Platform-specific AI search optimization

GEO Platform Optimizer

Core Insight

Only 11% of domains are cited by BOTH ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews for the same query. Each AI search platform uses different indexes, ranking logic, and source preferences. A page optimized for Google AI Overviews may be invisible to ChatGPT, and vice versa. Platform-specific optimization is not optional — it is the foundation of any serious GEO strategy.

How to Use This Skill

1. Collect the target URL and the site's primary topic/industry
2. Run each platform checklist below against the site
3. Score each platform on the 0-100 rubric
4. Generate GEO-PLATFORM-OPTIMIZATION.md with per-platform scores, gaps, and action items

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Platform 1: Google AI Overviews (AIO)

How AIO Selects Sources

• 92% of AIO citations come from pages already ranking in the top 10 organic results — traditional SEO is the gateway
• However, 47% of citations come from pages ranking below position 5 — AIO has its own selection logic favoring clarity and directness over raw rank
• AIO strongly favors pages with clean structure, direct answers, and scannable formatting
• Featured snippet optimization has ~70% overlap with AIO optimization
• AIO prefers concise, factual, unambiguous answers — hedging and filler reduce citation probability

Optimization Checklist

1. Question-Based Headings: Use H2/H3 headings phrased as questions matching real user queries. Check Google's "People Also Ask" for the target topic and mirror those exact phrasings.
2. Direct Answer in First Paragraph: After each question heading, provide a clear 1-2 sentence answer immediately. Then expand with supporting detail. The first sentence should be a standalone citation candidate.
3. Tables and Structured Comparisons: AIO heavily cites tables. Convert any comparison, pricing, specification, or feature data into HTML tables. Use clear column headers.
4. Ordered and Unordered Lists: Step-by-step processes should use ordered lists. Feature lists should use unordered lists. AIO extracts these directly.
5. FAQ Sections: Add a dedicated FAQ section with 5-10 real questions. Use proper H3 headings for each question. While FAQPage schema rich results are restricted to govt/health sites since Aug 2023, the content pattern still helps AIO extraction.
6. Definitions and Glossary Boxes: For any industry-specific term, provide a clear definition. Format: "[Term] is [concise definition]." AIO frequently cites definitions.
7. Statistics with Sources: Include specific numbers with attribution. "According to [Source], [statistic]." AIO prefers citeable, specific claims over vague assertions.
8. Publication Date: Include a visible publication date and last-updated date. AIO deprioritizes undated content for time-sensitive queries.
9. Author Byline: Display author name with credentials. Link to an author page with bio, credentials, and sameAs links.
10. Page Depth: Keep target pages within 3 clicks of homepage. AIO rarely cites deep, orphaned content.

Scoring Rubric (0-100)

Criterion	Points	How to Score
Ranks in top 10 for target queries	20	20 if yes, 10 if top 20, 0 if beyond
Question-based headings present	10	2 points per question heading, max 10
Direct answers after headings	15	3 points per direct answer, max 15
Tables present for comparison data	10	10 if tables used appropriately, 5 if partial, 0 if absent
Lists for processes/features	10	10 if present, 5 if partial
FAQ section with 5+ questions	10	10 if 5+, 5 if 1-4, 0 if none
Statistics with citations	10	2 points per cited stat, max 10
Publication/updated date visible	5	5 if both dates, 3 if one, 0 if none
Author byline with credentials	5	5 if full byline, 3 if name only, 0 if none
Clean URL + heading hierarchy	5	5 if H1>H2>H3 clean, 3 if minor issues, 0 if broken

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Platform 2: ChatGPT Web Search

How ChatGPT Selects Sources

• Uses Bing's search index as its foundation (not Google)
• Top citation sources by domain share: Wikipedia (47.9%), Reddit (11.3%), YouTube, major news outlets
• ChatGPT heavily weights entity recognition — if your brand exists as a structured entity (Wikipedia, Wikidata, Crunchbase), it is far more likely to be cited
• Prefers authoritative, well-established sources over new or niche sites
• Longer, more comprehensive articles get cited more often than short pieces
• ChatGPT tends to cite the most canonical source for a claim rather than the original

Optimization Checklist

1. Wikipedia Presence: Check if the brand/person/product has a Wikipedia article. If not, assess notability criteria. If notable, create a draft. If an article exists, ensure it is accurate and current.
2. Wikidata Entity: Verify the entity exists on Wikidata (wikidata.org). If not, create a Wikidata item with key properties: instance of, official website, social media links, founding date, headquarters location.
3. Bing Webmaster Tools: Verify the site is registered in Bing Webmaster Tools. Submit sitemap. Check for crawl errors.
4. Bing Index Coverage: Use site:domain.com on Bing to verify key pages are indexed. Bing may have different indexed pages than Google.
5. Reddit Authority: Check for brand mentions on Reddit. Identify relevant subreddits. Assess whether the brand participates authentically in discussions.
6. YouTube Presence: Verify YouTube channel exists with relevant content. Video descriptions should contain full URLs and entity information.
7. Authoritative Backlinks: ChatGPT/Bing weight .edu, .gov, and major publication backlinks heavily. Audit backlink profile for these sources.
8. Entity Consistency: Brand name, founding date, leadership, and key facts must be consistent across Wikipedia, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and the official website.
9. Comprehensive Content: Pages targeting ChatGPT citation should be 2000+ words with thorough topic coverage. ChatGPT prefers single authoritative sources over combining multiple thin pages.
10. Clear Attribution: Include "About" sections, company descriptions, and founding stories. ChatGPT uses these for entity grounding.

Scoring Rubric (0-100)

Criterion	Points	How to Score
Wikipedia article exists and is accurate	20	20 if exists, 10 if stub, 0 if none
Wikidata entity with 5+ properties	10	10 if complete, 5 if basic, 0 if none
Bing index coverage of key pages	10	10 if full, 5 if partial, 0 if poor
Reddit brand mentions (positive)	10	10 if active discussions, 5 if mentions, 0 if none
YouTube channel with relevant content	10	10 if active, 5 if present but sparse, 0 if none
Authoritative backlinks (.edu, .gov, press)	15	3 points per authoritative backlink category, max 15
Entity consistency across platforms	10	10 if consistent, 5 if minor discrepancies, 0 if major
Content comprehensiveness (2000+ words)	10	10 if thorough, 5 if adequate, 0 if thin
Bing Webmaster Tools configured	5	5 if verified, 0 if not

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Platform 3: Perplexity AI

How Perplexity Selects Sources

• Top citation sources: Reddit (46.7%), Wikipedia, YouTube, major publications
• Perplexity places the heaviest emphasis on community validation of all AI search platforms
• Strongly favors discussion threads where claims are debated, validated, or expanded by multiple participants
• Prefers recent content — publication date is a strong ranking signal
• Cites multiple sources per answer (typically 5-15), so there is more opportunity for mid-authority sites to appear
• Uses its own crawling infrastructure in addition to search APIs

Optimization Checklist

1. Active Reddit Presence: The brand or its representatives should participate authentically in relevant subreddit discussions. Not promotional — helpful, specific, and community-oriented.
2. Reddit AMAs and Threads: Encourage or participate in AMAs, detailed discussion threads, and community Q&As. Perplexity treats these as high-signal content.
3. Forum and Community Presence: Beyond Reddit, check Hacker News, Stack Overflow, Quora, and niche industry forums. Perplexity indexes these heavily.
4. Discussion-Friendly Content: Publish content that invites discussion — opinion pieces, research findings, contrarian takes, original data. Content that gets shared and debated in communities ranks higher.
5. Freshness Signals: Publish content with clear dates. Update content regularly. Perplexity deprioritizes stale content more aggressively than other platforms.
6. Multiple Source Validation: Claims in your content should be supported by other sources. Perplexity cross-references and prefers claims it can verify from multiple origins.
7. YouTube Video Content: Create video content that Perplexity can reference. Ensure video titles, descriptions, and transcripts contain target information.
8. Direct, Quotable Passages: Write paragraphs that can stand alone as citations. Each paragraph should make one clear point with supporting evidence.
9. Original Data and Research: Publish original surveys, benchmarks, case studies, or datasets. Perplexity heavily favors primary sources.
10. Perplexity Pages: Check if Perplexity has created a "Page" about your topic/brand. These are curated summaries that influence future citations.

Scoring Rubric (0-100)

Criterion	Points	How to Score
Active Reddit presence in relevant subreddits	20	20 if active contributor, 10 if mentioned, 0 if absent
Forum/community mentions (HN, SO, Quora)	10	10 if multiple platforms, 5 if one, 0 if none
Content freshness (updated within 6 months)	10	10 if recent, 5 if within year, 0 if older
Original research/data published	15	15 if original research, 10 if case studies, 5 if some data, 0 if none
YouTube content with transcripts	10	10 if active channel, 5 if some videos, 0 if none
Quotable, standalone paragraphs	10	2 points per well-structured quotable paragraph, max 10
Multi-source claim validation	10	10 if claims well-sourced, 5 if some sourcing, 0 if none
Discussion-generating content	10	10 if content gets shared/discussed, 5 if some engagement, 0 if none
Wikipedia/Wikidata presence	5	5 if present, 0 if absent

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Platform 4: Google Gemini

How Gemini Selects Sources

• Uses Google's search index plus strong weighting toward Google-owned properties
• YouTube content is weighted significantly more heavily than in standard Google Search
• Google Business Profile data is directly accessible to Gemini
• Gemini uses Google's Knowledge Graph directly — entity presence in Knowledge Graph is a major advantage
• Structured data (Schema.org) is consumed directly by Gemini for entity understanding
• Gemini multi-modal: can reference images, videos, and text together

Optimization Checklist

1. Google Knowledge Panel: Check if the brand has a Google Knowledge Panel. If not, claim it through Google Business Profile or structured data. Ensure all information is accurate.
2. Google Business Profile: Complete and optimize GBP with all fields: hours, services, photos, posts, Q&A. Gemini pulls directly from GBP for local queries.
3. YouTube Strategy: Create YouTube content for every key topic. Optimize titles, descriptions, timestamps, and closed captions. Gemini cites YouTube more than any other AI platform.
4. YouTube Chapters and Timestamps: Use chapters (timestamps in description) so Gemini can reference specific segments of videos.
5. Google Merchant Center: For e-commerce, ensure products are in Google Merchant Center. Gemini references product data directly.
6. Structured Data (Schema.org): Implement comprehensive Schema.org markup. Gemini uses this for entity understanding more aggressively than other platforms.
7. Google Sites Ecosystem: Ensure presence across Google ecosystem: Google Scholar (for research), Google News (for publishers), Google Maps (for local).
8. Image Optimization: Gemini is multi-modal. Use descriptive alt text, structured image filenames, and high-quality images. Include relevant images with every piece of content.
9. Google E-E-A-T Signals: All standard Google E-E-A-T signals apply with extra weight. Author pages, about pages, editorial policies, and expertise demonstrations.
10. Chrome Web Store / Google Workspace Marketplace: For software companies, presence on Google platforms adds entity signals.

Scoring Rubric (0-100)

Criterion	Points	How to Score
Google Knowledge Panel exists	15	15 if complete, 10 if partial, 0 if none
Google Business Profile complete	10	10 if fully optimized, 5 if basic, 0 if none
YouTube channel with topic-relevant content	20	20 if active with chapters, 10 if present, 0 if none
Schema.org structured data implemented	15	15 if comprehensive, 10 if basic, 5 if minimal, 0 if none
Google ecosystem presence (Scholar, News, Maps)	10	10 if 3+, 5 if 1-2, 0 if none
Image optimization (alt text, filenames)	10	10 if all images optimized, 5 if partial, 0 if none
E-E-A-T signals (author pages, about, editorial)	10	10 if strong, 5 if partial, 0 if weak
Google Merchant Center (if e-commerce)	5	5 if applicable and active, N/A otherwise
Multi-modal content (text + images + video)	5	5 if rich multi-modal, 3 if some, 0 if text-only

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Platform 5: Bing Copilot

How Copilot Selects Sources

• Uses Bing's search index (shared infrastructure with ChatGPT but different ranking/selection)
• Supports IndexNow protocol for near-instant indexing of new and updated content
• Copilot tends to cite fewer sources per answer (typically 3-5) but gives more prominent attribution
• Microsoft ecosystem integration: LinkedIn, GitHub, Microsoft Learn content is weighted
• Copilot prefers pages with clear, structured markup and fast load times

Optimization Checklist

1. Bing Webmaster Tools: Register and verify site. Submit XML sitemap. Review and fix any crawl issues.
2. IndexNow Implementation: Implement the IndexNow protocol to notify Bing of content changes in real-time. Submit a key file at /.well-known/indexnow-key.txt and ping the IndexNow API on content publish/update.
3. LinkedIn Company Page: Ensure the company LinkedIn page is complete with accurate description, employee connections, and regular posts. Copilot indexes LinkedIn content.
4. GitHub Presence: For tech companies, maintain an active GitHub presence. Copilot references GitHub repos, documentation, and README files.
5. Microsoft Learn / Documentation: If relevant, contribute to Microsoft Learn or ensure documentation is compatible with Microsoft's documentation standards.
6. Bing Places for Business: Equivalent to Google Business Profile. Complete all fields for local search visibility in Copilot.
7. Clear Meta Descriptions: Bing/Copilot weights meta descriptions more heavily than Google does. Write compelling, keyword-rich meta descriptions for every page.
8. Social Signals: Bing has historically weighted social signals (shares, likes, engagement) more than Google. Maintain active social media presence.
9. Exact-Match Keywords: Bing's algorithm is more literal about keyword matching than Google. Include exact target phrases in titles, headings, and body content.
10. Fast Page Load: Copilot deprioritizes slow pages. Target sub-2-second load time. Optimize images, enable compression, minimize render-blocking resources.

Scoring Rubric (0-100)

Criterion	Points	How to Score
Bing Webmaster Tools verified + sitemap	15	15 if verified, 5 if partial, 0 if not
IndexNow protocol implemented	15	15 if active, 0 if not
Bing index coverage of key pages	10	10 if full, 5 if partial, 0 if poor
LinkedIn company page (complete)	10	10 if complete, 5 if basic, 0 if none
GitHub presence (if applicable)	5	5 if active, N/A if not applicable
Meta descriptions optimized	10	10 if all key pages, 5 if partial, 0 if missing
Social media engagement signals	10	10 if active engagement, 5 if present, 0 if none
Exact-match keywords in titles/headings	10	10 if well-optimized, 5 if partial, 0 if not
Page load speed < 2 seconds	10	10 if < 2s, 5 if < 4s, 0 if > 4s
Bing Places configured (if local)	5	5 if complete, N/A if not local

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Cross-Platform Summary

Universal Optimization Actions (help ALL platforms)

1. Wikipedia/Wikidata entity presence
2. YouTube channel with relevant content
3. Comprehensive, well-structured content with clear headings
4. Schema.org structured data (especially Organization + sameAs)
5. Fast page load and clean HTML
6. Author pages with credentials and sameAs links
7. Regular content updates with visible dates

Platform-Specific Priorities

Priority	Google AIO	ChatGPT	Perplexity	Gemini	Copilot
#1	Top-10 ranking	Wikipedia	Reddit presence	YouTube	IndexNow
#2	Q&A structure	Entity graph	Original research	Knowledge Panel	Bing WMT
#3	Tables/lists	Bing SEO	Freshness	Schema.org	LinkedIn
#4	Featured snippets	Reddit	Community forums	GBP	Meta descriptions

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Output Format

Generate GEO-PLATFORM-OPTIMIZATION.md with the following structure:

# GEO Platform Optimization Report — [Domain]
Date: [Date]

## Overall Platform Readiness
- Combined GEO Score: XX/100 (average of all platform scores)

## Platform Scores
| Platform | Score | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overviews | XX/100 | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| ChatGPT Web Search | XX/100 | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| Perplexity AI | XX/100 | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| Google Gemini | XX/100 | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |
| Bing Copilot | XX/100 | [Strong/Moderate/Weak] |

Status thresholds: Strong = 70+, Moderate = 40-69, Weak = 0-39

## Platform Details
[Per-platform breakdown with score, gaps found, specific actions]

## Prioritized Action Plan
### Quick Wins (this week)
[Actions that improve multiple platform scores with minimal effort]

### Medium-Term (this month)
[Actions requiring content creation or technical changes]

### Strategic (this quarter)
[Actions requiring entity building, community development, or platform presence]