AI SEO by Content Type

Tactical guidance for optimizing specific content types for AI search citation. These tactics work for non-Google AI engines (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot) and don’t hurt Google AI Overviews / AI Mode.

For the cross-cutting strategy, see SKILL.md.

SaaS Product Pages

Goal: Get cited in “What is [category]?” and “Best [category]” queries. (Citation is the realistic goal here; being recommended in the answer depends on offsite consensus — see citations-vs-recommendations.md.)

Optimize:

Clear product description in first paragraph (what it does, who it’s for)
Feature comparison tables (you vs. category, not just competitors)
Specific metrics (“processes 10,000 transactions/sec” not “blazing fast”)
Customer count or social proof with numbers
Pricing transparency (AI cites pages with visible pricing) — add a /pricing.md file so AI agents can parse your plans without rendering your page (see “Machine-Readable Files” in the main skill)
FAQ section addressing common buyer questions

Blog Content

Goal: Get cited as an authoritative source on topics in your space.

Optimize:

One clear target query per post (match heading to query)
Definition in first paragraph for “What is” queries
Original data, research, or expert quotes
“Last updated” date visible
Author bio with relevant credentials
Internal links to related product/feature pages

Comparison / Alternative Pages

Goal: Get cited in “[X] vs [Y]” and “Best [X] alternatives” queries.

Optimize:

Structured comparison tables (not just prose)
Fair and balanced (AI penalizes obviously biased comparisons)
Specific criteria with ratings or scores
Updated pricing and feature data
Cite the competitors skill for building these pages

Documentation / Help Content

Goal: Get cited in “How to [X] with [your product]” queries.

Optimize:

Step-by-step format with numbered lists
Code examples where relevant
HowTo schema markup
Screenshots with descriptive alt text
Clear prerequisites and expected outcomes

Local Business / Ecom (Google emphasis)

Google’s AI features pull from product feeds and business profiles for local + ecom queries. Optimize:

Merchant Center feeds kept current with accurate inventory, pricing, attributes
Google Business Profile complete with hours, services, photos, posts, Q&A answered
Reviews — recent + sufficient volume; respond to reviews to signal active management
Service area schema for local services
Business Agent (where available) for conversational customer engagement