Platform-specific AI search optimization — audit and optimize for Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Bing Copilot individually

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 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 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 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 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 (

geo-platform-optimizer