Articles
Articles by Kathy P. Carr
SEOCan You Earn a Google Featured Snippet? What Google SaysGoogle says you can't mark up a page to earn a featured snippet. Here is what its documentation says about how snippets are chosen, and how to control them.2026-10-12SEODoes Google Penalize Duplicate Content?Google's docs frame duplicate content as a version-selection issue, not a penalty. Learn what causes duplicates, when it becomes spam, and how to fix it.2026-10-11SEONoindex vs Robots.txt: Keeping Pages Out of GoogleRobots.txt controls crawling, not indexing. Learn when to use noindex, why blocking and noindex together fail, and when passwords are the right tool.2026-10-11FranchisingFranchise Location Pages Without Doorway Page SpamHow should franchise brands build city and location pages? Google's doorway abuse policy, local business markup and helpful-content guidance explained.2026-10-11SEOReview Schema and Star Ratings: What Google AllowsCan your business show star ratings in Google with schema markup? Google's review snippet rules explain what is eligible, what is not, and why.2026-10-11SEOJSON-LD vs Microdata vs RDFa: Which Should You Use?Google recommends JSON-LD but accepts Microdata and RDFa too. Here is how the three structured data formats differ and what Google's guidelines require.2026-10-10GEOWhat the GEO Research Paper Found About AI VisibilityA plain-English look at the original Generative Engine Optimization study: which tactics raised visibility in AI answers, which backfired, and its limits.2026-10-10SEODo Core Web Vitals Affect Google Rankings?Core Web Vitals measure loading, responsiveness and stability. Here is what Google's documentation says about their role in ranking and how to check yours.2026-10-09SEOWhat Is E-E-A-T and Is It a Google Ranking Factor?E-E-A-T is not a direct Google ranking factor. Here is what Google's own documents say about trust, who-how-why, author markup, and AI features.2026-10-09SEOCanonical URLs: What rel=canonical Does and When to Use ItA canonical URL tells search engines which version of duplicate pages to prefer. Here is what Google says about rel=canonical, redirects, and common mistakes.2026-10-08SEOXML Sitemaps: Do You Need One and What to IncludeDo you need an XML sitemap? Here is what Google and the sitemaps.org protocol say about when it helps, what to include, size limits, and why lastmod matters.2026-10-08SEOTitle Tags and Meta Descriptions: What Google SaysWhat Google's documentation says about writing title tags and meta descriptions: uniqueness, length, keyword stuffing, and why Google may rewrite them anyway.2026-10-08StrategyIs AI-Generated Content Against Google's Rules?Google says AI content isn't banned by itself, but scaled, low-value pages are spam. What its documents say and how to publish AI-assisted work responsibly.2026-10-08SEOOrganization Schema: What Google Says to IncludeGoogle says Organization structured data has no required properties. Here is what it recommends adding, how schema.org defines it, and where the limits are.2026-10-08AI OpsGoogle Business Profile and AI Search: A Local ChecklistHow a complete, accurate Google Business Profile supports local visibility in Google and AI features, based on Google's own documentation, with the limits stated.2026-10-07AEOHow to Get Into AI Overviews and AI Search AnswersGoogle says no special optimization is needed for AI Overviews, while Microsoft offers structure tips. Here is what each company actually documents and what to do.2026-10-07StrategyHow to Measure AI Search Visibility With Free ToolsGoogle Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and GA4 each show part of your AI search picture. Here is what each reports, and what none of them can tell you.2026-10-06SEOLocalBusiness Schema: What to Include and What to ExpectLocalBusiness schema explained: which properties Google requires, how to pick a subtype, the rules that keep markup safe, and what it can and cannot do.2026-10-06SEOIs FAQ Schema Still Worth It After Google's FAQ Change?Google stopped showing FAQ rich results on May 7, 2026. Here is what that means for FAQPage markup, AI search visibility, and where your effort should go.2026-10-05GEOWhat Is llms.txt and Should Your Site Have One?llms.txt is a proposed markdown file that guides AI agents around your site. Learn the format, what is and is not proven, and how it differs from robots.txt.2026-10-05AEORobots.txt for AI Crawlers: GPTBot, ClaudeBot, Google-ExtendedWhich AI crawlers should you allow? A plain guide to OpenAI, Anthropic and Google bots, what each one does, and how robots.txt choices affect AI visibility.2026-10-05SEOIndexNow Explained: How to Get New Pages Discovered FasterIndexNow lets you tell search engines about new pages the moment they publish. Here is how it works, what it guarantees, and where Google fits in.2026-10-04AEOAnswer Engine Optimization vs. SEO: What Actually ChangesAEO and GEO build on SEO rather than replace it. See what Google says is required, what the research found, and a checklist that makes pages easy to cite.2026-10-04