Knowledge base
How search works now
Plain explanations of how Google and AI answer engines find, rank and cite websites, and what you can do about each part.
AI search
How answer engines find, choose and cite sources.
- What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?GEO is the practice of making your site easy for AI answer engines to find, quote and cite. Here is how it relates to SEO and where to start.
- How do AI answer engines choose their sources?AI answer engines retrieve pages from a search index or a live fetch, then write an answer from them. Here is what that means for getting cited.
- What is Share of Answer in AI search?Share of Answer measures how often AI engines cite or mention you across a fixed set of prompts. Here is how to define it, sample it and compare it.
- How do Google AI Overviews work?Google AI Overviews summarize answers from Google's index and link to supporting pages. Here is what makes a page eligible and how to control it.
- AI crawlers and robots.txt: what to allowTraining crawlers, search crawlers and user-triggered fetchers do different jobs. Here is how to allow AI search bots in robots.txt and block training.
- What is llms.txt and do you need one?llms.txt is a proposed Markdown file that gives language models a short map of your site. Here is how it is structured and what it can and cannot do.
- How to write content AI engines can citeAI engines quote passages that answer a question clearly and stand on their own. Here is how to structure, source and maintain content they can cite.
Technical SEO
Crawling, rendering, indexing and speed.
- What are Core Web Vitals?Core Web Vitals measure loading, responsiveness and visual stability. Learn the LCP, INP and CLS thresholds, how they are measured and how to fix them.
- What is structured data and schema markup?Structured data describes a page's content in a format machines can read. Learn JSON-LD, the common schema types, rich results and how to test markup.
- What is a canonical tag?A canonical tag tells search engines which URL is the main version of duplicate pages. Learn how it works, how to set it and which mistakes to avoid.
- What is an XML sitemap and what goes in it?An XML sitemap lists the URLs you want search engines to find. Learn what to include, how lastmod is used, the size limits and how to submit one.
- Can crawlers see content rendered by JavaScript?Googlebot renders JavaScript, but many AI crawlers appear to read only the raw HTML. Learn how rendering works and how to keep key content visible to both.
- Which redirect should you use: 301, 302, 307 or 308?Permanent and temporary redirects send different signals. Learn when to use 301, 302, 307 and 308, and how to avoid chains, loops and migration mistakes.
- How to control crawling, indexing and snippetsRobots.txt controls crawling, noindex controls indexing and canonicals consolidate duplicates. Learn what each one does and when to use which.
- How to write title tags and meta descriptionsTitles and meta descriptions shape how a page appears in search results. Learn how to write them, why Google rewrites them and how long they should be.
Content and authority
Trust, entities and how pages link together.
- What is E-E-A-T and how do you show it?E-E-A-T is Google's framework for experience, expertise, authority and trust. Learn what it means, how it is used and how to show it on your site.
- What is entity consistency and why does it matter?Search engines and AI models treat your business as an entity. Conflicting names, addresses and details across the web weaken their confidence in you.
- How internal links build topical authorityInternal links help search engines find your pages and see which ones matter. Learn anchor text, hub pages, orphan pages and crawl depth basics.
Local SEO
Business profiles, local rankings and reviews.
- How to set up a strong Google Business ProfileClaim, verify and complete your Google Business Profile: categories, hours, services, photos and the guideline rules that keep a listing safe.
- How does Google rank local results?Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence. Here is what each one means, what feeds it, and which parts you can influence.
- What is a geo-grid rank check?A geo-grid rank check measures your map ranking for one keyword from many points around your business. Learn how to set one up and read the results.
- How should a local business handle reviews?Reviews shape local rankings and customer choice. Learn how to ask for them, how to reply, and which practices break Google's review policies.
Measuring search
Reading the numbers, and what people mean when they search.
- How to read Search Console performance dataClicks, impressions, CTR and average position explained, why the averages mislead, and how to use filters to find pages close to winning clicks.
- What is search intent and how do you match it?Search intent is the goal behind a query. Learn the main types, how to read intent from the results page, and how to match each page to one purpose.
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