Editors' notes
What we learn between test runs: what the numbers mean, what the spec sheets leave out.
Looking for a quick answer instead of a full note? Check the FAQ.
- llms.txt: what it is, who actually reads it, and whether you need one
llms.txt is a markdown file sites publish to help AI systems understand their content. Adoption is growing fast - but server-log studies and a null correlation result raise a real question: does anyone's AI citation rate actually move because of it?
- GEO vs SEO: what's actually different (and what still overlaps)
GEO and SEO share a technical foundation but optimize for different outputs - a ranked list of links versus a sentence inside a generated answer. Here is the side-by-side breakdown, where the two overlap, and where they genuinely diverge.
- Zero-click search: why fewer clicks make AI visibility tracking non-negotiable
68% of US Google searches now end without a click, and AI Overviews push that past 90% when they appear. Here is what the data actually says, and what to measure once the click stops being the signal.
- What is generative engine optimization?
Generative engine optimization is not just a marketing label - it comes from a named 2023 academic paper with a 10,000-query benchmark and nine tested methods. Here is what the research actually found, and what still holds up.
- GEO audit: how to check your AI visibility before you buy a tool
A GEO audit is a structured check of whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and AI Overviews mention your brand, cite your pages, or hand the answer to a competitor instead. Here is how to run one by hand, what it can and cannot tell you, and when to move to a tracked tool.
- AI search optimization: how to get cited inside AI Overviews, AI Mode, Copilot and Perplexity
AI search optimization is the work of getting your pages picked up and quoted by the AI answers that now sit on top of search - Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Bing Copilot, Perplexity and ChatGPT search. Here is what changes, a practical playbook, and how to measure it.
- LLM SEO: how to get cited across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity
LLM SEO is optimizing your content so large language models name your brand and quote your pages. Here is the cross-engine playbook, how the assistants differ, and how to measure whether any of it worked.
- ChatGPT SEO: how to show up in ChatGPT answers
What ChatGPT SEO is, why it does not follow Google rankings, the five signals that actually get a brand cited, and how to measure whether any of it worked.
- What these tools actually cost
Published entry prices run from $29 to $399 - but the entry price often buys one engine. What to check before comparing two numbers.
- What is answer engine optimization?
AEO, GEO and LLM SEO name the same job with three different words. What the job is, how it differs from ranking, and what you can actually control.
Quoting or reposting one of these notes? The rules for that are in our terms of use.