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
- Collect the target URL and the site's primary topic/industry
- Run each platform checklist below against the site
- Score each platform on the 0-100 rubric
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tables and Structured Comparisons: AIO heavily cites tables. Convert any comparison, pricing, specification, or feature data into HTML tables. Use clear column headers.
- Ordered and Unordered Lists: Step-by-step processes should use ordered lists. Feature lists should use unordered lists. AIO extracts these directly.
- 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.
- Definitions and Glossary Boxes: For any industry-specific term, provide a clear definition. Format: "[Term] is [concise definition]." AIO frequently cites definitions.
- Statistics with Sources: Include specific numbers with attribution. "According to [Source], [statistic]." AIO prefers citeable, specific claims over vague assertions.
- Publication Date: Include a visible publication date and last-updated date. AIO deprioritizes undated content for time-sensitive queries.
- Author Byline: Display author name with credentials. Link to an author page with bio, credentials, and sameAs links.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Verify the site is registered in Bing Webmaster Tools. Submit sitemap. Check for crawl errors.
- Bing Index Coverage: Use
site:domain.com on Bing to verify key pages are indexed. Bing may have different indexed pages than Google.
- Reddit Authority: Check for brand mentions on Reddit. Identify relevant subreddits. Assess whether the brand participates authentically in discussions.
- YouTube Presence: Verify YouTube channel exists with relevant content. Video descriptions should contain full URLs and entity information.
- Authoritative Backlinks: ChatGPT/Bing weight .edu, .gov, and major publication backlinks heavily. Audit backlink profile for these sources.
- Entity Consistency: Brand name, founding date, leadership, and key facts must be consistent across Wikipedia, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and the official website.
- Comprehensive Content: Pages targeting ChatGPT citation should be 2000+ words with thorough topic coverage. ChatGPT prefers single authoritative sources over combining multiple thin pages.
- 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
- Active Reddit Presence: The brand or its representatives should participate authentically in relevant subreddit discussions. Not promotional — helpful, specific, and community-oriented.
- Reddit AMAs and Threads: Encourage or participate in AMAs, detailed discussion threads, and community Q&As. Perplexity treats these as high-signal content.
- Forum and Community Presence: Beyond Reddit, check Hacker News, Stack Overflow, Quora, and niche industry forums. Perplexity indexes these heavily.
- 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.
- Freshness Signals: Publish content with clear dates. Update content regularly. Perplexity deprioritizes stale content more aggressively than other platforms.
- 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.
- YouTube Video Content: Create video content that Perplexity can reference. Ensure video titles, descriptions, and transcripts contain target information.
- Direct, Quotable Passages: Write paragraphs that can stand alone as citations. Each paragraph should make one clear point with supporting evidence.
- Original Data and Research: Publish original surveys, benchmarks, case studies, or datasets. Perplexity heavily favors primary sources.
- 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
- 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.
- Google Business Profile: Complete and optimize GBP with all fields: hours, services, photos, posts, Q&A. Gemini pulls directly from GBP for local queries.
- 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.
- YouTube Chapters and Timestamps: Use chapters (timestamps in description) so Gemini can reference specific segments of videos.
- Google Merchant Center: For e-commerce, ensure products are in Google Merchant Center. Gemini references product data directly.
- Structured Data (Schema.org): Implement comprehensive Schema.org markup. Gemini uses this for entity understanding more aggressively than other platforms.
- Google Sites Ecosystem: Ensure presence across Google ecosystem: Google Scholar (for research), Google News (for publishers), Google Maps (for local).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 |
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
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Register and verify site. Submit XML sitemap. Review and fix any crawl issues.
- 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.
- LinkedIn Company Page: Ensure the company LinkedIn page is complete with accurate description, employee connections, and regular posts. Copilot indexes LinkedIn content.
- GitHub Presence: For tech companies, maintain an active GitHub presence. Copilot references GitHub repos, documentation, and README files.
- Microsoft Learn / Documentation: If relevant, contribute to Microsoft Learn or ensure documentation is compatible with Microsoft's documentation standards.
- Bing Places for Business: Equivalent to Google Business Profile. Complete all fields for local search visibility in Copilot.
- Clear Meta Descriptions: Bing/Copilot weights meta descriptions more heavily than Google does. Write compelling, keyword-rich meta descriptions for every page.
- Social Signals: Bing has historically weighted social signals (shares, likes, engagement) more than Google. Maintain active social media presence.
- Exact-Match Keywords: Bing's algorithm is more literal about keyword matching than Google. Include exact target phrases in titles, headings, and body content.
- 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 |
Cross-Platform Summary
Universal Optimization Actions (help ALL platforms)
- Wikipedia/Wikidata entity presence
- YouTube channel with relevant content
- Comprehensive, well-structured content with clear headings
- Schema.org structured data (especially Organization + sameAs)
- Fast page load and clean HTML
- Author pages with credentials and sameAs links
- 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 |
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]