seo-aeo-audit

<!-- Prevent duplicate content issues -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/page">
 
<!-- Self-referencing canonical (recommended) -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/current-page">
 
<!-- For paginated content -->
<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/products">
<!-- Or use rel="prev" / rel="next" for explicit pagination -->

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-01-15</lastmod>
    <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
    <priority>1.0</priority>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://example.com/products</loc>
    <lastmod>2024-01-14</lastmod>
    <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
    <priority>0.8</priority>
  </url>
</urlset>

✅ Good URLs:
https://example.com/products/blue-widget
https://example.com/blog/how-to-use-widgets

❌ Poor URLs:
https://example.com/p?id=12345
https://example.com/products/item/category/subcategory/blue-widget-2024-sale-discount

<!-- Ensure all resources use HTTPS -->
<img src="https://example.com/image.jpg">
 
<!-- Not: -->
<img src="http://example.com/image.jpg">

Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Frame-Options: DENY

<!-- ❌ Missing or generic -->
<title>Page</title>
<title>Home</title>
 
<!-- ✅ Descriptive with primary keyword -->
<title>Blue Widgets for Sale | Premium Quality | Example Store</title>

<!-- ❌ Missing or duplicate -->
<meta name="description" content="">
 
<!-- ✅ Compelling and unique -->
<meta name="description" content="Shop premium blue widgets with free shipping. 30-day returns. Rated 4.9/5 by 10,000+ customers. Order today and save 20%.">

<!-- ❌ Poor structure -->
<h2>Welcome to Our Store</h2>
<h4>Products</h4>
<h1>Contact Us</h1>
 
<!-- ✅ Proper hierarchy -->
<h1>Blue Widgets - Premium Quality</h1>
  <h2>Product Features</h2>
    <h3>Durability</h3>
    <h3>Design</h3>
  <h2>Customer Reviews</h2>
  <h2>Pricing</h2>

<!-- ❌ Poor image SEO -->
<img src="IMG_12345.jpg">
 
<!-- ✅ Optimized image -->
<img src="blue-widget-product-photo.webp"
     alt="Blue widget with chrome finish, side view showing control panel"
     width="800"
     height="600"
     loading="lazy">

<!-- ❌ Non-descriptive -->
<a href="/products">Click here</a>
<a href="/widgets">Read more</a>
 
<!-- ✅ Descriptive anchor text -->
<a href="/products/blue-widgets">Browse our blue widget collection</a>
<a href="/guides/widget-maintenance">Learn how to maintain your widgets</a>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Example Company",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://twitter.com/example",
    "https://linkedin.com/company/example"
  ],
  "contactPoint": {
    "@type": "ContactPoint",
    "telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
    "contactType": "customer service"
  }
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "How to Choose the Right Widget",
  "description": "Complete guide to selecting widgets for your needs.",
  "image": "https://example.com/article-image.jpg",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Jane Smith",
    "url": "https://example.com/authors/jane-smith"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Example Blog",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "datePublished": "2024-01-15",
  "dateModified": "2024-01-20"
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Blue Widget Pro",
  "image": "https://example.com/blue-widget.jpg",
  "description": "Premium blue widget with advanced features.",
  "brand": {
    "@type": "Brand",
    "name": "WidgetCo"
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "49.99",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "url": "https://example.com/products/blue-widget"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.8",
    "reviewCount": "1250"
  }
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What colors are available?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Our widgets come in blue, red, and green."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is the warranty?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "All widgets include a 2-year warranty."
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://example.com"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "Products",
      "item": "https://example.com/products"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "Blue Widgets",
      "item": "https://example.com/products/blue-widgets"
    }
  ]
}
</script>

<!-- ❌ Not mobile-friendly -->
<meta name="viewport" content="width=1024">
 
<!-- ✅ Responsive viewport -->
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

/* ❌ Too small for mobile */
.small-link {
  padding: 4px;
  font-size: 12px;
}
 
/* ✅ Adequate tap target */
.mobile-friendly-link {
  padding: 12px;
  font-size: 16px;
  min-height: 48px;
  min-width: 48px;
}

/* ❌ Too small on mobile */
body {
  font-size: 10px;
}
 
/* ✅ Readable without zooming */
body {
  font-size: 16px;
  line-height: 1.5;
}

<!-- For multi-language sites -->
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://example.com/page">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://example.com/es/page">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://example.com/fr/page">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="x-default" href="https://example.com/page">

<html lang="en">
<!-- or -->
<html lang="es-MX">

# Lighthouse (SEO category only)
scripts/lighthouse.sh https://example.com
scripts/lighthouse.sh urls.txt reports/lighthouse
 
# PageSpeed Insights API (requires PAGESPEED_API_KEY)
PAGESPEED_API_KEY=... scripts/pagespeed.sh https://example.com
PAGESPEED_API_KEY=... scripts/pagespeed.sh urls.txt reports/pagespeed
 
# Search Console API (requires GSC_ACCESS_TOKEN)
GSC_ACCESS_TOKEN=... scripts/search-console-export.mjs https://example.com 2024-01-01 2024-01-31

SEO: Rank high → get clicks → drive traffic
AEO: Be cited → own the answer → build authority

SEO metric: Position, CTR, impressions
AEO metric: Citations, mentions, AI visibility score

SEO query: "best project management software"
AEO query: "What's the best project management software for a remote team of 15 with budget under $500/month?"

<!-- ❌ SEO-style (context first) -->
## What is AEO?
In recent years, the rise of AI-powered search has transformed 
how users discover information. This shift has created new 
opportunities for brands. Answer Engine Optimization is...
 
<!-- ✅ AEO-style (answer first) -->
## What is AEO?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring 
content so AI systems can directly extract and cite answers. 
It focuses on citations in AI responses rather than search rankings.
 
Unlike traditional SEO, AEO optimizes for conversational queries 
and zero-click results where users get answers without visiting 
your site.

<!-- ❌ Keyword-focused -->
"Our software helps teams collaborate better with features 
for project management and communication."
 
<!-- ✅ Entity-focused -->
"Acme PM is a project management platform for remote teams. 
Founded in 2020, serves 50,000+ companies. Key features: 
Kanban boards, time tracking, Slack integration. Pricing: 
$12/user/month."

Example: "According to a 2025 Gartner study, 78% of enterprises 
adopted AI-powered search tools. The primary drivers were cost 
reduction (cited by 62% of respondents) and improved accuracy 
(58%). Source: Gartner AI Search Report 2025."

Example: "Most teams start with the free tier and upgrade after 
2-3 months once they've proven ROI. Based on feedback from 500+ 
customers, common triggers for upgrading include hitting user 
limits or needing advanced reporting."

Example: "Updated February 2026: Current pricing starts at 
$12/user/month (annual billing). Month-to-month adds 20%. 
Education and nonprofit discounts available. No free tier 
as of Q1 2026."