[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-google-recognizes-aeo-geo":3},{"message":4,"data":5},"Blogs retrieved successfully",{"blog":6,"latest_blogs":34},{"id":7,"author_id":8,"title":9,"slug":10,"content":11,"short_summary":12,"featured_image":13,"status":14,"meta_title":9,"meta_description":15,"canonical_url":16,"keywords":16,"blog_type":17,"is_featured":18,"word_count":19,"published_at":20,"created_at":21,"updated_at":21,"deleted_at":16,"author":22,"categories":27},357,9,"Google Adds AEO and GEO to Its Official SEO Guidance","google-recognizes-aeo-geo","\u003Ch1>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google Adds AEO and GEO to Its Official SEO Guidance\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh1>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google updated two pages in its Search Central documentation on June 5, 2026, and together they mark the first time the company has formally addressed AEO and GEO in its official SEO guidance. The “Do you need an SEO?” page now lists optimizing for generative AI as a legitimate service that SEO professionals provide, alongside keyword research and technical advice. A brand-new page, titled “Google Search’s guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice,” lays out how site owners should evaluate the external tools and advice they come across, with a clear warning about anyone claiming their service is approved by Google.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The two updates pull in slightly different directions, and that contrast is the interesting part. One recognizes generative AI optimization as real work. The other tells site owners to be skeptical of the tools and services selling it. Both are reasonable responses to a space that has grown fast and attracted its share of inflated promises.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The two changes Google made to its docs\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The first change is an addition to the existing “Do you need an SEO?” page. Google’s list of services that SEOs and agencies legitimately provide, which already covered site structure review, technical development advice, content development, keyword research, SEO training, and market expertise, now includes optimizing for generative AI. The same page also added a few questions site owners should ask when hiring an SEO, including whether the provider cites official Google documentation, whether their advice on AI experiences aligns with Google’s guidance on optimizing for generative AI features, and whether they use tools that align with that guidance.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The second change is an entirely new page on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice. It walks through how to evaluate external SEO advice against official Google guidance, and how to think critically about the tools and services on the market. The new page is where Google gets specific about AEO and GEO, and where most of the cautionary language lives.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">AEO and GEO finally get named\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google defined the two terms in passing on the new page: AEO for answer engine optimization, and GEO for generative engine optimization. Both describe the practice of optimizing content to appear in AI-generated answers, either alongside traditional search results or instead of them. The acronyms have been circulating in the SEO community for about a year, mostly in blog posts and conference talks, and Google putting them in its own documentation gives the category an official acknowledgment it did not have before.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Listing optimizing for generative AI among the services SEOs provide does something similar. It places generative AI optimization on the same footing as the rest of the SEO discipline, at least in Google’s framing. For anyone who has spent the past year being told that AI visibility is either a gimmick or a completely separate practice from SEO, Google treating it as one more part of the job is a useful clarification.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The warning aimed at tools claiming Google’s blessing\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The new third-party tools page turns more cautious once it gets to specifics. Google walks through the kinds of services a site owner might consider, including sitemap generation, indexing directives, content described as SEO-optimized, ranking advice, and AEO or GEO tools promising improvements for AI experiences. Then it draws a line. Some of these services may be useful, Google says, but others may claim or imply that what they do is somehow acceptable or approved by Google Search. Since Google does not evaluate third-party services, the company tells site owners to be wary of those claims and the people making them, and reminds everyone that using a tool or service does not guarantee ranking success.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The updated “Do you need an SEO?” page carries a matching warning in a red callout box: if an SEO uses a third-party tool, keep in mind that Google does not evaluate or endorse third-party SEO tools, and those tools do not have access to Google’s internal ranking data. Be wary of any tool claiming to be acceptable or approved by Google Search.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The message across both pages is consistent. Google does not bless tools, does not approve services, and does not want site owners mistaking a vendor’s confidence for an official endorsement.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">No third-party tool has Google’s internal ranking data\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">One line from the new page deserves attention from anyone who has ever read a tool’s AI visibility score or citation prediction as if it carried Google’s authority. Google states plainly that third-party tools do not have access to its internal ranking data, that they cannot guarantee performance, and that any predictions are the tool’s own and, like predictions generally, may not happen.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">That caution lines up with what the data has been showing. The Ahrefs study we covered recently tested whether adding schema markup actually causes more AI citations, and found that it does not, even though schema is roughly three times more common on AI-cited pages. The correlation was real, but the cause-and-effect story built on top of it fell apart under testing. A lot of third-party metrics work the same way. They surface a real pattern in the data, then get sold as a causal lever, when the actual cause is usually the broader content and authority work that the metric happens to track alongside.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">None of this makes third-party tools useless. Most SEO professionals rely on them every day for keyword research, rank tracking, backlink analysis, and competitive research, and they are valuable for exactly those jobs. The trouble starts when a tool’s output gets treated as a signal from Google rather than an external estimate, or when a vendor implies that running their tool is what gets a page ranked. Google encouraging its own first-party tool, Search Console, runs underneath all of this, since Search Console is the one source that actually reports data straight from Google Search.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Reading the guidance as a buyer\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Read as a buyer, Google’s guidance works as a useful filter. The company is handing site owners a short set of questions to put to any SEO or AI visibility provider: do they cite official Google documentation to back up their recommendations, is their advice on AI experiences aligned with Google’s guidance on optimizing for generative AI features, and do they use tools that align with that guidance? And the warning signs are equally clear: anyone claiming their service is approved by Google, or guaranteeing a ranking, is making exactly the kind of claim the new pages tell buyers to distrust.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The honest version of this work passes that filter without much trouble, because it rests on fundamentals Google has recommended for years. Building authority through real editorial coverage, earning references from credible publications, and strengthening the entity signals that both Google and AI systems draw on do not require claiming Google’s blessing. \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Flink-building\">\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Link building\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"> and \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Fdigital-pr\">\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">digital PR\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"> work because authoritative third-party references are a real signal of trust, not because a tool found a shortcut. There is no internal-data claim to make and no guaranteed ranking to promise, because the results come from the work itself rather than from a proprietary score.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The hype version is what Google is warning against. Tools that promise to crack AI visibility with a secret metric, services that imply Google has signed off, and predictions presented as certainties are the claims the new guidance tells buyers to treat with suspicion. AEO and GEO becoming named categories was always going to attract both kinds of provider, and Google formalizing its position now is a sensible response to a market filling up with promises that nobody outside Google can actually back.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google recognizing optimizing for generative AI as real SEO work and warning against tools that overclaim are two halves of the same update. The category is legitimate, the fundamentals still apply, and the providers you actually want to work with are the ones whose claims hold up against Google’s own documentation. For anyone evaluating an SEO or AI visibility partner, the new guidance reads like a short, official checklist for telling the difference.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>","Google updated its “Do you need an SEO?” page to list optimizing for generative AI as legitimate SEO work, and published a new page on evaluating third-party SEO tools and advice. The guidance recognizes AEO and GEO while warning against tools that claim Google approval or guaranteed rankings.","https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Ffeatured-images\u002Faeo-geo-seal-final-20260608073855-2WrOcXtF.webp","published","Google updated its SEO documentation to recognize AEO and GEO, and added a new page warning site owners about third-party tools that overclaim",null,"blog",true,1329,"2026-06-08T07:37:16.000000Z","2026-06-08T07:39:02.000000Z",{"id":8,"name":23,"email":24,"about":16,"avatar":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":16,"deleted_at":16},"Rasit Cakir","rasit@nobsmarketplace.com","https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Frasit.webp","2026-01-26T11:10:22.000000Z",[28],{"id":29,"name":30,"slug":31,"created_at":32,"updated_at":32,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":33},23,"AI","ai","2026-03-10T11:18:29.000000Z",{"blog_id":7,"category_id":29},[35,40,54,99],{"id":7,"author_id":8,"title":9,"slug":10,"content":11,"short_summary":12,"featured_image":13,"status":14,"meta_title":9,"meta_description":15,"canonical_url":16,"keywords":16,"blog_type":17,"is_featured":18,"word_count":19,"published_at":20,"created_at":21,"updated_at":21,"deleted_at":16,"author":36,"categories":37},{"id":8,"name":23,"email":24,"about":16,"avatar":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":16,"deleted_at":16},[38],{"id":29,"name":30,"slug":31,"created_at":32,"updated_at":32,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":39},{"blog_id":7,"category_id":29},{"id":41,"author_id":8,"title":42,"slug":43,"content":44,"short_summary":45,"featured_image":46,"status":14,"meta_title":42,"meta_description":47,"canonical_url":16,"keywords":16,"blog_type":17,"is_featured":18,"word_count":48,"published_at":49,"created_at":50,"updated_at":51,"deleted_at":16,"author":52,"categories":53},355,"Google Now Shows How Often You Appear in AI Search","search-console-ai-performance-report","\u003Ch1>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google Now Shows How Often You Appear in AI Search\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh1>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google announced on June 3, 2026 that Search Console now includes Generative AI performance reports, giving site owners a dedicated view of how often their pages show up in AI Overviews and AI Mode. The reports are rolling out to a subset of websites first, with wider availability to follow once Google has tested them and gathered feedback. For anyone who has spent the past two years trying to measure AI visibility with third-party estimates, this is the first time Google itself has handed over the numbers.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The data was already feeding into the overall Search performance report, where AI feature impressions counted toward a site’s total Search visibility. What is new is the dedicated view that pulls generative AI visibility out on its own, so site owners can see how their content performs in AI features separately from the blue-link results.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The data Google is finally handing over\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The report breaks down generative AI visibility across the same dimensions site owners already use for regular Search performance. There are five things it shows.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Impressions tell you how often URLs from your site appeared in generative AI features across Search and Discover. The pages view shows which specific URLs are showing up in AI features. The countries view breaks visibility down by country. The devices view shows what people are using when they see your site, available for Search results. And the dates view tracks performance over time, with hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly granularity.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The example Google shared showed a site with 9,210 total impressions over a week, with a pages table listing individual URLs and their impression counts. A site owner can open the report, see how often their content appeared in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and drill into which pages and which countries are driving that visibility. The export button pulls the chart and table data out for anyone who wants to track it in their own reporting.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Counting impressions, not clicks\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">An impression here means one thing: how many times a link to your site was shown to a user in a generative AI feature on Google Search. It does not count clicks, it does not count traffic, and it does not measure whether anyone read the AI answer your link appeared in.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The distinction needs to stay clear because impressions answer a narrower question than the one most brands actually care about. The report tells you how often you are showing up in AI features. It does not tell you whether that visibility turned into a visit, a sign-up, or a sale. A page can rack up thousands of AI Overview impressions and send very little traffic, because the AI answer often gives the user what they need without a click.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">So the number is useful for one specific thing: confirming that your content is appearing in Google’s AI features and tracking whether that appearance grows or shrinks over time. For measuring what happens after the impression, the report does not help, and the gap between appearing in an AI answer and earning a click stays open.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">A first-party fix for a measurement problem\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The arrival of this report lands against a backdrop we have covered before. The Similarweb data from earlier this year showed AI platform usage climbing 28.6% while referral traffic to external sites stayed flat, which pushed the industry toward brand mention share as the metric to watch instead of referral volume. The catch was that brand mention share came from third-party tools estimating what AI systems were doing. Nobody had numbers straight from the source.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google handing over impression data for its own AI features changes that for AI Overviews and AI Mode specifically. A brand no longer has to infer its AI Overview visibility from a third-party crawler. The numbers come directly from the platform serving the AI answers, which makes them the most reliable measure available for how a site performs in Google’s generative features.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">That reliability has limits, but the direction is the one the measurement conversation has needed. First-party impression data for AI features is a real addition to a space that has been running on estimates and proxies.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">What the report still leaves out\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The report covers Google’s generative AI features and nothing else. AI Overviews and AI Mode are in scope. ChatGPT, the Gemini app, Perplexity, Claude, and every other AI surface are not, because Google has no visibility into how those systems use web content and no reason to report on competitors. A brand serious about AI visibility still needs third-party tools to track the platforms Google does not touch.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">A few other limits matter too. The report is rolling out to a subset of sites, so not every site owner has access yet. It does not include data from experiments in Search Labs, since those are still in active development. If a site has been excluded from appearing in Search generative AI features, the report will not show data, because there is nothing to report. And the usual Search Console constraints apply, including the 1,000-row limit on the table.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The one that matters most has already come up: impressions are not clicks. The report confirms that a brand is appearing in AI Overviews and AI Mode, which is useful on its own, but it leaves the harder question of what that visibility is worth in traffic and conversions unanswered.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Reading impressions next to the work that earns them\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The report becomes most useful when a brand reads its AI feature impressions next to the work that produces them. Appearing in AI Overviews and AI Mode depends on the same signals that have always driven Google visibility: content that ranks, authority earned across credible third-party sources, and the kind of entity recognition that comes from being referenced widely and consistently.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Flink-building\">\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Link building\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"> and \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Fdigital-pr\">\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">digital PR\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"> build the authority that gets a page into the consideration set Google draws from when it assembles an AI answer. Until now, the effect of that work on AI features was invisible, buried inside the overall Search performance number or estimated by third-party tools. The dedicated report lets a brand watch AI feature impressions over time and see whether a sustained authority-building program coincides with rising visibility in AI Overviews and AI Mode.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">The same logic applies to content structure. Pages built to answer specific questions clearly tend to be the ones AI features pull from, and the pages view in the new report shows which URLs are actually showing up. A brand can use that to spot which content earns AI visibility and which does not, then point more of its \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Fguest-posting\">\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">guest posting\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"> and \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Flink-insertion\">\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">link insertion\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"> effort at the pages and topics that are gaining traction.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\">Google giving site owners first-party AI visibility data is the kind of measurement that the AI search space has been missing. It does not answer every question, and it only covers Google’s own features, but it turns AI Overview and AI Mode visibility from a black box into a number a brand can actually track. For brands already investing in the authority and content work that earns AI citations, the report is the feedback loop that shows whether the investment is landing.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>","Google launched Generative AI performance reports in Search Console on June 3, 2026, currently rolling out to a subset of sites. The reports show how often a site’s pages appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode, broken down by page, country, and device. First-party AI visibility data has arrived.","https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Ffeatured-images\u002Fai-black-box-opened-20260605092607-Pvwi7maG.webp","Google added Generative AI performance reports to Search Console, showing how often pages appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode. First-party data, at last",1188,"2026-06-03T08:48:45.000000Z","2026-06-03T09:26:21.000000Z","2026-06-05T09:26:15.000000Z",{"id":8,"name":23,"email":24,"about":16,"avatar":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":16,"deleted_at":16},[],{"id":55,"author_id":56,"title":57,"slug":58,"content":59,"short_summary":60,"featured_image":61,"status":14,"meta_title":57,"meta_description":62,"canonical_url":16,"keywords":16,"blog_type":17,"is_featured":18,"word_count":63,"published_at":64,"created_at":65,"updated_at":65,"deleted_at":16,"author":66,"categories":72},354,3,"Authoritative Websites and Where to Find Them","authoritative-websites","\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>This post is an updated version of our guide on \u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-do-you-know-if-website-authoritative\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>\u003Cu>searching for authoritative websites\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem> for your content. After going through it myself, I decided that this post from five years ago could use some much-needed updating. After all, that’s one quality every authoritative source shares.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Picture this: you’re looking for something on Google and come across two websites. One is a renowned news publisher, while the other is a blog whose niche is relevant to your query. Both have the content you’re searching for, but they approach the topic differently.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">And thus, you ask yourself: “Which of these is more reliable?”\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">We ask this question more often than you might think, given how loaded the Internet is with content. Not just among readers but also among content creators, as authoritative sources improve the content’s search visibility. How can you expect to convince search engines and AI models that you’re an authority in your niche otherwise?\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">On that note, what counts as an “authoritative source?” Fortunately, finding one is easy.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Top-Level Domain\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">The most common and arguably viable way to spot an authoritative website is by checking its top-level domain (TLD). This is the part of a website’s URL that comes after the domain name that indicates the type of website.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Our website—along with more than 160 million others—uses the \u003Cem>.com\u003C\u002Fem> TLD. Originally used for commercial sites, it evolved to include non-commercial ones, thanks in large part to the dot-com bubble. Other commercial TLDs have since taken the role, such as \u003Cem>.biz\u003C\u002Fem> and \u003Cem>.net\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cbr>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"left\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Fgtld-top-10-20260602111739-2aazv2QS.jpg\" data-align=\"left\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>Source: \u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dnib.com\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-domain-name-industry-brief-q4-2025\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>\u003Cu>Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) Quarterly Report Q4 2025\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">But as just about any website can adopt it, \u003Cem>.com \u003C\u002Fem>is a weak indicator of authoritativeness. At least, it’s weak relative to the following:\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>.gov – \u003C\u002Fstrong>This TLD is reserved for websites of government agencies. One example is the State Department’s official website at \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.state.gov\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>www.state.gov\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>.edu – \u003C\u002Fstrong>This TLD is reserved for websites of universities and other higher education bodies. Take note that primary and secondary schools don’t use this.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>.org – \u003C\u002Fstrong>This TLD is reserved for organizations, primarily nonprofits. While not all \u003Cem>.org\u003C\u002Fem> websites are authoritative, at least \u003Cem>.org’s\u003C\u002Fem> use is stricter than \u003Cem>.com\u003C\u002Fem>.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">That said, by no means is \u003Cem>.com \u003C\u002Fem>the weakest of the known TLDs. Some like \u003Cem>.info \u003C\u002Fem>and \u003Cem>.xyz\u003C\u002Fem> are not just less authoritative but also considered spammy. Despite being legitimate TLDs, they sadly grew popular among spammers and cybercriminals due to their low cost.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Domain Content\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">There are two kinds of sources: primary and secondary. Primary sources are content that comes straight from the authority itself, such as the author of a study or an official within an agency or body. Meanwhile, secondary sources are content that reports about primary sources, such as news articles and blog posts.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Primary sources are generally more reputable than secondary ones because of their first-hand nature. However, by that definition, a statement from an interest group—no matter how right or wrong it sounds—can be considered a primary source. That’s why primary or secondary isn’t the only way to classify sources.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">According to Amy Guptill, associate dean of the School of Business and Management at SUNY Brockport, sources can also be classified into four tiers.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"left\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Fpicture42-20260602111836-21L78FlZ.png\" data-align=\"left\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>Source:\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fopen.oregonstate.education\u002Fgoodargument\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem> \u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>\u003Cu>A Dam Good Argument: Persuasive Writing at Oregon State University\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">While a Tier I source is mostly unmatched in terms of authority, it ultimately depends on the niche you’re writing about. For example, academic studies about SEO are few and far between among Tier I and II sources. At best, most of the details would come from Tier III sources, along with some credible Tier IV ones.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">This is one of the reasons giving credit where it’s due is important. You don’t want people to put words in your mouth, especially when your content relies on lower-tier sources.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">One more thing: \u003Cem>don’t be too dependent on Wikipedia. \u003C\u002Fem>While a Tier III source, its openness to editing by just about anyone risks picking up misinformation by accident. Instead, use it as a springboard for locating more authoritative sources. And who better to tell you all this and more than \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FWikipedia:General_disclaimer\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>Wikipedia itself\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">?\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>“The structure of the project allows anyone with an Internet connection to alter its content. Please be advised that nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate, or reliable information.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Niche Match\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">In a recent blog post, we discussed the importance of \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Fblog\u002Fguest-blogging-ai-search\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>understanding your niche\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> in modern guest posting. A niche match brings several advantages, such as the ease of entry and the ability to run content amid lower competition.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">The same applies to locating authoritative websites. A well-known news site may make for an authoritative source, but that won’t always be the case. Going back to the example from earlier, SEO is rarely discussed on general news sites unless it involves a high-profile brand and its black-hat shenanigans.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">In such cases, a niche website can be just as authoritative as a news site. In this case, we’d go to sites like Search Engine Journal or Search Engine Land for SEO-related news. General information about SEO, however, can be mostly found in Tier IV sources.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Content Quality\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Measuring content quality is something you can’t do with numbers. Metrics can offer hints, but knowing how well-written an article or blog post is involves a deeper dive. You’d have to read the whole piece and weigh in on how the author tackled the topic.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Fortunately, Google gives us an idea through three fundamentals.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"left\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Fpicture43-20260602111923-1rQ8GXQI.png\" data-align=\"left\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">A simple way to check for all three is to put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Assume you’re a user with a burning need to know something. Pick an article (preferably one of the website’s most read) and examine its authoritative sources and its approach to discussing the topic.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">If you want a more thorough check, Google has a list of\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdevelopers.google.com\u002Fsearch\u002Fdocs\u002Ffundamentals\u002Fcreating-helpful-content\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>guide questions\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> you can use.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Another way to gauge content quality is through the CRAAP Test. It evaluates a source using five key criteria, hence the acronym.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Currency – \u003C\u002Fstrong>how recently the content was posted or updated\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Relevance – \u003C\u002Fstrong>how close the content is to satisfying your query\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Authority – \u003C\u002Fstrong>the content author’s credentials and affiliations\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Accuracy –\u003C\u002Fstrong> how much verifiable information the content uses\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Purpose –\u003C\u002Fstrong> the content author’s intentions for creating it\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Link Profile\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">The nature of inbound and outbound links is equally important. Authoritative websites can ill afford to resort to black hat SEO techniques, lest they risk driving away visitors and their reader base. In fact, they don’t need it as they’re already trusted sources of information.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">We won’t be discussing building a solid link profile in depth here, as we’ve made numerous posts about the topic already. You can check out my\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnobsmarketplace.com\u002Fblog\u002Fnecessary-types-of-links\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>updated guide\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> on the necessary types of links in the AI-dominated search environment to get started.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Establishing Authority With Authority\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Authority, like many other tenets of a good brand reputation, isn’t given but earned. Building your brand’s authority requires content backed by information from authoritative websites. The process is slow, but it’s the best way to become an authority in your niche yourself.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>","In search, users spend a lot of time determining whether the content they're reading is reliable. As a publisher or site owner, the best way to prove that you are is by getting your information from authoritative sources. But it begs the question: \"What makes a source authoritative?\"","https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Ffeatured-images\u002F200degrees-template-1599663-1280-20260602110722-Q9J0pfWl.png","Website authority is an important factor in visibility in today’s search. But how can you spot an authoritative website? This guide explains it in detail.",1140,"2026-06-02T19:20:00.000000Z","2026-06-02T11:20:49.000000Z",{"id":56,"name":67,"email":68,"about":69,"avatar":70,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16},"Jonas Trinidad","jonas@nobsmarketplace.com","","https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fblog-authors\u002F2023\u002F05\u002Fjonas-trinidad.jpg","2025-10-26T11:10:22.000000Z",[73,77,81,87,93],{"id":74,"name":75,"slug":17,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":76},1,"Blogs",{"blog_id":55,"category_id":74},{"id":56,"name":78,"slug":79,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":80},"SEO","seo",{"blog_id":55,"category_id":56},{"id":82,"name":83,"slug":84,"created_at":85,"updated_at":85,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":86},8,"Link Building","link-building","2025-10-26T11:10:26.000000Z",{"blog_id":55,"category_id":82},{"id":88,"name":89,"slug":90,"created_at":91,"updated_at":91,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":92},11,"Content","content","2025-10-26T11:10:27.000000Z",{"blog_id":55,"category_id":88},{"id":94,"name":95,"slug":96,"created_at":97,"updated_at":97,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":98},16,"Educative Content","educative-content","2026-02-10T11:18:29.000000Z",{"blog_id":55,"category_id":94},{"id":100,"author_id":56,"title":101,"slug":102,"content":103,"short_summary":104,"featured_image":105,"status":14,"meta_title":101,"meta_description":106,"canonical_url":16,"keywords":16,"blog_type":17,"is_featured":18,"word_count":107,"published_at":108,"created_at":109,"updated_at":109,"deleted_at":16,"author":110,"categories":111},353,"FAQs Are Far From Dead","faqs-seo","\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">A few weeks ago, Google announced that its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) rich results would be retired this August. Its gradual relegation to the archives of SEO history starts with the results no longer showing up in search results. Support for its tools will also stop.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">But if you think this means FAQs are pointless now, you’re sorely mistaken.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">While FAQs won’t show up in search results anymore, they’re still invaluable content in the eyes of consumers. When people need an answer but don’t have time or patience to read a full article, brief but informative FAQs are the next best thing.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Sadly, websites get these things wrong a lot, leading to content that misses the mark in AI search. So let’s talk about them, how they can still work for today’s SEO, and how you can avoid common rookie mistakes in making them.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">An Underrated SEO Hack\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Some in the SEO community saw FAQ rich results as underrated and underused—and, to be honest, part of the blame was on us. Introduced in 2018, the FAQPage structured data was designed to provide users with straight answers to, well, frequently asked questions in a niche. Any website can add it using the\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdevelopers.google.com\u002Fsearch\u002Fdocs\u002Fappearance\u002Fstructured-data\u002Ffaqpage#json-ld\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>sample code here\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">It was a nifty feature, but many professionals saw the writing on the wall. Its ease of use made it prone to markup manipulation, with users misusing the system to trigger it to show flimsy FAQ content in droves. Google later took steps to limit its use, ranging from capping the number of FAQs per website to allowing only government and healthcare-focused sites.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">So, we can’t expect these rich results to appear anymore. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them on your own website. In fact, visitors will appreciate them.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Studies show that consumers consider a quick response to their questions essential. And while most of them define “quick” as\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.hubspot.com\u002Fsales\u002Flive-chat-go-to-market-flaw\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>10 minutes or less\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">, faster will always be better in this case. Opening an FAQ will be faster than contacting customer support.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Ffireshot-capture-111-white-label-link-building-services-and-guest-posting-no-bs-nobsmarketplacecom-20260601112916-EN0Nl5Oo.png\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp style=\"text-align: center;\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cem>Excerpt of FAQs on the NO-BS Marketplace homepage.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">It also works from a business operations perspective. Why keep answering FAQs over the phone or chat when you can simply put them on the website for everyone to see and read? This frees up your customer support team to address issues and concerns that need more depth than a basic FAQ entry can provide.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">The loss of FAQ rich results also doesn’t mean that FAQs won’t be considered for search. In the end, they’re still content that can appear in search results and, even better, AI citations. That said, this only forms a part of your content strategy; don’t expect it to be your winning ticket, at least not on its own.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">AI Search Likes FAQs, Too\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">On Reddit, I came across\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"text-primary-blue-600 hover:underline\" href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reddit.com\u002Fr\u002Faeo\u002Fcomments\u002F1s6e7jr\u002Fthe_faq_page_mistake_that_killed_our_ai_citations\u002F\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> \u003C\u002Fspan>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cu>this thread\u003C\u002Fu>\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"> where a user recounted that half of the FAQs on their client sites weren’t reaching AI summaries. To optimize them for search, they tried revising the answers from paragraph form to bullet-point format. Six weeks later, they recorded 3.2 times more AI citations for the latter compared to 0.8 times for the former.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">As it turns out, AI reads content like many of us do—by cherry-picking parts of it.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Except here, AI has every reason to do so. Because it needs to satisfy a user’s curiosity or need within seconds, reading an article from start to finish is inefficient. Instead, it works by scanning for answer blocks, extracting information from them, and collating it into a single readable summary.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">FAQ answers are rarely half an article long, let alone a full one. The word count ranges from 50 words to as high as 250, but one expert states that 40 to 60 words is the sweet spot. This constitutes one answer block, which the AI model can extract information from. If you can write a concrete answer in this many words, the chances of AI mentions are high.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Below is an excerpt from Google’s AI Overview for “how long does weight loss surgery take.”\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Ffireshot-capture-112-how-long-does-weight-loss-surgery-take-google-search-wwwgooglecom-20260601112932-HVFBNJ01.png\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">The AI sourced this section from seven sources, one of which is the FAQ page for WashU’s weight loss surgery page. While the source doesn’t cover everything, it does cite the hours required for gastric banding and duodenal switch.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Ffireshot-capture-113-frequently-asked-questions-faqs-about-weight-loss-surgery-weigh-weightlosssurgerywustledu-20260601112954-ctmFk3oM.png\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">However, citing an FAQ page is a rare case in AI search. Models still favor articles and blog posts while still delivering results quickly. That’s why, as mentioned earlier, it isn’t ideal to put all your efforts into your FAQ page for SEO.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Building Your FAQ Content\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">A FAQ section or page can be invaluable content. However, don’t just throw a list of random questions and call it a day. You won’t do the acronym justice and customers any favors that way. Instead, consider the following tips:\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.25em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Get FAQ Data\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">The idea behind FAQ content is to save time by not having to answer FAQs on the phone or in chat over and over. To that end, it’s important to know what customers ask the most. You need data, which can come from several sources.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cul>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Search analytics: \u003C\u002Fstrong>Search queries are a gold mine of FAQ data. Use analytics tools like Google Analytics 4 or SEMrush to monitor metrics like keyword volume or page traffic. If you’re currently doing SEO, all the more reason to do so.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Call and chat logs:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Calls and chat history with customers can be reviewed to learn the kinds of inquiries that frequently come in. This is also applicable to emails and support tickets (via a helpdesk system).\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">\u003Cstrong>Direct competitors:\u003C\u002Fstrong> Look at the websites of potential and current competitors to study how they shaped their FAQ content. This helps determine the bare minimum and the kind of questions to answer.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">In gathering FAQ data, you’d want to search for questions with commercial or transactional intent. Consumers usually contact your business to place an order or, in this case, to ask how to do so; thus, the FAQ content must be able to satisfy that. A few informational FAQs won’t hurt, but they shouldn’t be a priority; you already have blog posts for that.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.25em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">More Isn’t Always Better\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">It can be tempting to cram as many FAQs as possible, but that can be disadvantageous for several reasons. For starters, even if AI models can locate an answer with ease, customers certainly can’t. An overly long FAQ section or page will only make it harder to seek answers.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Limit questions to the most frequently asked. As to how many is ideal, experts are divided. Some say three to five is just right, while others agree that you can get away with up to 10.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">I’d say let the page determine how many.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"left\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Fpicture39-20260601113029-Xc42rtiY.png\" data-align=\"left\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Barring a dedicated FAQ page or blog post, the homepage contains the largest number of questions. Most visitors here are still on the fence as to whether they’ll buy from you, so it makes sense to focus commercial and transactional FAQs here. This composition can also be beneficial for existing customers.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"left\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Fpicture40-20260601113049-qWrCH8Xw.png\" data-align=\"left\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Naturally, product or service pages contain fewer FAQs that are product or service-related. You can add questions from other pages as long as they’ll be helpful to the customer.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure data-type=\"image\" data-align=\"left\" style=\"display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto;\">\u003Cimg class=\"max-w-full h-auto rounded-lg\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Fblog-images\u002Fpicture41-20260601113108-KkmOagIv.png\" data-align=\"left\">\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">A dedicated FAQ page is the exception to this rule for obvious reasons, and even then, this isn’t necessarily better than a FAQ section. If you prefer this, you should make sure that it doesn’t serve to compensate for poor content on the website. Many sites are guilty of this, using the page to cover their content’s shortcomings.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch3>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.25em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Add or Update FAQs As Necessary\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh3>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Life teaches us that nothing stays constant forever. Policies may affect existing payment options to the point that they’re more trouble to maintain than their worth. Demand may change to the point that offering bulk orders may be detrimental to the bottom line.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">Such significant changes would require an update of your FAQ content. Whether it requires more questions or a change of answers (for better or worse), keeping it up to date is crucial for the consumer’s benefit.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Ch2>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">If Not For SEO, Then For User Experience\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fh2>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">It’s unfortunate that FAQ rich results went the way they did. Even if well-intentioned, it had several flaws that made it a medium for black-hat SEO techniques for a time.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\">However, traditional FAQs on websites are anything but dead. Even though they no longer appear as rich results, this type of content can still provide value to consumers. And with the right solutions, it may be worth mentioning by AI summaries.\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fp>","As Google plans to remove FAQ rich results entirely in August this year, one question on everyone's minds is whether FAQs as a whole will be irrelevant. However, a removal in one medium doesn't mean a removal in another.","https:\u002F\u002Fwebsite-cdn.nobsmarketplace.com\u002Fuploads\u002Ffeatured-images\u002Floufre-seek-1756278-1280-20260601112019-L9a9SlYL.jpg","Google may have pulled the plug on FAQ rich results, but FAQs on websites are still useful. This piece explains why and how to take advantage of them.",1378,"2026-06-01T19:32:00.000000Z","2026-06-01T11:32:23.000000Z",{"id":56,"name":67,"email":68,"about":69,"avatar":70,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16},[112,114,116,121,123,125],{"id":74,"name":75,"slug":17,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":113},{"blog_id":100,"category_id":74},{"id":56,"name":78,"slug":79,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":115},{"blog_id":100,"category_id":56},{"id":117,"name":118,"slug":119,"created_at":71,"updated_at":71,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":120},4,"Content Marketing","content-marketing",{"blog_id":100,"category_id":117},{"id":88,"name":89,"slug":90,"created_at":91,"updated_at":91,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":122},{"blog_id":100,"category_id":88},{"id":94,"name":95,"slug":96,"created_at":97,"updated_at":97,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":124},{"blog_id":100,"category_id":94},{"id":29,"name":30,"slug":31,"created_at":32,"updated_at":32,"deleted_at":16,"pivot":126},{"blog_id":100,"category_id":29}]