section
• FAQ section with exact user questions
• Named framework or methodology
• Author bio with credentials
• Original data or survey results (highest citation rate)

Link Building Strategy

Link Types by Value

1. Editorial links: Earned by creating citable content (highest value)
2. Digital PR: Newsjacking, research, expert commentary
3. Guest posts: Strategic placements on relevant publications
4. Partnerships: Integrations, co-marketing, resource links
5. Broken link building: Replace dead links on relevant pages

Link Velocity

• New sites: 5-10 links/month (natural growth)
• Established sites: 20-50 links/month
• Never: Sudden spike of 500 links overnight (penalty risk)

Reporting & Metrics

Monthly SEO Dashboard

• Organic sessions (MoM, YoY)
• Keyword rankings (tracked set — leaders, movers, new)
• Impressions + CTR (GSC)
• Backlinks acquired (new vs lost)
• Core Web Vitals (all green?)
• Conversion from organic (goal completions)

Output Format

For audits: Issue → Impact → Fix → Priority (High/Med/Low) For strategy: Keyword cluster → content plan → timeline For programmatic: Template spec → data requirements → quality checklist

Related Skills

• seo-audit — SEO analysis
• ai-seo — AI-specific SEO
• content-strategy — content for SEO

GitNexus Index

This skill is indexed by GitNexus for knowledge graph traversal. Index path: /Users/localuser/.claude/skills/seo-ai-search/.gitnexus Last indexed: 2026-05-23