11 min read
Generative engine optimization (GEO): what the evidence says
What GEO is, how Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude choose sources, which tactics have evidence behind them, and how to measure AI citations.
Blog
Notes on launching, ranking and getting cited by AI
What we learned growing our own product with SEO: the wins, the mistakes, and what Google actually says. Written by founders, for founders.
10 min read
How to get Google to index your site: steps and timelines
Verify in Search Console, submit a sitemap, remove blocks, link your pages and request indexing for a few URLs. Google's timelines and what not to do.
10 min read
On-page SEO checklist: 12 checks, free tools included
A 12-step on-page SEO checklist in working order: intent, title, description, headings, URL, links, images, schema, E-E-A-T and freshness. Free tools.
9 min read
Site migration checklist for SEO: before, during, after
A site migration checklist built on Google's docs: redirect map, Change of Address, sitemaps, canonicals, hreflang, timelines and what to monitor.
8 min read
Bounce rate in GA4: where it is and what it means
GA4 bounce rate is the share of sessions that weren't engaged. How Google defines an engaged session, where to find it, and how to read it for SEO.
8 min read
Crawled – currently not indexed: fix it or leave it?
Google fetched the page and chose not to index it. How to tell thin, duplicate, soft 404 and rendering causes apart, then fix the page or leave it alone.
11 min read
Discovered – currently not indexed: causes and fixes
Google knows the URL but hasn't crawled it. Causes, how to diagnose them, fixes in order of impact, and our own 613 URLs on a three-week-old domain.
10 min read
How accurate is Similarweb? What studies found
Similarweb estimates traffic; it doesn't count it. Where its data comes from, what five studies found, why small sites are off, and how to check a number.
8 min read
Should your SaaS run a lifetime deal?
A lifetime deal trades future revenue for cash and feedback now. Honest math from AppSumo's own terms: the cut, refunds, support load, and when to skip it.
9 min read
SEO A/B testing on a small site
Classic A/B tests can't measure SEO, and split-testing tools need big traffic. What small sites can do instead: before/after title tests in Search Console.
10 min read
Technical SEO checklist for startups (2026)
Technical SEO checklist in the order Google works: crawling, indexing, rendering, structure, speed, markup, monitoring. A free checker for each step.
5 min read
We pointed Claude Code at our site. Here's what it fixed.
We ran LaunchRanked's MCP checks on launchranked.com from Claude Code, fixed what they found in our Next.js code, and checked again. The real results.
8 min read
SEO MCP servers: what they do and which ones exist
An SEO MCP server gives ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor live SEO data and checks. What they do, 22 that exist in September 2026, and how to pick one.
9 min read
How to launch on Product Hunt: a 2026 guide
How Product Hunt launches work in 2026: featuring, points, scheduling, the listing kit, launch day hour by hour, the upvote rule, and what to do after.
7 min read
How to post a Show HN on Hacker News
What counts as a Show HN, how to make it easy to try, writing the title and first comment, handling the thread, and the rules that get posts penalized.
6 min read
Directory submissions in 2026: what still works
Directory submissions won't rank you alone. Done right, they bring foundation links, brand citations and discovery. How to pick, how many, what to avoid.
6 min read
How to measure AI visibility without paid tools
A manual method to track whether ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI features mention and cite you: a prompt set, a scoring sheet, and free official data.
10 min read
How to rank in ChatGPT: LLM SEO for startups
How to rank in ChatGPT: what OpenAI, Perplexity, Anthropic and Microsoft document about how AI search finds and cites sources, and what to do.
5 min read
Is backlink exchange safe? What Google's spam policies say
Google's spam policies call excessive link exchanges and automated link programs link spam. What that means for exchange networks, badges and safe options.
7 min read
robots.txt, llms.txt and AI crawlers: a practical setup
Which AI crawlers train models, which power AI search, and which fetch pages for users. A robots.txt setup for each choice, with each vendor's own docs.
5 min read
What is llms.txt, and do you need one?
llms.txt is a markdown file that summarizes your site for AI agents. What the spec says, who reads it, what Google says, and whether it's worth an hour.
7 min read
AI Overviews and AI Mode: what founders should change
What Google's own docs say about ranking in AI Overviews and AI Mode: how they pick links, what to ignore, the new opt-out control, and how to measure it.
7 min read
Product Hunt alternatives in 2026: where to launch
A factual roundup of 11 places to launch in 2026: cadence, free vs paid, what it takes to get a followed link, and how to mix them. One of them is ours.
6 min read
SEO agency, tool or DIY? How founders should choose
How to choose between DIY SEO, an SEO tool or an agency, by stage, budget and time. We sell two of these, so we also say when not to buy anything.
6 min read
We published 2,500 posts in a month. Google throttled us.
We shipped about 2,500 posts to Versely in one month. Google crawled them and left many out of the index. What happened, and the ~20/day pace we use now.
5 min read
Launch on several platforms without burning your audience
Launching on several Product Hunt alternatives means asking the same people for help again and again. How to plan launches so supporters don't tune out.
6 min read
Launch week checklist: what to do, day by day
A day-by-day launch week checklist: prep from day −7, what to do on launch day, and the follow-up that turns a spike into links and search traffic.
5 min read
Dofollow vs nofollow in 2026: what a link is actually worth
Since 2020, Google treats nofollow, ugc and sponsored as hints, not rules. What that means for a link's value, and how to judge a link beyond its rel tag.
6 min read
Title tags that get clicked: what we learned rewriting them
Rewriting titles on pages already ranking on page 1–2 was our biggest SEO win on Versely. How we pick pages, the rules we write to, and how we measure.
6 min read
Programmatic SEO without getting deindexed
How to build programmatic SEO pages Google will index: real data per page, a quality bar per family, noindex below it, and a pace your domain can absorb.
6 min read
How to write a directory listing that gets approved
What directory reviewers check, and how to write a tagline, description, category and screenshots that get approved and then clicked. With a listing kit.
6 min read
Internal linking for small sites: a simple system
A four-rule internal linking system for sites under a few hundred pages: hubs, three links per page, descriptive anchors, and a monthly orphan check.
6 min read
Search Console for founders: the 5 reports that matter
Google Search Console has dozens of screens. Founders need five: Performance, Page indexing, URL Inspection, Sitemaps and Links. What each tells you.
9 min read
SEO for a new website: a 90-day plan, week by week
SEO for a new website, week by week: a technical base in weeks 1–2, core pages and first links by week 6, then a Search Console loop to day 90.
6 min read
The $0 SEO tool stack for a new startup
Every tool a founder needs for SEO on a $0 budget: Google and Bing's free consoles, test tools, and free checkers for titles, crawlers and sitemaps.