The CoreCited blog
AI search, measured
Research and practical guides on how ChatGPT, Google’s AI Mode, Perplexity and the rest choose what to cite, written from what can actually be measured. Every figure sourced and dated.
- articles
- 61
- articles
- topics
- 5
- topics
- figure sourced
- Every
- figure sourced
61 articles
TechnicalHow to add meta description in WordPress and Shopify, with Yoast, Rank Math, AIOSEO, Wix and SquarespaceWhere the field is on each platform and plugin, how templates fill it in bulk, and what goes wrong.Alex13 min
TechnicalWhat is an H1 tag? One or many, logo H1s, and examples by page typeGoogle's dated statements on one or many, logo H1s, and examples by page type.Alex10 min
TechnicalNext.js sitemap: copy-ready app/sitemap.ts for static, dynamic and 50,000+ URL sitesStatic, CMS-driven and split sitemaps in app/sitemap.ts, with real dates and a working index.Alex10 min
StrategyPrompt research: how to find the questions your buyers ask ChatGPTSeven sources of real buyer questions, what prompt volume figures really are, and how to build the set.Alex13 min
TechnicalDoes meta description affect SEO? Why Google ignores yours, and how to fix missing and duplicate onesWhat the description does for SEO, why Google swaps it out, and how to fix it across a site.Alex12 min
TechnicalAlternate page with proper canonical tag: why it is usually fine, and when it is notUsually nothing to fix. Here is how to find the cases where it hides a problem.Alex12 min
MeasurementAI share of voice: the formula, a worked example, and the error bars most reports leave outThe formula, three denominators that give three numbers, and the range that belongs next to each.Alex12 min
TechnicalWhat is a sitemap? A plain explanation, with annotated XML sitemap examplesWhat a sitemap does and does not do, when you need one, and every tag explained.Alex11 min
Content & authorityHow to write a meta description: a formula, templates and 20 examples by page typeA four-part formula, templates, and 20 measured examples, plus the ones Google threw away.Alex13 min
Content & authorityHeader tags SEO: how to structure H1 to H6 for readers, Google and AI answersWhat each heading level is for, the hierarchy rules, and what Google and Bing say.Alex11 min
AI search enginesWhy does ChatGPT give different answers to the same question?Sampling, temperature, search and memory, and what they mean for measuring a brand.Alex12 min
TechnicalSitemap could not be read in Search Console: what each status means, and how to fix itWhat Couldn't fetch means, how to tell a real error from a wait, and the fix for each cause.Alex11 min
TechnicalMeta description length: how long it should be on desktop and mobile, measured in pixelsGoogle's real limit, what fits on desktop and mobile, and live snippets measured in pixels.Alex11 min
TechnicalDuplicate without user-selected canonical: what it means and when to fix itWhat the Search Console status means, when to leave it, and the fix for each cause.Alex14 min
TechnicalHow to find a sitemap of a website: robots.txt, the common paths, and every platformRead robots.txt first, then the path your platform documents, then the index.Alex10 min
AI search enginesWhere does ChatGPT get its information? Training data, live search, and the sources it citesTwo sources, training and live search, and what each means for whether your brand is named.Alex13 min
TechnicalHTML title tag: how long it should be, examples that work, and why Google rewrites itLength, examples that work, and the reasons Google replaces your title.Alex12 min
TechnicalOpen Graph protocol: every og tag, the X card, and what each platform readsThe four required og tags, the useful optional ones, and how X cards fit in.Alex12 min
Content & authorityLinkedIn post preview: how LinkedIn builds a link card, and how to refresh itHow LinkedIn reads your page, why cards go stale, and how to refresh one.Alex11 min
AI search enginesSERP meaning: what is on a search results page, and where AI answers now sitWhat a results page contains, the features that take clicks, and where AI answers sit.Alex13 min
TechnicalOG image size: the dimensions that work on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Slack and WhatsAppOne image size that works almost everywhere, and the platform limits that break it.Alex12 min
Content & authorityLSI keywords: why Google does not use them, and what topic coverage really meansWhere the term came from, what Google says, and what topic coverage looks like instead.Alex14 min
TechnicalOpen Graph for WhatsApp: why your link preview is not showing, and how to fix itWhich Open Graph tags WhatsApp reads, the image rules it enforces, and how to refresh a card.Alex15 min
Content & authorityFlesch-Kincaid explained: reading ease, grade level, and what a good score isBoth formulas, what a good score looks like, and where the numbers mislead.Alex14 min
Content & authorityKeyword stuffing: what Google counts as stuffing, and the keyword density mythWhat the spam policy actually says, why density targets mislead, and what works instead.Alex11 min
Technical301 vs 302: choosing between a permanent and a temporary redirectPermanent or temporary: what each code tells crawlers, and when to use which.Alex14 min
Content & authorityActive and passive voice: examples, how to spot each, and when passive is fineSpot a passive sentence, fix it when it hides who acted, and keep it when it helps.Alex13 min
TechnicalERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS: why a page redirects in a loop, and how to fix itFind the loop, then fix it: HTTPS, www, CDN settings, plugins and cookies.Alex11 min
Technical301 Moved Permanently: what the response means, and what a 301 does for SEOWhat a 301 tells crawlers, how signals move, and the mistakes that cost them.Alex12 min
StrategyAEO services: what a real engagement includes, what it costs, and red flagsDeliverables, 2026 pricing ranges, red flags, and what you can do yourself.Alex10 min
Technical302 status code: what a 302 Found response means, and when it is the right redirectWhat 302 Found means, who follows it how, and when it is the right redirect.Alex11 min
MeasurementAgency rank tracking in 2026: positions, AI answers, and what to reportPositions and AI answers, tracked across clients, and reported without overclaiming.Alex10 min
StrategySEO agency software: what an agency actually needs, and what to checkThe stack by job, what each part must do, and what it costs per client.Alex10 min
Content & authorityLinkedIn SEO for AI search: how often AI cites LinkedIn, and what it citesHow often AI cites LinkedIn, which crawlers it lets in, and what cited content looks like.Alex8 min
AI search enginesGemini vs AI Mode: two Google AI products, and the switches that control eachOne company, two front doors: how the Gemini app and AI Search differ, and how to control each.Alex8 min
TechnicalNext.js SEO for AI search: what crawlers receive, and the metadata catchServer components, AI crawlers that skip JavaScript, and the streamed-metadata catch.Alex9 min
StrategyAI marketing agents: what has shipped, what works, and what is agent washingWhat has shipped, what the evidence says, and why your buyers' agents matter more.Alex8 min
AI search enginesGrok search: how it reads the web and X, and how to show up in itThe web, X, DeepSearch and citations: how Grok finds sources, and how to be one.Alex7 min
MeasurementLLM tracking: choosing the prompts, and how many answers a number needsWhich prompts to track, how many runs to trust, and what to record for each answer.Alex8 min
TechnicalLog file analysis for AI crawlers: who visits, what they get, and which are fakeFind the AI crawlers in your server logs, verify they are real, and fix what they hit.Alex9 min
StrategyAI shopping assistants: who can sell your products, and how to get inRufus, Sparky, AI Mode, Copilot, Perplexity and ChatGPT: what each does and how merchants get in.Alex9 min
AI search enginesChatGPT agent was retired. What now visits your site, and how to let it inOperator became ChatGPT agent, which became a cloud browser. What that means for your site.Alex9 min
MeasurementAI Overview tracking: what each method shows, and what none of them canSearch Console, rank trackers and SERP APIs: what each can and cannot tell you.Alex8 min
AI search enginesHow ChatGPT picks the products it recommends, and why the list keeps changingWhat decides the picks, why they rotate, and what one check can and cannot tell you.Alex11 min
MeasurementMeasuring AI traffic in GA4, and the part you cannotThe built-in AI Assistant channel, a regex that does not overcount, and the line past which nobody can measure.Alex10 min
AI search enginesChatGPT ads: how advertising in ChatGPT works, and what it does not changeWho sees them, how they are targeted, what they cost to run, and why they sit apart from the answer.Alex10 min
Content & authorityHow to create a Wikipedia page for your company, and when you should notThe notability test, the disclosure rules, and why a declined draft is the usual outcome.Alex11 min
MeasurementAI search statistics for 2026, every figure sourced and datedThe numbers behind AI search, with the source and the kind of source on every one.Alex12 min
AI search enginesChatGPT vs Google: what the usage numbers really say, and what they cannotUsers, searches, intent and traffic, side by side, and why the units rarely match.Alex9 min
Content & authorityBrand mentions vs backlinks: which one AI visibility tracks more closelyWhat the correlation studies found, what Google says, and why neither is a shortcut.Alex9 min
TechnicalProgrammatic SEO with AI: where scale helps and where it becomes spamWhat Google's policy says, what works, and a risk check for your plan.Alex10 min
MeasurementSEO reports for clients: a template that includes AI visibilityA report template that covers search and AI, with the source and caveat for every number.Alex10 min
TechnicalShould you block GPTBot? What happens either wayA real trade with a real cost on both sides, and the robots.txt for each.Alex9 min
Content & authorityE-E-A-T when the reader is a machineThe signals a model can parse, against the ones that only move human raters.Alex9 min
StrategyWill AI replace SEO?No — but the job changes, and the specific change is worth naming.Alex8 min
Content & authorityHow to optimise for AI search, as an actual checklistThirty-one checks, each with why it matters and how to verify it.Alex10 min
TechnicalDoes llms.txt actually do anything?The sceptical companion to our own generator.Alex8 min
Content & authorityTopical authority, judged by whether a model can assemble an answerClusters and links, judged by something other than a vendor's own score.Alex9 min
MeasurementZero-click search, and the part of it worth reacting toThe number is real. What people conclude from it usually is not.Alex9 min
AI search enginesHow an AI assistant decides which sources to citeKnown, inferred, and invented — sorted, with the evidence for each.Alex10 min
What do people ask about this blog?
How often do you publish?
Weekly, and the schedule above is real rather than aspirational — but a post ships when it has something to say. We would rather one be late than thin, and a blog padded to hit a cadence is the fastest way to stop being worth reading.
Who writes these?
We do — the people building the product. That is a conflict of interest and it is stated on every page where it matters, including the tools roundup, which begins by saying we built one of the nine.
Can I suggest a topic, or tell you something is wrong?
Yes to both, and the second is more useful. Prices and platform behaviour in this category move constantly; if you find something here out of date or wrong, tell us and we will fix it and say what changed.