AEO Content Optimization Skill

Answer Engine Optimization - Optimize content for AI citations, not traditional search rankings.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

User asks to optimize content for AI search/citations
User mentions ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini visibility
User wants FAQ schema, JSON-LD, or structured data for AI
User asks about GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
User wants to analyze content for AI extraction readiness
User mentions "AI Overviews" or "answer engines"

NOT for traditional SEO - This is specifically for AI/LLM citation optimization.

Core Reference

Full templates and guidelines: Read prd.md in this directory for complete implementation details.

Quick Reference: Key Principles

The 18-Token Extraction Rule

LLMs extract self-contained sentences of ~18 tokens (~15-20 words). Key claims must be complete, quotable statements requiring zero surrounding context.

Good: "Eight-API synthesis reduces property analysis errors by 67%." (9 tokens) Bad: "Our system is incredibly fast and delivers amazing results." (vague)

Single-Topic Focus Pages

Single-concept pages vastly outperform multi-topic content. Create focused URLs like domain.com/specific-concept rather than comprehensive guides.

Citations + Statistics = 30-40% More Visibility

Every major claim needs:

Verifiable data with methodology
Date of data collection
Expert attribution (Name + Credentials + Org)

Freshness is Critical

95% of AI citations come from content updated in last 10 months. Static content dies.

Authority Level Determines Strategy

Authority Level	Optimization Approach
Challenger (new sites, low authority)	Aggressive: 5-7 extraction points per page, heavy citations, weekly micro-updates
Established (top-ranked, well-known)	Light touch: 1-2 strategic points, trust existing credibility, avoid over-optimization

Princeton finding: Rank-5 sites gained 115% visibility with aggressive optimization. Rank-1 sites that over-optimized lost 30%.

What to Generate

When user requests AEO content, generate:

1. Product Overview (50 words)

What it is (one clause)
Scope/timeframe context
Why it matters (value proposition)
"Last updated" date

2. 15 FAQs with Schema

Questions: 7-12 words, natural language
Answers: 30-50 words (sweet spot for AI extraction)
FAQPage JSON-LD schema with datePublished and dateModified
Persistent anchor IDs (#faq-slug)

3. Evidence Panels

For every important claim:

Claim statement
Methodology
Data source + URL
Date of data collection
Limitations
Contact for questions

4. JSON-LD Schema

FAQPage (most important)
HowTo (for guides)
Product (for product pages)
Organization (for About page)

Anti-Patterns (What to Avoid)

Traditional SEO Tactics Harm GEO

Keyword stuffing
Generic listicles without original insight
Vague hedged language ("may help", "could potentially")
Multi-topic comprehensive guides
Over-optimization on established sites

Content Structure Errors

FAQ answers over 50 words
Buried answers (put conclusion first)
Pronoun ambiguity ("it" instead of "the product")
Missing dates and freshness signals
No schema markup

Assessment Framework

When analyzing content for AEO readiness, score (0-10):

Dimension	What to Check
Extraction	How many citation-ready sentences under 18 tokens?
Focus	Single topic or sprawling multi-topic?
Authority	Expert attribution with credentials? Citations?
Freshness	Updated within 90 days? Dated content?

Quick test: Can you copy-paste 3 sentences that fully answer a question without context?

Implementation Checklist

Product overview: 50 words, dated, under H1
15 FAQs: 30-50 words each, natural questions
Evidence panels: method, data, date, limitations
"Last updated" dates on every section
FAQPage JSON-LD schema in <head>
Persistent anchor IDs for FAQs
Validated with Google Rich Results Test

Testing Protocol

After implementation, test with:

Recognition: "What is [Product]?" (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini)
Comparison: "Compare [Product] to [Competitor]"
Best for: "What's the best [category] for [use case]?"
How-to: "How do I [task with product]?"

Track: Mentioned? Linked? Accurate? Evidence quoted?

Full Documentation

For complete templates, examples, and detailed guidelines, read:

prd.md - Full AEO content generation guide with HTML templates
story-structured.md - Framework summary from Princeton study

bencium-aeo