name	aeo
description	AI Engine Optimization (AEO) — improve how websites appear in AI-generated answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Google AI Overviews. Use when asked to audit a site for AI visibility, interpret AEO audit results, prioritize fixes, implement schema markup, write llms.txt, or optimize content for AI citation. Triggers on: AEO, AI visibility, AI search optimization, schema markup, llms.txt, structured data, AI citations.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"piiiico","version":"1.0","homepage":"https://synligdigital.no"}

AEO — AI Engine Optimization

AI search engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews) answer questions directly — often without showing users a list of links. If a business isn't cited in those answers, they're invisible to a growing share of their market.

AEO is the practice of making websites citable, interpretable, and trustworthy for AI systems.

This skill covers:

Understanding AEO scores and audit results
Prioritizing fixes by impact
Implementing schema markup
Writing llms.txt
Optimizing content signals for AI citation

Step 1: Understand the Audit Score

AEO audits produce a total score out of 100 across five dimensions:

Dimension	Max	What it measures
Schema	25	Structured data (JSON-LD): LocalBusiness, FAQPage, HowTo, etc.
Meta	20	Title, description, Open Graph — how AI previews the page
Content	20	Entity clarity, direct answers, service/price info, freshness
Technical	20	robots.txt, sitemap, llms.txt, HTTPS, load speed
AI Signals	15	Citeability: statistics, author attribution, citation phrases

Grade scale:

A (85–100): Well-optimized for AI citation
B (70–84): Good foundation, targeted improvements possible
C (55–69): Partial optimization, several gaps
D (40–54): Weak AI presence, missing key signals
E (25–39): Very low AI visibility
F (0–24): Not AI-ready

See audit-interpretation.md for detailed scoring rules.

Step 2: Prioritize Fixes by Impact

Fix in this order — each layer builds on the previous:

1. Technical blockers (highest leverage)

If AI crawlers can't access the site, nothing else matters.

robots.txt blocking AI bots? Remove Disallow: / for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Googlebot
No HTTPS? Fix immediately — AI systems deprioritize insecure origins
No sitemap.xml? Create one — helps AI crawlers discover all pages
Missing llms.txt? Create it (see Step 5)

2. Schema markup (highest ROI for effort)

AI systems heavily rely on structured data to understand entities and facts.

No LocalBusiness / specific type? Add immediately
No FAQPage schema? Add for any FAQ or Q&A content
No AggregateRating? Add if reviews exist
No service-specific type? Upgrade from generic LocalBusiness to Dentist, Attorney, Plumber, etc.

See schema-markup.md for templates.

3. Entity completeness

AI systems need to be sure WHO the business is before citing it.

Business name must appear in <h1> and page <title>
Address, phone, email must appear as visible text (not just in schema)
Include sameAs links in Organization schema: Google Maps, LinkedIn, Facebook, industry directories

4. Content signals

AI cites sources it can confidently attribute and quote.

Add author attribution to articles and blog posts
Include statistics with sources ("ifølge [kilde]", "according to [source]")
Write explicit service descriptions: "Vi tilbyr X i Y" / "We offer X in Y"
List prices if possible — price info dramatically increases AI citation likelihood
Include "definition paragraphs" that directly answer common questions

5. Meta optimization

Titles and descriptions are what AI previews when citing a page.

<title>: Business name + primary service + location (max 60 chars)
<meta name="description">: Complete standalone sentence answering "what does this business do and where?" (max 160 chars)
Open Graph: og:title, og:description, og:image for rich previews

Step 3: Implement Schema Markup

Add JSON-LD in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in the <head>. Do not use Microdata — JSON-LD is the standard AI systems prefer.

Priority order:

LocalBusiness (or specific subtype: Dentist, Attorney, Plumber, etc.)
FAQPage — for any FAQ content
AggregateRating — for businesses with reviews
HowTo — for instructional content
Organization with sameAs — for knowledge graph presence

See schema-markup.md for complete templates.

Step 4: Write llms.txt

llms.txt is a Markdown file at yourdomain.com/llms.txt that tells AI systems what the site is about, who runs it, and what's important. It's the AI equivalent of robots.txt but for understanding, not access control.

See llms-txt.md for the full specification and template.

Step 5: Optimize Content for AI Citation

The 4 content signals that most improve AI citation probability:

1. Direct answers Write paragraphs that directly answer the question an AI might be asked.

Bad: "Our clinic offers a range of dental services."
Good: "Stavanger Dental is a dentist in Stavanger offering Invisalign, implants, and emergency dental care."

2. Statistics and data Pages with statistics are cited 30–40% more often by AI.

Include industry data, case results, or specific numbers
Always cite the source: "According to [organization], X% of..."

3. Freshness signals 95% of AI citations point to recently-updated content.

Add dateModified to Article schema
Include a visible "Last updated: [date]" on key pages
Update service pages at least quarterly

4. Author attribution AI systems favor content with clear authorship (E-E-A-T signal).

Add visible author names on articles and guides
Include author in Article schema with name and URL

When to Use the MCP Server

If an AEO MCP server is available (e.g., the Synlig Digital AEO MCP), use it to:

Run automated audits: run_aeo_audit(url)
Get detailed JSON output with scores per dimension
Track score changes over time

This skill handles the interpretation and implementation — what to do with the results. The MCP server handles analysis — running the audit.

Quick Reference: Fix Checklist

Copy this checklist when implementing AEO fixes:

Technical
[ ] robots.txt allows AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot)
[ ] HTTPS enabled
[ ] sitemap.xml present and current
[ ] llms.txt created at /llms.txt

Schema
[ ] LocalBusiness (or specific subtype) with name, address, phone, URL
[ ] AggregateRating (if reviews exist)
[ ] FAQPage (if FAQ content exists)
[ ] Organization with sameAs links
[ ] Service schema for primary offerings

Entity Clarity
[ ] Business name in <h1> and <title>
[ ] Address visible as page text (not just in schema)
[ ] Phone and email visible on page
[ ] sameAs links in schema pointing to Google Maps, directories

Content
[ ] "Definition paragraph" on homepage: "X is a [type] in [location]..."
[ ] Service list with descriptions
[ ] Price information (if applicable)
[ ] Author names on articles
[ ] Statistics with cited sources
[ ] dateModified in Article schema

Meta Tags
[ ] <title>: Name + Service + Location (≤60 chars)
[ ] <meta description>: Standalone sentence (≤160 chars)
[ ] og:title, og:description, og:image set

name	aeo
description	AI Engine Optimization (AEO) — improve how websites appear in AI-generated answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, and Google AI Overviews. Use when asked to audit a site for AI visibility, interpret AEO audit results, prioritize fixes, implement schema markup, write llms.txt, or optimize content for AI citation. Triggers on: AEO, AI visibility, AI search optimization, schema markup, llms.txt, structured data, AI citations.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"piiiico","version":"1.0","homepage":"https://synligdigital.no"}

AEO — AI Engine Optimization

AEO is the practice of making websites citable, interpretable, and trustworthy for AI systems.

This skill covers:

Understanding AEO scores and audit results
Prioritizing fixes by impact
Implementing schema markup
Writing llms.txt
Optimizing content signals for AI citation

Step 1: Understand the Audit Score

AEO audits produce a total score out of 100 across five dimensions:

Dimension	Max	What it measures
Schema	25	Structured data (JSON-LD): LocalBusiness, FAQPage, HowTo, etc.
Meta	20	Title, description, Open Graph — how AI previews the page
Content	20	Entity clarity, direct answers, service/price info, freshness
Technical	20	robots.txt, sitemap, llms.txt, HTTPS, load speed
AI Signals	15	Citeability: statistics, author attribution, citation phrases

Grade scale:

A (85–100): Well-optimized for AI citation
B (70–84): Good foundation, targeted improvements possible
C (55–69): Partial optimization, several gaps
D (40–54): Weak AI presence, missing key signals
E (25–39): Very low AI visibility
F (0–24): Not AI-ready

See audit-interpretation.md for detailed scoring rules.

Step 2: Prioritize Fixes by Impact

Fix in this order — each layer builds on the previous:

1. Technical blockers (highest leverage)

If AI crawlers can't access the site, nothing else matters.

robots.txt blocking AI bots? Remove Disallow: / for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Googlebot
No HTTPS? Fix immediately — AI systems deprioritize insecure origins
No sitemap.xml? Create one — helps AI crawlers discover all pages
Missing llms.txt? Create it (see Step 5)

2. Schema markup (highest ROI for effort)

AI systems heavily rely on structured data to understand entities and facts.

No LocalBusiness / specific type? Add immediately
No FAQPage schema? Add for any FAQ or Q&A content
No AggregateRating? Add if reviews exist
No service-specific type? Upgrade from generic LocalBusiness to Dentist, Attorney, Plumber, etc.

See schema-markup.md for templates.

3. Entity completeness

AI systems need to be sure WHO the business is before citing it.

Business name must appear in <h1> and page <title>
Address, phone, email must appear as visible text (not just in schema)
Include sameAs links in Organization schema: Google Maps, LinkedIn, Facebook, industry directories

4. Content signals

AI cites sources it can confidently attribute and quote.

Add author attribution to articles and blog posts
Include statistics with sources ("ifølge [kilde]", "according to [source]")
Write explicit service descriptions: "Vi tilbyr X i Y" / "We offer X in Y"
List prices if possible — price info dramatically increases AI citation likelihood
Include "definition paragraphs" that directly answer common questions

5. Meta optimization

Titles and descriptions are what AI previews when citing a page.

<title>: Business name + primary service + location (max 60 chars)
<meta name="description">: Complete standalone sentence answering "what does this business do and where?" (max 160 chars)
Open Graph: og:title, og:description, og:image for rich previews

Step 3: Implement Schema Markup

Add JSON-LD in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in the <head>. Do not use Microdata — JSON-LD is the standard AI systems prefer.

Priority order:

LocalBusiness (or specific subtype: Dentist, Attorney, Plumber, etc.)
FAQPage — for any FAQ content
AggregateRating — for businesses with reviews
HowTo — for instructional content
Organization with sameAs — for knowledge graph presence

See schema-markup.md for complete templates.

Step 4: Write llms.txt

See llms-txt.md for the full specification and template.

Step 5: Optimize Content for AI Citation

The 4 content signals that most improve AI citation probability:

1. Direct answers Write paragraphs that directly answer the question an AI might be asked.

Bad: "Our clinic offers a range of dental services."
Good: "Stavanger Dental is a dentist in Stavanger offering Invisalign, implants, and emergency dental care."

2. Statistics and data Pages with statistics are cited 30–40% more often by AI.

Include industry data, case results, or specific numbers
Always cite the source: "According to [organization], X% of..."

3. Freshness signals 95% of AI citations point to recently-updated content.

Add dateModified to Article schema
Include a visible "Last updated: [date]" on key pages
Update service pages at least quarterly

4. Author attribution AI systems favor content with clear authorship (E-E-A-T signal).

Add visible author names on articles and guides
Include author in Article schema with name and URL

When to Use the MCP Server

If an AEO MCP server is available (e.g., the Synlig Digital AEO MCP), use it to:

Run automated audits: run_aeo_audit(url)
Get detailed JSON output with scores per dimension
Track score changes over time

This skill handles the interpretation and implementation — what to do with the results. The MCP server handles analysis — running the audit.

Quick Reference: Fix Checklist

Copy this checklist when implementing AEO fixes:

Technical
[ ] robots.txt allows AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot)
[ ] HTTPS enabled
[ ] sitemap.xml present and current
[ ] llms.txt created at /llms.txt

Schema
[ ] LocalBusiness (or specific subtype) with name, address, phone, URL
[ ] AggregateRating (if reviews exist)
[ ] FAQPage (if FAQ content exists)
[ ] Organization with sameAs links
[ ] Service schema for primary offerings

Entity Clarity
[ ] Business name in <h1> and <title>
[ ] Address visible as page text (not just in schema)
[ ] Phone and email visible on page
[ ] sameAs links in schema pointing to Google Maps, directories

Content
[ ] "Definition paragraph" on homepage: "X is a [type] in [location]..."
[ ] Service list with descriptions
[ ] Price information (if applicable)
[ ] Author names on articles
[ ] Statistics with cited sources
[ ] dateModified in Article schema

Meta Tags
[ ] <title>: Name + Service + Location (≤60 chars)
[ ] <meta description>: Standalone sentence (≤160 chars)
[ ] og:title, og:description, og:image set

aeo

AEO — AI Engine Optimization

Step 1: Understand the Audit Score

Step 2: Prioritize Fixes by Impact

1. Technical blockers (highest leverage)

2. Schema markup (highest ROI for effort)

3. Entity completeness

4. Content signals

5. Meta optimization

Step 3: Implement Schema Markup

Step 4: Write llms.txt

Step 5: Optimize Content for AI Citation

When to Use the MCP Server

Quick Reference: Fix Checklist

AEO — AI Engine Optimization

Step 1: Understand the Audit Score

Step 2: Prioritize Fixes by Impact

1. Technical blockers (highest leverage)

2. Schema markup (highest ROI for effort)

3. Entity completeness

4. Content signals

5. Meta optimization

Step 3: Implement Schema Markup

Step 4: Write llms.txt

Step 5: Optimize Content for AI Citation

When to Use the MCP Server

Quick Reference: Fix Checklist