We test search strategies instead of blindly repeating SEO advice.

Hypothesis

Pages containing clean Question/Answer JSON-LD markup alongside visible on-page answers will be cited significantly more often by LLMs than identical content without structured schema.

Test Methodology

Tested 32 comparable commercial pages across 4 test websites. 16 pages received nested FAQPage JSON-LD schema with concise 45-word answers; 16 control pages retained identical on-page text without schema markup. Queried ChatGPT-4o and Perplexity with 80 target prompt variations.

Data Captured

80 prompt evaluations across 32 URLs over a 60-day observation window.

Result: Perplexity cited schema-enabled URLs in 42% of responses vs 18% for control pages (2.3x increase). ChatGPT cited schema pages in 28% vs 21% (modest improvement). When cited, both engines directly lifted answers matching the schema text 74% of the time.

Hypothesis

Re-architecting internal links from high-authority existing pages to an underperforming target page using exact and partial match anchors will increase ranking positions without building a single external backlink.

Test Methodology

Selected an underperforming service page stuck on Page 3 (Position 24-28). Without acquiring external links or modifying target page copy, added 14 contextual in-content links from top-traffic blog posts and category hubs with varied anchor text. Monitored GSC for 45 days.

Data Captured

Target keyword group: 12 keywords with combined monthly search volume of 4,800.

Result: The target URL rose from Position 26 to Position 9 within 31 days. Impressions increased by 310% and organic clicks increased by 225% without acquiring any new external referring domains.

Hypothesis

Publishing localized service-area landing pages with localized schema, landmarks, and geotargeted FAQs will expand Google Maps proximity ranking reach beyond the physical address.

Test Methodology

Created 6 distinct service-area pages for adjacent sub-markets (5-15 miles from verified GBP address). Embedded unique driving directions, local landmarks, project examples, and local business schema linking back to the verified GBP CID URL.

Data Captured

Local Falcon 7x7 geo-grid scans across 49 data points over 90 days.

Result: Average Local Rank (AGR) improved from 14.2 to 5.8 across the targeted 15-mile perimeter. Organic ranking for 'service + city' jumped to Top 3 across 4 out of 6 sub-markets.

Hypothesis

Different AI search engines rely on fundamentally different retrieval mechanisms: Gemini favors Google ecosystem authority and YouTube; Perplexity favors structured data and recency; ChatGPT favors consensus brand mentions and high-authority publications.

Test Methodology

Queried 100 identical commercial buying queries across all 3 engines. Recorded all 540 cited source URLs and analyzed domain age, backlink count, schema presence, content length, and publication date.

Data Captured

540 cited URLs analyzed across 100 queries.

Result: Perplexity cited pages updated within 90 days 68% of the time, and prioritized pages with tables/bulleted data. Gemini cited Google-indexed sources and YouTube videos 3.1x more than ChatGPT. ChatGPT favored established domains (DR 60+) and community consensus sources (Reddit/Quora).

Hypothesis

Adding explicit Author schema (with SameAs links to LinkedIn, Wikidata, and published bylines) increases the likelihood of a page being cited in AI Overviews compared to an anonymous byline.

Test Methodology

Tested 20 articles in a competitive finance/business niche. Half were attributed to a verified author with full Person schema, SameAs profile links, and credentials; half were published under generic 'Editorial Staff' without Person schema.

Data Captured

20 test URLs tracked over 75 days in Google Search Console and AI Overview trackers.

Result: Verified author pages appeared in Google AI Overviews 44% more frequently and maintained 32% higher average click-through rates.

Hypothesis

Programmatic pages generated from structured databases will index at the same speed as manually created pages if they possess at least 40% unique data points and proper internal linking.

Test Methodology

Generated 200 programmatic location-service pages. Group A (100 pages) had generic boilerplate with only city swapped (thin template). Group B (100 pages) included unique local statistics, custom pricing estimates, localized reviews, and hub linking.

Data Captured

200 URLs submitted via XML sitemap, monitored via Google Search Console URL Inspection API for 60 days.

Result: Group B achieved 92% indexation within 14 days, with 64% ranking in Top 20 by day 45. Group A achieved only 28% indexation, with 54% flagged as 'Discovered - currently not indexed'.

Hypothesis

Raw AI content will struggle to retain rankings through core updates, while AI-assisted content rewritten with proprietary data and human editorial oversight will outperform 100% human-written content due to comprehensive topic coverage.

Test Methodology

Monitored 3 batches of 15 articles each: Batch 1 (100% raw AI generated), Batch 2 (AI outline + 100% human-researched and edited with original quotes), Batch 3 (Traditional 100% manual freelance writer). Tracked performance through a Google Core Algorithm Update.

Data Captured

45 articles tracked over 6 months across 3 distinct domains.

Result: Batch 1 lost 68% of ranking traffic following the core update. Batch 2 gained 42% organic traffic and achieved the highest keyword density without triggering spam flags. Batch 3 performed well (+24%) but took 4.5x longer to produce.

Hypothesis

Commercial intent comparison pages ('SEO vs PPC', 'Agency vs In-House') will convert visitors into booked consultations at a higher rate than generic service overview pages.

Test Methodology

Split 1,200 commercial organic visitors across standard service pages ('SEO Services') vs structured comparison pages ('SEO Agency vs In-House Team' and 'SEO vs Google Ads'). Tracked form submissions and consultation bookings.

Data Captured

1,200 organic visits, 74 conversion events.

Result: Comparison pages converted at 8.4% compared to 3.2% for standard service pages (2.6x higher conversion rate). Prospects from comparison pages spent 2.8x longer on page and arrived at initial calls with fewer price objections.