WRITING & OPEN RESEARCH
Notes for people
who have to ship.
Search systems, LLM retrieval, custom AI, and the economics behind them. Written from live implementations, with datasets and receipts where they exist.
START HERE
The core systems.
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Agentic SEO20 May 2026Agentic SEO: the operator playbook for autonomous search
Agentic SEO replaces passive tools with systems that execute search goals end-to-end. Here is how operators wire agents to ship work without manual prompting.
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GEO17 Jul 2026LLM SEO: how to optimize for AI search and citations
A practical LLM SEO system for crawl access, source selection, citable passages, entity clarity, and measurement across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google.
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Topical Authority20 May 2026Topical authority: how to build, measure, and compound it
Learn what topical authority is, how to build it, and how to measure six observable signals without inventing a Google score.
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Technical SEO18 Jul 2026Technical SEO: make every search signal observable
A practical technical SEO system for discovery, crawling, rendering, indexing, serving, and measurement — with tests for every state.
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GEO17 Jul 2026AI Recommendation Index: what six models recommend
A transparent index of 144 AI answers across four software categories, with share of voice, first-pick results, methodology, and study limitations.
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Agentic SEO
Operate search as a system.
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20 May 2026Agentic SEOThe cost economics of agentic SEO at $40 per ranked post.
Model the cost of agentic SEO per brief, draft, review, publish, and ranked page. Includes assumptions, failure costs, and break-even math.
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20 May 2026Agentic SEOAI content eval loops: pass-fail rubrics that scale
Build AI content eval loops with pass-fail rubrics, source checks, style tests, and escalation rules. Includes common failure modes and wiring patterns.
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20 May 2026Agentic SEOAI writer brief templates: the brief is the moat
Use structured AI writer brief templates for intent, evidence, outline, internal links, voice, and eval criteria. Includes every required field.
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20 May 2026Agentic SEOAutomate internal linking with embeddings, not keywords
Manual internal linking dies past 500 pages. The graph-theory and vector-embedding pipeline that injects links from cosine similarity — not keyword overlap.
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20 May 2026Agentic SEOAutomated competitive intelligence: always-on market surveillance
An automated competitive intelligence stack monitors pricing, content, and code changes in real time. Tools, schemas, and the alert rules that don't spam Slack.
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20 May 2026Agentic SEOCompetitor gap analysis with LLMs: find the semantic blind spots
An LLM-driven competitor gap workflow surfaces the semantic opportunities your rivals missed. The pipeline, prompts, and prioritization scoring I use.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Agentic SEO
Search intent classification with AI: a practical pipeline
Classify search intent at scale with a validated AI pipeline. Covers labels, confidence thresholds, human review, evaluation, and roadmap integration.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Agentic SEO
LLM content auditing: kill low-value pages at scale
An LLM content audit reviews 10,000 legacy posts in hours, not weeks. The classification rubric, prompts, and prune-vs-refresh logic that frees real budget.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Agentic SEO
Programmatic SEO architecture: schema, templates & crawl
Design programmatic SEO as a data system: schemas, templates, internal links, crawl control, and genuinely useful output.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Agentic SEO
Programmatic SEO vs AI content: structure beats volume
Programmatic SEO is not AI spam. Structured data builds revenue infrastructure that scales without hallucinations. How to tell the patterns apart in practice.
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GEO
Visibility inside answer engines.
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23 Jun 2026GEOWhich accounting software does AI recommend?
Which accounting software do AI assistants recommend? Results from 36 answers across six models, with rankings, share of voice, and citations.
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23 Jun 2026GEOWhich CRM does AI recommend? 36 answers, 6 models
Which CRM do AI assistants recommend? A 36-answer test across six models, with brand frequency, first-pick share, and citation sources.
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23 Jun 2026GEOAI ecommerce picks in Finland: 36 answers, 6 models.
I ran 6 AI models against 6 Finnish buying questions and counted every platform named. Shopify leads, MyCashflow is #2 — and Finqu is invisible on ChatGPT.
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23 Jun 2026GEOWhich project management software does AI recommend?
Which project management tools do AI assistants recommend? A 36-answer study across six models, with share of voice and source data.
Read ↗ - 23 Jun 2026GEO
How to measure AI share of voice: the practitioner's method.
Measure AI share of voice with a fixed prompt set, repeatable runs, brand scoring, citations, confidence intervals, and a reporting cadence.
Read ↗ - 26 May 2026GEO
Perplexity optimization: how to get cited in answer engines.
Optimize content for Perplexity citations through crawl access, direct answers, source quality, entity clarity, and repeatable citation tracking.
Read ↗ - 26 May 2026GEO
Tracking AI citations: the dashboard you actually need.
Track AI citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews with a fixed prompt set, source capture, share of voice, and reporting.
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20 May 2026GEOAI Overview optimization: the citation-eligible content audit.
Audit content for Google AI Overview eligibility: answer structure, evidence, entities, citations, crawlability, and the gaps that block retrieval.
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20 May 2026GEOHow to get cited by ChatGPT: the operator's playbook for 2026.
Learn how to make content easier for ChatGPT to retrieve and cite through answer structure, evidence, entity clarity, crawl access, and measurement.
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20 May 2026GEOE-E-A-T for SEO and LLM citations: how to actually demonstrate it
E-E-A-T is an evaluation framework, not a score. Show real experience, qualified responsibility, external recognition, and trustworthy page operations.
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20 May 2026GEOEntity authority for LLM retrieval: an off-site playbook
Build entity authority for LLM retrieval through consistent profiles, trusted mentions, expert contributions, structured data, and corroboration.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026GEO
Entity-based SEO: how to engineer context for LLMs and Google
Entity-based SEO maps your brand into the Knowledge Graph so Google and LLMs cite you with confidence. The disambiguation playbook, with worked examples.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026GEO
Generative engine optimization: the layer above SEO
Generative engine optimization helps content earn visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews. What changes, what stays, and what to measure.
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20 May 2026GEOSchema markup strategy: the citation layer for LLMs and Google
Schema is the citation layer that lets Google and LLMs lift your facts with confidence. The Article, FAQ, and Organization patterns I ship on every site.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026GEO
Semantic SEO: entity mapping for AI search
Semantic SEO maps entities, relationships, and intent instead of repeating keywords. Learn the practical workflow for search engines and AI retrieval systems.
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Topical Authority
Build a subject, not a content pile.
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Domain Authority vs Domain Rating: what the scores mean
DA, DR, and Authority Score are different vendor metrics. Learn how to check, compare, and improve them without mistaking them for Google scores.
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20 May 2026Topical AuthorityTopical authority map: the 90-minute operator recipe
Build a topical authority map in 90 minutes without expensive software. A gather, cluster, prioritize, and validate workflow for focused B2B sites.
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20 May 2026Topical AuthorityCompetitive keyword research: map the rival blueprint
Flat keyword exports miss the point. The competitive keyword research method I use to map a rival's site architecture and find high-intent revenue gaps.
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Content decay: why traffic drops and the system that fixes it
Content is a depreciating asset. The detection, triage, and refresh system I run quarterly to stop traffic decay before it shows up in the revenue dashboard.
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20 May 2026Topical AuthorityInternal linking strategy: the engine behind topical authority
Build an internal linking strategy with hub-spoke patterns, contextual anchors, orphan detection, crawl paths, and a repeatable audit process.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Topical Authority
Link building services are dead: assets replace outreach
Traditional link building services are a liability. The asset-led and digital-PR approach that earns durable links in 2026 — and the budget split I recommend.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Topical Authority
Orphan pages: find, fix, and reconnect the authority leaks
Orphan pages are revenue leaks. How I find them with crawl-diff scripts, prioritize by traffic potential, and reconnect them to the hub-spoke architecture.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Topical Authority
What is a pillar page? The architecture of ranking (2026)
A pillar page is the infrastructure of topical authority. The brief, structure, and internal-linking pattern that turns scattered posts into a ranking engine.
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Technical SEO
Make every search state observable.
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21 Jul 2026Technical SEOEcommerce technical SEO: control inventory, variants, and trust
Build ecommerce SEO around durable category and product owners, controlled facets, explicit lifecycle rules, expert responsibility, and release evidence.
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21 Jul 2026Technical SEOFaceted navigation SEO: decide which filter URLs deserve to exist
Control faceted navigation with an explicit URL-state matrix for indexable landings, useful filters, sort states, empty sets, and infinite combinations.
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21 Jul 2026Technical SEOShopify technical SEO: a control-layer checklist
Audit Shopify SEO by platform, admin, theme, app, and edge ownership. Fix crawl, canonical, schema, Markets, and performance conflicts.
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18 Jul 2026Technical SEOCanonical tags: align every signal to one URL owner
A testable canonicalization protocol for redirects, rel=canonical, internal links, sitemaps, variants, and conflicting URL signals.
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18 Jul 2026Technical SEOCrawling, rendering, and indexing: diagnose the exact failure
A URL-level diagnostic for discovery, HTTP fetching, JavaScript rendering, canonical selection, indexing, and search serving.
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18 Jul 2026Technical SEORobots.txt vs noindex: choose the control by outcome
A decision protocol for crawl rules, noindex, X-Robots-Tag, snippet controls, canonicals, and real access protection.
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18 Jul 2026Technical SEOSemantic HTML for SEO: make the document legible
Use landmarks, headings, links, lists, tables, and native controls to expose meaning in HTML — without turning semantics into a ranking myth.
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18 Jul 2026Technical SEOXML sitemaps for SEO: publish an inventory contract
Build XML sitemaps as testable inventories of canonical, indexable URLs — with eligibility rules, accurate lastmod, segmentation, and evidence.
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SEO ROI
Make organic legible to finance.
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20 May 2026SEO ROIB2B SaaS SEO frameworks: why the publisher model breaks P&L
Most B2B SaaS SEO frameworks fail because they optimize for traffic, not pipeline. The operator framework that maps content to deal stages and ARR.
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Looker Studio SEO reporting: build the C-suite dashboard
How to build a live Looker Studio SEO dashboard that blends GSC, GA4, and CRM into one P&L-aware view. Connectors, schema, and the C-suite layout.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
How to measure SEO success: a framework for revenue teams
Measure SEO success by correlating organic traffic to pipeline and closed deals — not rankings. The framework I use with revenue teams, updated for 2026.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
Optimizing SEO CTR with generative titles and agentic tests
Improve organic CTR with controlled title and description tests, pixel-width checks, query segmentation, annotations, and GSC measurement.
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SEO budget allocation for 2026: the CFO conversation.
Allocate an SEO budget across content, technical work, links, AI visibility, automation, and reporting with a CFO-ready decision model.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
SEO for SaaS: the pain-point engine that generates pipeline
Traditional SaaS SEO funnels are dead. Here is the pain-point search engine I build for B2B SaaS that generates real pipeline, not branded vanity traffic.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
SEO KPIs: 12 metrics that connect search to revenue
Track 12 SEO KPIs across revenue, pipeline, conversion, and technical health. Includes definitions, formulas, review cadence, and dashboard structure.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
SEO reporting template: the executive report that wins budget
The Looker Studio SEO reporting template I send to CMOs. Maps organic search to revenue, surfaces decisions, and gets next quarter's budget approved.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
Best SEO reporting tools for revenue attribution (2026)
Compare 15 SEO reporting tools by CRM attribution, APIs, automation, and cost. Shortlists for agencies, in-house teams, and solo operators.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
SEO ROI: how to calculate, track, and defend organic spend
SEO ROI ties organic search to pipeline and revenue, not rankings. Here is the financial framework I use with CMOs and CFOs to defend the budget every quarter.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
SEO unit economics: the LTV:CAC model your CFO will sign
Most SEO LTV:CAC models hide fixed costs and overstate payback. The unit-economics model I use with CFOs to defend organic spend per cohort and per channel.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026SEO ROI
SEO vs SEM: the CFO-grade decision framework
SEO vs SEM is a capex-vs-opex decision, not a marketing one. The unit-economics framework I walk CFOs through to pick the right channel mix per quarter.
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Custom AI Builds
From prototype to production.
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26 May 2026Custom AI BuildsAI agents for SEO operations: what actually ships.
Five practical AI agent patterns for SEO operations, including inputs, guardrails, failure modes, human review, and production readiness.
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26 May 2026Custom AI BuildsBuild vs buy: the AI SEO tooling decision framework.
Most teams buy an AI SEO SaaS when they should build a thin custom pipeline — or build when an off-the-shelf tool would do. Here is a real decision framework.
Read ↗ - 26 May 2026Custom AI Builds
The eval-first AI build: why most AI projects fail QA.
Define pass-fail criteria before building AI. A practical eval-first workflow for datasets, rubrics, thresholds, monitoring, and release gates.
Read ↗ - 26 May 2026Custom AI Builds
RAG for sales enablement: the 2-week build.
Build RAG for sales enablement over approved collateral and call transcripts. Covers architecture, evaluation, permissions, rollout, and failure modes.
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21 May 2026Custom AI BuildsBest AI SEO tools in 2026: the 3-tool stack
Compare AI SEO tools for research, briefs, LLM visibility, links, and schema. Build a focused stack without duplicate features.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Custom AI Builds
What does a custom AI build actually cost? The $25k breakdown.
Estimate custom AI development cost by scope, data, integrations, evals, security, and support. Includes line items and budget ranges.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Custom AI Builds
Hiring an AI consultant: cost, scope & red flags
How to hire an AI consultant: compare scope, pricing, evals, delivery models, and red flags before you sign an agency retainer or custom build.
Read ↗ - 20 May 2026Custom AI Builds
RAG systems for B2B: turn internal docs into intelligence
RAG systems turn internal docs into verified, queryable intelligence. Architecture, retrieval strategy, and the eval loop I run before shipping to production.
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