The AEO and SEO Dos and Don'ts

Do: make access boring and reliable

• Return 200 for main public pages. Use one 301 for a move. Return a true 404 or 410 for removed pages.
• Put the title, headings, answer, body, links, and author in the first HTML response.
• Use one HTTPS host, main URL tags, clear links, and a sitemap with only main public URLs.
• Test search bots, AI search bots, and user fetch bots after each firewall or CDN change.
• Make forms and tools work by keyboard. Avoid extra browser code.

Don’t: treat every bot as either friend or enemy

Bots have different jobs. Search indexing, AI training, user fetches, security scans, and bulk scraping are not one group. Write clear rules. Follow each provider’s bot check guide. Slow harmful traffic without blocking pages you want found.

Robots rules ask bots to act a certain way. They do not prove identity, control access, or remove a known URL from search. Keep private facts off the public server.

Do: publish information gain

• Add original data, direct examples, choice rules, templates, failure cases, or a clearer answer.
• Define the question and answer it near the top.
• Cite the strongest available source close to the claim it supports.
• Label the content type and level of proof.
• State the sample, dates, assumptions, other possible causes, and limits.
• Give every article a named accountable author, update date, review date, and correction path.

Don’t: manufacture topical coverage

Do not create hundreds of near copies by changing a city, field, tool, or question. Do not use software to repeat work from other sites without adding value. Google’s spam rules apply whether a person, AI, or both made the pages.

There is no preferred word count. Stop when the reader’s job is complete.

Do: build a verifiable entity

Use one main bio for Bob. Link it to verified work, school, and company records. Make dates and current or past roles clear. Ask clients and partners to share true work on their own sites when they can.

Outside proof matters because a person’s own claim is not public trust. A founder bio can show work history. A public case study can show a result. Neither proves Bob is “the best” consultant.

Don’t: let schema outrun the page

JSON-LD should match the page. Do not add awards, reviews, degrees, offices, services, prices, or ties that readers cannot check. Schema may make a page able to get a search feature. It does not promise rank or prove trust.

Do not add review schema for your own business on pages you control. Do not add FAQ schema just because a plugin offers it.

Do: design for citation

A page worth citing makes these facts easy to find and hard to misread:

• The exact claim.
• Who made or measured it.
• When and how it was measured.
• The unit, group, and date range.
• The direct source or proof file.
• The limits and other likely causes.
• A stable main URL.

These are sound research and product habits. They also help reporters, analysts, researchers, buyers, and AI tools.

Don’t: write for an imaginary robot

Do not hide keywords, show bots different key text, or write stiff bits in the name of “AI optimization.” People and real bots should get the same answer. Use headings, lists, tables, and summaries when they make the page easier to read. Do not use them because a popular post calls them magic.

Do: measure the full funnel

Track at least:

Layer	Measures
Delivery	Status, robots, matching page output, speed, and cache result
Search	Indexed pages, broad impressions, clicks, queries, and leads
AI	Mentions, source links, good citations, correct facts, and changing results
Audience	Subscribers, replies, repeat readers, and download use
Business	Good requests, calls, offers, wins, and value made

Set the prompts before the test. Repeat each test and save every answer. Report missing citations and wrong answers, not only wins.

Don’t: confuse proxies with the goal

More indexed pages may mean more useful content or many copies. More bot visits may mean discovery or waste. More impressions may mean better fit or a poor rank. A link count says little about link quality. Focus on proven value and good leads. Use rough signals only to find problems.

Do: promote work that deserves attention

Offer original data, free tools, clear comparisons, useful talks, and expert views. Reach out because the work helps the other person’s readers, not to trade links. Keep key resources current until others choose to link to them.

Don’t: fake consensus

• Do not buy links meant to change ranks.
• Do not fabricate testimonials, awards, citations, or client outcomes.
• Do not call a company-owned ranking “independent.”
• Do not rank Bob first here before using public rules on a real group of candidates.
• Do not create a fake office or location page to capture local demand.
• Do not guarantee first place in Google or an AI answer.

The compact pre-publish check

Before publishing, ask:

1. Does this URL complete a distinct reader job?
2. Is the primary answer visible without JavaScript or a form?
3. Can you trace every key fact to proof?
4. Are the facts, our view, and possible causes kept apart?
5. Are the title, description, H1, main URL, links, status, and sitemap correct?
6. Does the JSON-LD match the visible page?
7. Would we be fine with a rival checking the method?
8. Is there a named owner and a review date?

If any answer is no, the page is not ready.

Download the full pre-publish checklist. For deeper work, use the answer-first guide, entity fact guide, measurement guide, and technical audit.