The Content Lab: SEO Strategies Tested on Real Sites
The Content Lab tests SEO strategies on real sites and publishes what works. Browse by pillar, or scroll the full archive below.
Topical Authority
8 articles
Entity-mapped clusters and the structures that earn authority.
AI Content
3 articles
Producing AI-assisted content that ranks and reads human.
AI Search
11 articles
Winning visibility in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and answer engines.
All articles
Entity-Based Search, SEO, AEO, and GEO Explained in Plain English
A plain-English guide to entity-based search, SEO, AEO, and GEO, organized by the problems business owners actually have, with what to do about each one.
The E-E-A-T Checklist: Signals You Can Actually Add This Month
An E-E-A-T checklist of concrete signals: bylines, author schema, first-hand proof, citations, and disclosures, each with the time it takes to add.
AI Search Statistics You Can Actually Cite (Primary Sources Only)
AI search statistics with a rule most stat pages break: every number links to its named primary source. Untraceable stats get flagged, not repeated.
Entity-Based SEO: How to Actually Do It (Not Just Define It)
Most guides define entity-based SEO and stop. This one is the practice: a five-step process with free checks, plus a worked example from a real site.
Does Keyword Density Still Matter? What Google Actually Says
Does keyword density still matter? Not as a ranking number. No ideal percentage exists in Google docs. What the rule is for, and what to do instead.
Schema Markup for AI Search: What It Does and What It Cannot
What schema markup for AI search actually does, per Google docs and citation data: it declares your entities. What it cannot do: buy citations.
How to Get Cited by ChatGPT: What a 15-Domain Study Found
How to get cited by ChatGPT, based on a 15-domain study: lead with a short answer, add original data, and keep links out of the answer itself.
The AI SEO Checklist: What Google Confirms and What Is Just a Bet
An AI SEO checklist built on primary sources: what Google confirms, what is standard SEO, and what is still an unproven bet. Verify every item for free.
GEO vs AEO vs SEO: What Is Actually Different (and What Is Just Renaming)
GEO, AEO, and SEO overlap far more than the acronyms suggest. Here is what each term means, what actually changes in practice, and what is marketing rebranding.
How to Add llms.txt to WordPress, Shopify, or Any Site
How to add llms.txt to your site: step-by-step methods for WordPress, Shopify, static sites, and custom builds, plus how to check it actually works.
llms.txt Examples: Real Files From Real Sites (and What to Copy)
Real llms.txt examples from Anthropic, Stripe, Zapier, Supabase, and Cloudflare. See how the files differ, which patterns to copy, and how small yours can be.
llms.txt vs robots.txt vs agents.md: Which File Does What?
llms.txt describes your site, robots.txt controls access, and agents.md briefs coding agents. A plain comparison of every AI file, and which ones you need.
Why Is My Page Not Ranking on Google? A DIY Diagnostic Guide
Your page is not ranking because of one of six fixable causes. Walk through this DIY checklist to find which one, using only free tools.
What Is llms.txt? A Practical Guide to the AI Crawler File
llms.txt is a plain-text file that tells AI crawlers what your site is about. Learn what goes inside, see a real example, and decide if you need one.
What Is Semantic SEO? A Guide to Entities, Topic Clusters, and Schema
Semantic SEO helps Google understand meaning, entities, and intent instead of raw keywords. Learn the entity and topic-cluster tactics that earn rankings.
What Is SERP Position Zero? How to Win Featured Snippets
Featured snippets sit at SERP position zero, above the first organic result. Learn how Google selects them and how to format content to win position zero.
Do Keywords Still Matter for SEO in the AI Era?
Do keywords still matter for SEO? Yes, but the rules changed. Here is how keywords, search intent, and entities work together for Google and AI search.
Does Google Penalize AI Content? What Actually Gets You Ranked
Does Google penalize AI content? No. Google rewards helpful content however it is produced and penalizes unhelpful, low-effort pages instead.
What Happened in Google's December 2025 Core Update?
The Google December 2025 core update rewarded expert, helpful content and demoted thin AI pages. Here is what changed and how I recover rankings.
Do SEO Keywords Still Matter for AI Search in 2026?
SEO keywords still matter for AI search in 2026. Learn how I map keywords to intent and entities so AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity cite you.
How Do You Scale Content Production Without Losing the Human Voice?
Scaling content production works best as a hybrid model: AI handles research and drafting while humans own strategy, voice, and editing.
Topic Clusters vs Content Silos: Which Wins in SEO?
Topic clusters beat rigid content silos because they build topical authority through smart internal linking. Here is how I structure them to rank.
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