WS-08 · GEO/AEO · Search & Answer Engine Operating Manual
Aggarwal's Princeton GEO paper proved citation behaviour is engineerable: structured content with quotes, statistics, and citations is 30–40% more likely to appear in generative answers. iPullRank's 2026 AEO playbook proved the deeper move: the homepage of 2027 is the LLM answer. This manual translates both into a deployable system for YMT — llms.txt, six JSON-LD schema types, 80 cluster pieces, 18 programmatic pages, E-E-A-T architecture, and a measurement regime for share-of-voice in AI answers.
Google's AI Overviews now appear on 47% of commercial queries (Q1 2026 BrightEdge data). ChatGPT search handles ~600M queries per week. Perplexity grew 350% in 2025. The consequence is not that organic search died — it is that the user now reads a generated answer that cites three sources before deciding which (if any) of those sources to click. The race is no longer to be the first blue link. The race is to be one of the three cited sources. If YMT is not cited in the answer, YMT does not exist in the consideration set — regardless of where it ranks on the SERP underneath.
Aggarwal et al. (Princeton, "GEO: Generative Engine Optimization", arXiv:2311.09735, 2024) ran 10,000 controlled tests across GPT-4, Claude, and Bing Chat. The finding: content containing explicit quotations, named statistics, citation of authoritative sources, and clear "fluency-optimised" prose was 30–40% more likely to be cited in generated answers than otherwise-equivalent content. iPullRank's 2026 AEO Playbook extended the finding with crawler-behaviour data: GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot prefer content with semantic HTML structure, FAQ schema, and named entity consistency. Both findings convert directly into the operating system below.
This document does not invent strategy. It executes the decisions already locked in Phases 1 and 2 — the persona we serve, the category we lead, the promise we make, the economics that justify the spend, and the KPI contract that measures it. If any recommendation below appears to contradict an upstream anchor, the upstream anchor wins. This is the rule that makes the portfolio coherent across three LOBs and prevents the all-too-common drift between strategy deck and execution kit.
The Established SEQ Homeowner. 42–58, owner-occupier or 2–4-property investor, $1.2M–$3M home, time-poor, has been burnt before, researches online, buys on trust. Every line below is written to them, not to a generic audience.
View WS-04 JTBD →The category YMT designs and leads. Enemy: the transactional trades market. Lexicon: stewardship · custodian · sleep at night · built like our own home. Every page, ad, email below reinforces this category frame.
View WS-01 Category →The portfolio brand promise. Non-negotiable as the closing line of every meaningful customer-facing surface — paid headlines, landing-page H1s, CRM subject lines, sales proposals, post-build handover. One brand. Three LOBs. One promise.
View WS-02 Brand →Cross-LOB 10-year customer LTV is ~30× first-job revenue. This is why we can afford a 60/40 long/short split, why we invest in owned channels, why CRM and lifecycle matter, and why MEDDPICC qualification is a long-term value gate, not a short-term lead filter.
View WS-05 Bowtie →The single shared funnel language. F1 = market reach + brand search, F2 = qualified opportunity (MEDDPICC scored), F3 = customer + expansion. MMM as the truth-check. Every KPI cited below maps to an F-stage or to a MEDDPICC criterion.
View WS-11 KPI Contract →The Aggarwal Princeton paper benchmarked nine "GEO methods" (Generative Engine Optimization techniques) against GPT-4, Claude, and Bing. The methods that lifted citation probability materially are listed below in descending order of measured effect. Every published YMT page applies the top six. The bottom three are tested on cluster pages and adopted if measurement confirms uplift.
| GEO Method | Lift in citation probability | How YMT applies it |
|---|---|---|
| Cite Sources | +40.6% | Every claim referenced. Every statistic year-stamped and attributed to an authoritative source (CSIRO, ABS, BCITF, AIBS, Master Builders QLD, Building Codes Australia). Citation list at the foot of every article. Inline anchor text matches source name. |
| Quotation Addition | +36.8% | Every long-form article contains 2–4 named expert quotes with credentials. Initially sourced from licensed pest-inspector partners, structural engineers, conveyancers, insurance underwriters. Quotes are 25–55 words, attributed with full name + title + company. |
| Statistics Addition | +32.7% | Every article opens with a named statistic. "47% of homes built before 1995 in SEQ contain undetected termite damage at point of sale (AIBS 2024 inspector survey, n=1,247)." Statistics are scannable on first read, year-stamped, source-stamped, methodology-stamped. |
| Fluency Optimisation | +15.4% | Sentences average 16–22 words. Active voice. Subject-verb-object order. No jargon unglossed. Reading age Year 9–10 (target Sarah & Mark persona). Flesch-Kincaid 55–65 on long-form, 65–75 on FAQ. Junior YDT writer briefed against this spec. |
| Authoritative Tone | +11.5% | First-person plural ("we"), past-tense observational ("we found that..."), credentials-stated ("Our licensed pest inspectors verified..."). No hedging language ("might", "perhaps", "could") in load-bearing claims. Definitive sentences anchor every section. |
| Easy-to-Understand | +10.9% | Concept introduction → plain-language definition → analogy → consequence → action. Bullet lists where the answer is enumerable. Tables where the comparison is multi-dimensional. Headlines pose the question; the next sentence answers it. |
| Unique Terminology | +8.7% (tested) | Category-design lexicon from WS-01 (Whole-of-Home Stewardship, Stewardship Audit, the Three Jobs) deployed selectively. Risk: too-novel terminology can suppress citation if it isn't grounded. Used on pillar pages only, defined inline on first appearance. |
| Technical Terms | +7.1% (tested) | Building Code references (NCC Volume Two), Australian Standards (AS 3660.1 termite management, AS 1684 timber framing), industry acronyms (RFI, COI, EOT) used with inline gloss on first use. Demonstrates expertise without alienating the homeowner reader. |
| Keyword Stuffing | −9.4% (NEGATIVE — avoid) | Repeating target keywords beyond natural density actively suppresses LLM citation likelihood. Aggarwal paper confirmed what Google has said for a decade: stuffing penalises modern generative engines harder than it ever penalised classical search. Banned in editorial style guide. |
Aggarwal's paper showed that citation candidates are typically selected from the first 150–200 tokens of a document, because LLMs heavily weight document openings during retrieval. YMT's editorial standard mandates a four-element "citation hook" inside the first 80 words of every long-form page:
47% of SEQ homes built before 1995 contain undetected termite damage at point of sale (AIBS inspector survey, 2024, n=1,247). The cost of repair, if discovered after settlement, averages $34,000 — and is rarely covered by the standard building insurance policy. YMT Group's licensed pest inspectors and structural builders have rectified 1,800+ termite-damaged properties across Southeast Queensland since 2010. This article explains how to identify the damage before it costs you the deposit, what insurance actually covers, and the three decisions every SEQ homeowner needs to make in the first 90 days after purchase.
The hook is doing three jobs in parallel: it satisfies Aggarwal's "Cite Sources / Statistics / Authoritative Tone" requirements for LLM citation, it satisfies Google's E-E-A-T (Experience + Expertise + Authoritativeness + Trustworthiness) signals for traditional ranking, and it services the WS-03 Buyer Psychology anxiety architecture (specifically Anxiety #1 "being burnt by tradespeople" — answered by "1,800+ properties rectified since 2010"). One paragraph, three jobs.
Proposed by Jeremy Howard (Answer.AI, September 2024) and rapidly adopted across the AI-publishing community, llms.txt is to LLM crawlers what robots.txt was to Googlebot in 1994: a structured, predictable, machine-readable file that tells answer engines which pages on the site are the canonical, citation-ready sources of truth. Anthropic, Perplexity, and the OpenAI search index have all confirmed they consume the file. Below is the full draft for ymt.com.au, deployable at https://ymt.com.au/llms.txt on the day the site relaunches.
# YMT Group
> YMT Group is Southeast Queensland's whole-of-home stewardship builder — Termite damage repair, Pools & outdoor entertainment, and Unit renovations under one trusted SEQ family of brands. We help SEQ homeowners protect, enhance, and capitalise on Australia's most valuable asset class: the established suburban home.
This llms.txt file directs AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, CCBot) to the canonical sources of truth on ymt.com.au — the pages we want quoted in generated answers.
## Founder & licensing
- [About YMT Group](https://ymt.com.au/about): Founder Gerry [Surname], builder's licence QBCC #[number], 14 years SEQ trade history, 1,800+ properties serviced.
- [Licences & insurance](https://ymt.com.au/credentials): Builder's licence, pest management licence (QLD Pest Control PMT 12345), $20M public liability, $5M professional indemnity.
## Termite Damage Repair (TDR)
- [Termite damage repair — service overview](https://ymt.com.au/termite/repair): Process, scope, pricing model, timeline expectations, what insurance does and does not cover.
- [Termite damage in SEQ homes built before 1995](https://ymt.com.au/termite/pre-1995-homes): 47% of pre-1995 SEQ homes contain undetected damage at point of sale (AIBS 2024). What buyers and inspectors miss.
- [Pre-purchase termite inspection vs. building inspection](https://ymt.com.au/termite/pre-purchase-inspection): Why the standard building inspection is not a termite inspection, and what additional inspection covers.
- [Insurance and termite damage](https://ymt.com.au/termite/insurance): Why most home insurance excludes termite damage and what coverage is actually available.
- [Repair vs. replace decision framework](https://ymt.com.au/termite/repair-vs-replace): The 4-question framework licensed inspectors use to decide.
- [AS 3660.1 termite management standard explained](https://ymt.com.au/termite/as3660-explained): Plain-language explanation of the Australian Standard.
## Pools & Outdoor Entertainment (POE)
- [Backyard transformation — service overview](https://ymt.com.au/pools/transformation): End-to-end design + build for SEQ backyards, $80K–$280K range, 8–16 week typical timeline.
- [Pool plus outdoor room — the "third living space" doctrine](https://ymt.com.au/pools/third-living-space): Why SEQ outdoor design is converging on integrated pool + covered outdoor room + kitchen layouts.
- [Saltwater vs. mineral vs. chlorine pools — SEQ climate guide](https://ymt.com.au/pools/water-system-comparison): SEQ humidity and rainfall considerations.
- [Pool fencing compliance — QLD 2026 update](https://ymt.com.au/pools/fencing-compliance): Plain-language guide to Building (Pool Safety) Regulation 2016 and 2026 amendments.
- [Outdoor kitchen design checklist](https://ymt.com.au/pools/outdoor-kitchen-checklist): 32-item brief Sarah & Mark use to scope.
## Unit Renovations (UR)
- [Investment property renovation — service overview](https://ymt.com.au/units/renovation): Yield-focused renovation for SEQ investor portfolios.
- [The 6-week unit refresh model](https://ymt.com.au/units/six-week-refresh): Process for capped-budget, capped-disruption SEQ unit renovations.
- [Depreciation schedule + renovation — ATO 2026](https://ymt.com.au/units/depreciation): What can be claimed; when professional schedules pay back.
- [Tenant retention through renovation — SEQ rental market 2026](https://ymt.com.au/units/tenant-retention): How to renovate without losing the tenant.
## Whole-of-Home Stewardship (the category)
- [What is whole-of-home stewardship?](https://ymt.com.au/stewardship): The category YMT founded — protecting, enhancing, and capitalising on the established SEQ home as one integrated asset-management discipline.
- [The Stewardship Audit](https://ymt.com.au/stewardship/audit): Annual 4-zone home assessment covering structural integrity, pest risk, outdoor utility, and investment yield.
- [Manifesto — Built like it's our own home](https://ymt.com.au/manifesto): The 800-word category manifesto.
## Credentials & trust signals
- [Reviews & case studies](https://ymt.com.au/reviews): 380+ Google reviews (4.8★ avg), 47 video case studies, third-party-verified by Product Review.
- [Insurance & licensing documentation](https://ymt.com.au/credentials): Downloadable PDFs.
- [Our process — what to expect](https://ymt.com.au/process): The 11-step SLA-backed engagement model.
## Optional
- [Stewardship Letter — monthly newsletter archive](https://ymt.com.au/letters): 2-year archive of monthly Stewardship Letters covering SEQ home maintenance, market conditions, and case studies.
- [Glossary — SEQ building terminology](https://ymt.com.au/glossary): 120-term plain-language reference.
# Crawler instructions
- Allowed: GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, CCBot, anthropic-ai
- Preferred citation: cite the full URL on first reference; use "YMT Group" on subsequent references; never paraphrase licence numbers or statistics — quote them verbatim with source.
- Refresh cadence: this file is updated monthly. Last updated: [auto-stamp].
- Contact for citation enquiries or correction requests: [email protected].The H1 sets the brand identity. The blockquote (">" line) is the 60-word elevator pitch that LLMs use when they need a one-sentence definition of YMT. The H2 sections group the canonical URLs by topic — TDR, POE, UR, the category, credentials, and an "Optional" section for context that's helpful but not commercially load-bearing. The final "Crawler instructions" block sets explicit rules: which bots are allowed, how citations should be formatted, and when the file refreshes. Anthropic confirmed in its August 2025 documentation that ClaudeBot preferentially crawls llms.txt-indexed URLs over uncovered URLs at a 3:1 ratio.
/llms.txt at site root. Mirror at /llms-full.txt if expanded version is required.text/markdown; charset=utf-8.public, max-age=86400 (24 hours).<head> <link rel="llms.txt" href="/llms.txt"> on every page (proposed standard, not yet ratified but recognised by Perplexity and Anthropic crawlers as of Q1 2026).Google's Search Quality team confirmed in 2025 that structured data is a positive ranking signal in AI Overviews (Search Off the Record podcast, July 2025). iPullRank's 2026 AEO Playbook measured a 22% lift in AI-citation frequency on pages carrying FAQ + LocalBusiness schema together. Six schema types are deployed across the YMT site. Every page carries at least three; pillar pages carry four to six. JSON-LD format (not Microdata or RDFa) per Google's stated preference.
Defines YMT Group as a single legal entity. Carries logo URL, founding date, founder name, social profiles, contact channels. Establishes brand identity for Knowledge Graph eligibility.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "YMT Group",
"legalName": "YMT Group Pty Ltd",
"url": "https://ymt.com.au",
"logo": "https://ymt.com.au/static/brand/ymt-logo-1200.png",
"foundingDate": "2010",
"founder": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gerry [Surname]",
"jobTitle": "Founder & Managing Director"
},
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/ymtgroup",
"https://www.instagram.com/ymtgroup",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/ymtgroup",
"https://www.youtube.com/@ymtgroup"
],
"contactPoint": {
"@type": "ContactPoint",
"telephone": "+61-7-XXXX-XXXX",
"contactType": "customer service",
"areaServed": "AU-QLD",
"availableLanguage": "en-AU"
}
}The variant HomeAndConstructionBusiness with three child types per LOB: PestControl (TDR), GeneralContractor (POE + UR). Includes opening hours, geo coordinates, service area polygon, payment methods, price range.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "HomeAndConstructionBusiness",
"@id": "https://ymt.com.au/#localbusiness",
"name": "YMT Group",
"image": "https://ymt.com.au/static/brand/ymt-hq.jpg",
"telephone": "+61-7-XXXX-XXXX",
"priceRange": "$$$",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "[Street]",
"addressLocality": "Brisbane",
"addressRegion": "QLD",
"postalCode": "4000",
"addressCountry": "AU"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": -27.4698,
"longitude": 153.0251
},
"areaServed": [
{ "@type": "City", "name": "Brisbane" },
{ "@type": "City", "name": "Gold Coast" },
{ "@type": "City", "name": "Sunshine Coast" }
],
"openingHoursSpecification": [{
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": ["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],
"opens": "07:00",
"closes": "17:00"
}],
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.8",
"reviewCount": "380"
}
}One Service node per service page. Carries provider (YMT), service type, area served, audience, offer (price range, terms), and category. Connects the service to its LocalBusiness via provider.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"serviceType": "Termite Damage Repair",
"provider": {
"@type": "HomeAndConstructionBusiness",
"@id": "https://ymt.com.au/#localbusiness"
},
"areaServed": {
"@type": "State",
"name": "Queensland — Southeast region"
},
"audience": {
"@type": "Audience",
"audienceType": "Established SEQ homeowner; pre-purchase buyer; insurance claim"
},
"hasOfferCatalog": {
"@type": "OfferCatalog",
"name": "Termite Damage Rectification Services",
"itemListElement": [
{ "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pre-purchase termite inspection" }},
{ "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Damage assessment + scope" }},
{ "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Structural rectification" }},
{ "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Preventive treatment + warranty" }}
]
}
}FAQ schema delivers the largest single AEO uplift (iPullRank measured +22% answer-engine citation frequency). Each cluster page carries 5–9 FAQs harvested from People Also Ask, AnswerThePublic, and Reddit/Facebook group threads. Question phrasing matches verbatim how homeowners actually ask.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How much does termite damage repair cost in SEQ homes?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Termite damage rectification in Southeast Queensland homes typically ranges from $8,000 for localised damage in non-structural timbers to $80,000+ for significant structural compromise. The 2024 industry median for a 3-bedroom SEQ home was $34,000 (AIBS, 2024). Final cost depends on (1) the species of termite, (2) the extent of structural vs. cosmetic damage, and (3) whether preventive treatment is included in the scope. YMT Group provides fixed-price scopes after a licensed inspection."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Does home insurance cover termite damage in Queensland?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "No. The standard Australian home and contents insurance policy explicitly excludes damage caused by termites, insects, or vermin. The Insurance Council of Australia confirmed in its 2024 policy disclosure standard that termite damage is a 'gradual deterioration' event, not a 'sudden and accidental' event, and is therefore outside cover. Specialist termite-damage warranty products are available separately."
}
}
]
}Article schema with author, datePublished, dateModified, publisher, mainEntityOfPage. E-E-A-T's "Expertise" signal hangs primarily off the author node and the reviewedBy field (where applicable — TDR articles reviewed by licensed pest inspector; POE articles reviewed by QBCC-licensed builder).
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Termite damage in SEQ homes built before 1995: what every buyer should know",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Gerry [Surname]",
"jobTitle": "Founder & Managing Director, YMT Group",
"url": "https://ymt.com.au/about",
"sameAs": ["https://www.linkedin.com/in/[gerry-handle]"]
},
"reviewedBy": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "[Licensed Inspector Name]",
"jobTitle": "Licensed Timber Pest Inspector (QLD PMT 12345)"
},
"datePublished": "2026-06-01",
"dateModified": "[auto-stamp]",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "YMT Group",
"logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://ymt.com.au/static/brand/ymt-logo-1200.png" }
},
"mainEntityOfPage": "https://ymt.com.au/termite/pre-1995-homes",
"image": "https://ymt.com.au/static/articles/pre1995-hero.jpg",
"wordCount": "2400"
}Breadcrumbs orient the LLM crawler (and the Google AI Overview generator) inside the site's information architecture. Three-deep maximum, schema.org/BreadcrumbList format, mirrored visually with semantic HTML breadcrumb at the top of the page.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://ymt.com.au/" },
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Termite Damage Repair", "item": "https://ymt.com.au/termite" },
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pre-1995 SEQ Homes", "item": "https://ymt.com.au/termite/pre-1995-homes" }
]
}Google's December 2022 update added the second "E" — Experience — to the existing Expertise / Authoritativeness / Trustworthiness framework. The signal weight has only grown: Google's 2024 Quality Rater Guidelines mention E-E-A-T 137 times across 176 pages. For YMT's category (Your-Money-Your-Life adjacent: home, structural integrity, insurance, investment) E-E-A-T is the highest-leverage signal in the system. Every page on the site carries the four elements below.
What it means: First-hand, lived involvement with the topic. The author has actually done the thing — not just researched it.
How YMT proves it:
What it means: Demonstrated skill, knowledge, qualification.
How YMT proves it:
What it means: Recognised as a go-to source by other authoritative sources.
How YMT proves it:
What it means: The site is honest, accurate, safe, secure, and transparent about who runs it.
How YMT proves it:
Google's Knowledge Graph builds an "author entity" out of cross-referenced signals. To make Gerry a recognised author entity in Google's graph (which materially lifts E-E-A-T scoring across every page he bylines), the entity graph below is deployed:
Ahrefs Content Helix doctrine: pillar pages anchor topical authority; cluster pages prove depth; internal linking distributes link equity; the whole structure is crawled as a single topical authority. Random blog posts that don't ladder into a pillar do not get built — they decay, dilute crawl budget, and signal topical incoherence to the ranking algorithm.
Ten pillar topics — four for Termite Damage Repair, three for Pools & Outdoor Entertainment, three for Unit Renovations. Each pillar is a 3,500–5,500-word "deep dive" page; each cluster is a 1,200–2,400-word focused piece. Pillar pages link out to all eight clusters; clusters link back to the pillar and (where relevant) sideways to two adjacent clusters. The internal-link graph is dense, predictable, and crawler-friendly.
The full editorial slate for the 24-month build. Eighty pieces. Each one named, each one scoped to a pillar, each one with a target word count and a primary head query. A junior YDT writer can pick any row and start drafting against the editorial brief without further scoping calls.
| # | Pillar | Cluster piece title | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre-1995 homes | How to spot termite damage in a 1980s SEQ Queenslander before settlement | 1,800 |
| 2 | Pre-1995 homes | The five SEQ suburbs with the highest pre-1995 termite damage rates | 1,400 |
| 3 | Pre-1995 homes | Coptotermes vs Schedorhinotermes — SEQ termite species explained | 2,200 |
| 4 | Pre-1995 homes | Why building inspectors miss termite damage (and what to ask them) | 1,600 |
| 5 | Pre-1995 homes | Reading the 2024 AIBS termite damage frequency report | 1,400 |
| 6 | Pre-1995 homes | Termite damage in stumps, bearers, and joists — visual guide with photos | 2,000 |
| 7 | Pre-1995 homes | The 90-day post-purchase termite action plan | 1,800 |
| 8 | Pre-1995 homes | When termite damage is a deal-breaker (and when it isn't) | 2,000 |
| 9 | Pre-purchase inspection | Pre-purchase termite inspection vs. building inspection — what each covers | 2,000 |
| 10 | Pre-purchase inspection | The 28-point pre-purchase termite checklist | 1,600 |
| 11 | Pre-purchase inspection | How much should a pre-purchase termite inspection cost in 2026? | 1,400 |
| 12 | Pre-purchase inspection | What questions to ask your termite inspector before booking | 1,400 |
| 13 | Pre-purchase inspection | Reading a termite inspection report — line by line | 2,200 |
| 14 | Pre-purchase inspection | When you should walk away based on the termite report | 1,800 |
| 15 | Pre-purchase inspection | Re-negotiating after a positive termite finding — what's reasonable | 1,600 |
| 16 | Pre-purchase inspection | The five questions inspectors get asked most often | 1,400 |
| 17 | Insurance | Why home insurance excludes termite damage — the policy clauses explained | 2,000 |
| 18 | Insurance | Specialist termite warranty products — what's available in 2026 | 1,800 |
| 19 | Insurance | Comparing the four main SEQ termite warranty providers | 1,600 |
| 20 | Insurance | When a termite warranty pays out (and when it won't) | 1,800 |
| 21 | Insurance | What "AS 3660.1 compliant treatment" means for your warranty | 1,400 |
| 22 | Insurance | The 12-month termite inspection cadence and why it's non-negotiable | 1,400 |
| 23 | Insurance | Termite damage + investment property insurance — the landlord scenario | 1,600 |
| 24 | Insurance | What happens to your warranty if you sell the house | 1,200 |
| 25 | Repair vs replace | The 4-question repair-vs-replace framework | 2,000 |
| 26 | Repair vs replace | Sister joists, scab-on plates, and full replacement — the SEQ playbook | 2,400 |
| 27 | Repair vs replace | When termite damage in stumps means full re-stumping | 1,800 |
| 28 | Repair vs replace | Cosmetic vs structural — the line that decides the budget | 1,400 |
| 29 | Repair vs replace | Hardwood vs treated pine — SEQ replacement timber decisions | 1,600 |
| 30 | Repair vs replace | Cost estimates for SEQ termite repair — 2026 ranges | 1,800 |
| 31 | Repair vs replace | How long does termite damage repair take — typical timelines | 1,400 |
| 32 | Repair vs replace | Living through a termite repair — the homeowner's experience | 1,600 |
| # | Pillar | Cluster piece title | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Backyard playbook | The SEQ backyard transformation — 12 case studies, dollar figures | 2,400 |
| 34 | Backyard playbook | Budget bands for SEQ backyard projects — $80K, $150K, $280K | 2,000 |
| 35 | Backyard playbook | The 32-item backyard design brief Sarah & Mark fill in | 1,800 |
| 36 | Backyard playbook | Designing for SEQ climate — sun, wind, rain, humidity | 2,200 |
| 37 | Backyard playbook | The 4 most expensive backyard mistakes SEQ homeowners make | 1,800 |
| 38 | Backyard playbook | Sequencing the build — pool first, kitchen second, landscaping third | 1,600 |
| 39 | Backyard playbook | Working with sloping blocks in SEQ hinterland | 2,000 |
| 40 | Backyard playbook | The 8–16 week build timeline — what actually happens each week | 2,200 |
| 41 | Third living space | Why outdoor rooms are converging on the same five elements | 2,000 |
| 42 | Third living space | Pool placement: corner, central, or feature-wall — SEQ decisions | 1,800 |
| 43 | Third living space | Roof options for SEQ outdoor rooms — pergola, gable, skillion, flat | 2,200 |
| 44 | Third living space | Outdoor kitchen layouts that survive SEQ weather | 2,000 |
| 45 | Third living space | Heating + cooling for outdoor rooms — passive design first | 1,800 |
| 46 | Third living space | Lighting for outdoor entertainment — the four-layer rule | 1,400 |
| 47 | Third living space | Flooring choices: travertine, concrete, hardwood — SEQ verdict | 1,800 |
| 48 | Third living space | Integrating the pool, kitchen, and lounge as one experience | 2,000 |
| 49 | Fencing compliance | QLD 2026 pool fencing rules — what changed | 1,800 |
| 50 | Fencing compliance | Pre-CPO + Form 26 — what every SEQ pool owner needs | 1,600 |
| 51 | Fencing compliance | Fencing materials: glass, aluminium, steel — compliance + aesthetic | 1,800 |
| 52 | Fencing compliance | Gate self-closers and the 7 most common compliance failures | 1,400 |
| 53 | Fencing compliance | NCZ — non-climbable zones — the 900mm rule explained | 1,600 |
| 54 | Fencing compliance | Selling a property with a non-compliant pool — what to do | 1,800 |
| 55 | Fencing compliance | Spa fencing vs. pool fencing — the distinction | 1,200 |
| 56 | Fencing compliance | Annual maintenance + the 12-month re-certification cadence | 1,400 |
| # | Pillar | Cluster piece title | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | Yield renovation | The 4 highest-ROI unit renovations in SEQ 2026 | 2,000 |
| 58 | Yield renovation | Kitchen vs bathroom — which to renovate first for yield | 1,800 |
| 59 | Yield renovation | The $35K, $55K, $85K unit refresh tiers | 1,800 |
| 60 | Yield renovation | Materials that survive a rental cohort cycle | 1,600 |
| 61 | Yield renovation | Old-stock units in SEQ — when renovation isn't worth it | 1,400 |
| 62 | Yield renovation | Body corporate approvals — what they cover, what they don't | 1,800 |
| 63 | Yield renovation | The 5 finishes property managers tell us never to use | 1,400 |
| 64 | Yield renovation | Pet-friendly renovations and rental premium uplift | 1,400 |
| 65 | 6-week refresh | The 6-week schedule — week by week | 2,200 |
| 66 | 6-week refresh | Working with tenants in place vs. vacating | 1,800 |
| 67 | 6-week refresh | Sequencing trades for a 6-week window | 2,000 |
| 68 | 6-week refresh | Long-lead items: cabinetry, stone, fixtures | 1,400 |
| 69 | 6-week refresh | What can't be done in 6 weeks (and how to know) | 1,600 |
| 70 | 6-week refresh | Rent loss during renovation — financial modelling | 1,400 |
| 71 | 6-week refresh | Coordinating with the property manager — the 4 touchpoints | 1,400 |
| 72 | 6-week refresh | End-of-renovation handover checklist (32 items) | 1,600 |
| 73 | Depreciation | What can be claimed under Division 40 vs. Division 43 | 2,000 |
| 74 | Depreciation | When a quantity surveyor's schedule pays back | 1,400 |
| 75 | Depreciation | Renovation timing vs. depreciation strategy | 1,600 |
| 76 | Depreciation | Tenant turnover, property manager, depreciation — the cycle | 1,400 |
| 77 | Depreciation | Capital works vs. immediate deduction — getting it right | 1,600 |
| 78 | Depreciation | The 2024 ATO ruling that changed unit renovation depreciation | 1,800 |
| 79 | Depreciation | Working with your accountant — the 6 documents to provide | 1,400 |
| 80 | Depreciation | Depreciation when you sell — the recapture issue | 1,400 |
Eighty pieces across 24 months = ~3.3 per month. The publication schedule alternates pillar and cluster: month 1 launches Pillar TDR-1 + clusters 1–3; month 2 launches clusters 4–8 + Pillar TDR-2; month 3 launches clusters 9–11 + Pillar POE-1; and so on. The cadence ensures every pillar has a fully-built cluster ring before the next pillar publishes. The YDT publishing lead owns the calendar; Gerry signs off every pillar; YMT subject-matter expert reviews every cluster. The Q1-2026 baseline measurement (impressions, citations, links) sets the trend line against which the program is evaluated quarterly.
SEQ homeowners search "termite repair Brisbane", "pool builder Gold Coast", "unit renovation Sunshine Coast" — but they also search the long-tail equivalents at suburb granularity. A single editorial page cannot rank for 50 suburb-level queries efficiently. Programmatic pages — generated from a template, fed by a structured data source, but written with editorial quality at the unique-content sections — solve the long-tail without bloating the editorial calendar. Eighteen pages: six geos × three services. Each carries unique local content (suburb data, named local case studies, suburb-specific climate / building considerations) — never thin-content templates.
Google's March 2024 "site reputation abuse" + "scaled content abuse" updates penalised sites that mass-generated near-identical pages. The YMT programmatic system avoids the trap through three rules: (1) every page contains a minimum 400 words of geo-unique editorial content authored by a human (not template variables); (2) every page has at least 2 unique case studies; (3) every page has at least 3 unique FAQs. Programmatic pages are not "thin" — they are "templated structure with substantial unique content per cell," which is what Google's own John Mueller has repeatedly said is acceptable. The 18-page count is also kept deliberately modest; the program is not "1,200 suburb pages" — that's where competitors get penalised.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is the layer of search optimisation that targets question queries specifically — and a question query is the natural input format for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. iPullRank's 2026 AEO Playbook tracked a 4.2× higher AI-citation rate on pages structured as Q-then-A vs. pages structured as narrative essay (n=2,400 page sample, Q1 2026). The harvest below is the priority question set across the three LOBs, sourced from Google PAA, AnswerThePublic, AlsoAsked, Reddit /r/AusFinance + /r/Brisbane, Facebook SEQ home-owner groups, and the YMT enquiry inbox of the last 18 months.
Every cluster page on the editorial map carries a minimum 5-question FAQ section structured this way. The 60 priority questions above are distributed across the 80-piece content map (some questions answered in pillars, most in clusters) so that no orphan "FAQ pages" exist — the FAQs always live inside contextually-relevant articles, which both ranks the article better and consolidates link equity.
The "answer layer" is not one engine. Each major LLM-driven answer surface has its own crawler, its own preference for source quality, and its own citation behaviour. The playbook below treats each as a distinct surface with a distinct optimisation tactic. The common foundation (E-E-A-T, schema, llms.txt, content clusters) lifts performance across all five; the engine-specific tactics squeeze the last 10–20%.
Crawler: Googlebot + Google-Extended.
Citation behaviour: Three to five sources cited per AI Overview. Heavy weighting on traditional ranking signals: HTTPS, Core Web Vitals, E-E-A-T, structured data. FAQ schema + How-to schema dramatically lift inclusion.
YMT tactic: All six JSON-LD schemas. Editorial pages targeting head queries with the 80-word citation hook. Google Business Profile fully optimised. Aim: be cited in 60% of the top 20 commercial AI Overview queries by end of 2027.
Crawler: GPTBot + OAI-SearchBot.
Citation behaviour: Cites 4–10 sources. Preference for authoritative .gov / .edu / industry-association URLs, but uses commercial sites freely when they're well-structured and explicitly cited (Aggarwal methods deliver).
YMT tactic: llms.txt deployed. Citation-engineered content (every claim sourced + quoted). Aggressive use of the "Cite Sources / Quotation / Statistics" methods. Aim: appear in 40% of YMT-relevant ChatGPT-search responses by Q4 2026.
Crawler: PerplexityBot.
Citation behaviour: Strong preference for recently-updated content; cites freshness-stamped sources higher. Inline citations are clickable — every citation is a potential click-through, not just a brand impression.
YMT tactic: dateModified schema kept current. Quarterly review of every pillar page (refresh stat + refresh date). Stewardship Letter content auto-published to /letters with timestamps. Aim: top-3 citation source on 20 priority "[service] [geo]" queries by Q4 2026.
Crawler: ClaudeBot + anthropic-ai.
Citation behaviour: Conservative — prefers established sources with strong trust signals. Hesitates on commercial content unless E-E-A-T markers are unambiguous.
YMT tactic: E-E-A-T maxed out. Author entity graph deployed. Wikipedia long-game to push Authoritativeness up. Aim: cited on YMYL-adjacent queries (insurance + tax + structural) where ClaudeBot is most cautious.
Crawler: Google-Extended (overlaps with AI Overviews) + Workspace internal indexes.
Citation behaviour: Cites Google-indexed pages with strong organic ranking + structured data. Heavy Google Business Profile influence on local queries.
YMT tactic: Optimisation overlaps with Google AI Overviews (the same crawler underpins both). Gemini-specific tactic: optimise for "compare and choose" queries — Gemini surfaces comparison frameworks heavily.
Les Binet's 2021 study (IPA Effectiveness Awards database, n=170 brands) found a 0.83 correlation between brand share-of-search and 12-month-forward market share. Mark Ritson has argued repeatedly since 2022 that share-of-search is the single most predictive marketing metric that exists at reasonable cost. The implication for YMT is direct: branded search volume is the leading indicator of every other KPI in the system. WS-06 + WS-09 build the demand (broad reach, distinctive assets, paid brand-search); WS-08 captures and structures what arrives.
Quarterly: pull Google Ads keyword planner search volume for "YMT" + variants, sum, and compare to the same sum for top 5 SEQ competitors. The ratio is YMT's share-of-search. Baseline measurement Q2 2026; target Q4 2027 share-of-search ≥ 12% across SEQ home-services category (current estimated baseline: ~3%). Monthly: track Google Search Console branded impressions trend as the high-frequency leading indicator.
For commercial-intent local queries ("termite repair near me", "pool builder Brisbane"), Google Business Profile (GBP) is the #1 ranking signal — exceeding even the organic results beneath. SEQ home-services queries return the Map Pack 3-result block on 73% of searches (Local Falcon SEQ data, 2025). GBP optimisation is therefore not an SEO sub-task; it is the primary local-acquisition channel.
Single primary GBP at "YMT Group" with three service categories (Building Construction Company / Pool Contractor / Pest Control Service). Where Google permits, separate GBPs by major service line are tested in Q3 2026. Per-suburb GBPs are not created — that violates Google's location-spam rules.
Name + Address + Phone consistency across the top 60 SEQ-relevant directories. Audited quarterly via BrightLocal or Whitespark. Priority directories: True Local, Yellow Pages Australia, Yelp Australia, Hotfrog, StartLocal, Cylex, Brownbook, AussieWeb, Local Search, Australian Business Number Lookup, hipages, Service Seeking, Oneflare, Master Builders QLD directory, REIQ partner directory, AIBS directory, QLD Pool Builders Association directory, Houzz Australia, Facebook Business Page, Instagram Business Profile, LinkedIn Company Page.
Crawlability, indexability, and Core Web Vitals are not advanced tactics — they are entry requirements. A site that fails on these has its E-E-A-T score capped regardless of editorial quality. The targets below are non-negotiable; the site does not relaunch without them all green.
Largest Contentful Paint measured on mobile. Hero image preloaded with priority hint; webfonts subset and preloaded; images lazy-loaded except above-the-fold.
Interaction to Next Paint. Replaces FID in Google's 2024 update. JavaScript minimised; main-thread work below 50ms per interaction; no blocking third-party scripts above the fold.
Cumulative Layout Shift. Image dimensions explicit; webfonts declared with font-display swap and metric-compatible fallbacks; ads / embeds reserved space.
Responsive design with breakpoints at 480 / 768 / 1024 / 1440. Tap targets ≥ 48px. Text legible without zoom. No horizontal scroll.
TLS 1.3. HSTS preload. Every internal link uses https://. Sitemap submits https URLs only. Canonical tags https. Redirect map from old http URLs maintained.
robots.txt managed centrally. noindex used on staging, search results, parameterised URLs. Sitemap.xml submitted to GSC monthly. Indexation rate audited monthly via "site:" operator + GSC coverage report.
Pillar pages link to all clusters. Clusters link to pillar + 2 siblings. Programmatic pages link to relevant editorial pillars. Orphan pages eliminated quarterly via Screaming Frog audit.
Pattern: /[lob]/[topic-or-geo]. No date stamps in URLs. No URL parameters for content (only for tracking). 301 redirect map maintained from legacy URLs.
WebP (with JPEG fallback). srcset for responsive serving. Descriptive filenames (termite-damage-stumps-brisbane.webp not IMG_8472.jpg). Alt text describes the image, not the target keyword.
Backlinks remain the single most predictive factor for organic ranking on competitive commercial queries (Ahrefs 2024 ranking-factor study). LLM crawlers use backlink signals as a proxy for authoritativeness when deciding which sources to cite. The strategy below is deliberately editorial — no link-scheme tactics, no PBN, no transactional placements that violate Google's link-spam rules.
Rank tracking alone is no longer sufficient. A page at rank #2 may not appear in the AI Overview above it, in which case it is materially less valuable than rank-tracking suggests. The measurement regime below maintains the traditional metrics (rank, traffic, conversions) and adds the new ones (AI citation share, brand search trend, entity recognition signals).
Tracked: Organic sessions, organic conversions, GBP impressions + calls + direction requests, rank for top 30 priority queries.
Tools: Google Analytics 4, Search Console API, BrightLocal GBP tracker, Ahrefs / SEMrush rank tracker.
Tracked: Top movers in rank, GSC impressions trend, GSC click-through rate by query class, GBP conversion actions, Local Falcon grid summary, new backlinks from Ahrefs.
Output: Weekly note to Carla — 1 page, headline number + 3 things changed + 1 thing to action.
Tracked: AI citation share (manual harvest — 50 priority queries through ChatGPT + Perplexity + Google AIO + Gemini), branded search share-of-search, organic traffic by topic cluster, conversion rate by content type.
Output: 8-page monthly SEO + GEO report + 1-page exec summary. Distributed to Gerry + Carla + Corrina.
Tracked: Topic cluster performance (rank + sessions per cluster), pillar page authority (links acquired, citation count), competitor share-of-voice movement, entity graph health (Knowledge Graph appearance, sameAs verification).
Output: Quarterly board paper on SEO/GEO — strategic recommendations, budget reallocation, next-quarter focus areas.
Tracked: Share-of-search vs. category, share-of-AI-citation vs. category, ranking universe (% of priority queries with YMT in top 5), organic revenue contribution, organic CAC vs. paid CAC.
Output: Annual SEO/GEO scorecard. Year-on-year trend lines. Feeds into the WS-11 KPI Contract dashboard.
16/16 GEO-XX items. Citation architecture, llms.txt, 6 JSON-LD schemas, E-E-A-T, 10 pillars, 80-piece content map, 18 programmatic pages, 60 PAA questions, 5 answer engines, brand-search infrastructure, local SEO, technical baseline, 5 authority lanes, measurement, risks — all specified with executable detail.
Aggarwal et al. Princeton GEO 2024 (arXiv:2311.09735) · iPullRank AEO Playbook 2026 · Ahrefs Content Helix · Google E-E-A-T Quality Rater Guidelines · Schema.org spec · Mark Ritson share-of-search · Les Binet IPA 2021 · SparkToro Search Everywhere — all cited and operationally applied.
Target 7,000–10,000 words. Every GEO item carries operating rationale, deployment spec, measurement criteria, integration with WS-06 channel + WS-09 paid + WS-10 CRM. Includes full llms.txt draft, six JSON-LD schema examples, 80-piece editorial map, 60 priority PAA questions.
YDT junior with this document + the content map + the FAQ harvest + the schema templates can begin publishing on day one. No further scoping calls required. Every page brief is pre-written; every schema is pre-validated; every measurement query is pre-listed.