Research · Primary sources
What the data actually says.
Long-form research grounded in Google Search Central, peer-reviewed papers, and causal studies — no SEO blog recycling. Newest first.
The SEO Cargo Cult Cycle: How Tactics Get Born, Spammed, and Killed
FAQ schema didn't die because Google got mean. It died because the industry abused it — exactly like meta keywords, link wheels, and PBNs before it. The cycle is repeating with AI SEO. Here's the pattern.
Read research →From FAQPage Schema to Semantic HTML: The Post-Deprecation FAQ Pattern
Now that FAQ rich results are gone, the question is how to mark up Q&A content. Here's the semantic HTML pattern that works for users, AI engines, and the surfaces that still reward structure.
Read research →What Google Actually Says About Optimizing for AI Overviews
Google's own AI Optimization Guide tells site owners to ignore llms.txt, chunking, and AI-specific rewriting. Here's what the official document says — and what to do instead.
Read research →Does Schema Help AI Citations? The Ahrefs Causal Study, Decoded
Ahrefs ran the first causal experiment on JSON-LD schema and AI citations: 1,885 treated pages, 4,000 controls, 7 months. Here's what the numbers actually mean for your site.
Read research →FAQ Schema Is Dead: What the May 2026 Deprecation Actually Means
Google removed FAQ rich results on May 7, 2026. The Ahrefs causal study shows schema gives no AI citation boost. Here's what the primary sources actually say, and what to change.
Read research →GEO Research: What Gets You Cited in AI Search
What 9 peer-reviewed papers, 4 official platform docs, and 7 industry studies say about appearing in AI search answers. Primary sources only. No opinion.
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