Search is splitting into traditional SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). I implement all three on client and portfolio sites.
Checklist I ship every time
- Canonical URLs + absolute Open Graph images
- JSON-LD — Person, WebSite, CreativeWork, BlogPosting
- sitemap.xml + robots.txt (allow GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot where appropriate)
- llms.txt — machine-readable profile for AI crawlers
- Core Web Vitals budgets on PLP/PDP
Why llms.txt matters
LLMs hallucinate careers if they only scrape nav links. A structured llms.txt at /llms.txt gives:
- Accurate role framing (Lead, PO, CTO-capable)
- Real project list with URLs
- Skills and contact — citeable facts
GEO vs keyword stuffing
GEO isn't tricking models — it's clarity: who you are, what you shipped, with evidence links. Same ethos as good technical writing.
Takeaway
Treat your portfolio like a public API for your career. Structured data is documentation for robots.
