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Custom Web Audits

The Custom Web Audits Blog

Practical, no-jargon guides on website audits, technical SEO, Core Web Vitals, page speed, accessibility, and local SEO.

Why Your Competitors Show Up in AI Answers and You Don't
2026-06-30 · 8 min
Why Your Competitors Show Up in AI Answers and You Don't

If AI assistants keep recommending your competitors instead of you, it usually comes down to a few fixable gaps. Here's why it happens, how to check where you stand, and the plan to catch up.

AEO vs SEO: How to Rank in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Perplexity
2026-06-30 · 9 min
AEO vs SEO: How to Rank in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Perplexity

Answer Engine Optimization makes AI assistants cite your brand inside their answers, not just rank you in blue links. Here's how AEO differs from SEO and how to win citations in AI search.

How to Track Your AI Search Visibility
2026-06-30 · 8 min
How to Track Your AI Search Visibility

AI assistants answer your buyers before they reach Google. Here is how to measure your presence in those answers: per-assistant mentions, share of AI voice, cited sources, and trend over time.

Google AI Overviews: How to Show Up in Google's AI Answers
2026-06-30 · 8 min
Google AI Overviews: How to Show Up in Google's AI Answers

AI Overviews are eating clicks at the top of Google. Here is how to show up inside them: strong organic relevance, answer-first pages with FAQ schema, and entity signals like a Google Business Profile.

llms.txt Explained: The New robots.txt for AI Assistants
2026-06-30 · 8 min
llms.txt Explained: The New robots.txt for AI Assistants

llms.txt is a plain-text file at your site root that hands AI models a curated, markdown-friendly map of your best content. Here's how it differs from robots.txt and sitemap.xml, and how to create one.

How to Beat Your Competitors in AI Search Rankings
2026-06-30 · 9 min
How to Beat Your Competitors in AI Search Rankings

Beating competitors in AI search is an offensive game. Win the three things AI weighs - trusted citations, clearer answers, and crawlable, structured pages - and you take the recommendation slots they own. Here is the playbook.

Is Your Site Blocked from ChatGPT? How to Check (and Fix) AI Access
2026-06-30 · 7 min
Is Your Site Blocked from ChatGPT? How to Check (and Fix) AI Access

If your robots.txt blocks GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, or PerplexityBot, AI assistants can't read or cite your pages. Here's how to check whether your site is blocked from ChatGPT and exactly how to fix it.

Does ChatGPT Use Your Website? How AI Assistants Cite Sources
2026-06-30 · 7 min
Does ChatGPT Use Your Website? How AI Assistants Cite Sources

When you ask about something current, ChatGPT and other AI assistants retrieve and cite live web pages. Whether they use your site depends on crawlability and clear, answer-first content.

How to Rank in Perplexity: The Citation-First Playbook
2026-06-30 · 8 min
How to Rank in Perplexity: The Citation-First Playbook

Perplexity is citation-first: it grounds every answer in external sources it shows. Ranking there means being one of the trusted, corroborated, crawlable sources for a query. Here is the concrete playbook.

AI Overviews vs Featured Snippets vs AI Mode Explained
2026-06-30 · 9 min
AI Overviews vs Featured Snippets vs AI Mode Explained

Featured snippets quote one page, AI Overviews summarize many, and AI Mode turns search into a conversation. Here is what each Google surface is, how they differ, and exactly how to win all three.

What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)? A Practical Guide
2026-06-30 · 8 min
What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)? A Practical Guide

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is the practice of getting AI engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews to cite and recommend your brand. Here is how it works.

The ROI of AEO: Is Optimizing for AI Search Worth It?
2026-06-30 · 8 min
The ROI of AEO: Is Optimizing for AI Search Worth It?

Is optimizing for AI search worth the investment? Here's an honest look at the ROI of AEO: what it costs, what it returns, how to estimate it for your business, and when it isn't a priority yet.

Which Schema Types Actually Help You Get Cited by AI
2026-06-30 · 8 min
Which Schema Types Actually Help You Get Cited by AI

Not all structured data is equal for AI search. Here are the schema types that actually help ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity cite you: FAQPage, HowTo, Article, Organization, LocalBusiness, Product, and Breadcrumb, with a copy-ready example.

GEO for Local & Multi-Location Businesses: Get Recommended by AI
2026-06-30 · 9 min
GEO for Local & Multi-Location Businesses: Get Recommended by AI

Want ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to recommend your business when buyers ask for the best option near them? Here is the local GEO playbook: profile, listings, reviews, and per-location AI visibility.

AEO for Ecommerce: Get Your Products Recommended by AI
2026-06-30 · 9 min
AEO for Ecommerce: Get Your Products Recommended by AI

Want ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to recommend your products? Here is the ecommerce AEO recipe: Product and Review schema, answer-first buying guides, real reviews, and crawler access.

How to Get Cited by AI Assistants: The FAQ-Schema Playbook
2026-06-30 · 9 min
How to Get Cited by AI Assistants: The FAQ-Schema Playbook

Want ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to cite your site? Here is the concrete on-page recipe: answer-first content, FAQ schema, third-party corroboration, and crawler access that makes you a source AI quotes.

Choosing the Best SEO Audit Service: Agency vs. Tools vs. In-House
2025-09-19 · 10 min
Choosing the Best SEO Audit Service: Agency vs. Tools vs. In-House

At Custom Web Audits, we've spent years perfecting the art and science of comprehensive SEO analysis. In today's competitive digital landscape, an SEO

WordPress Website Optimization: What Most Users Miss
2025-08-27 · 15 min
WordPress Website Optimization: What Most Users Miss

WordPress powers over 522 million websites, representing 43.5% of all websites on the internet , yet performance issues plague most installations when not

Shopify: E-commerce Performance Secrets - Website Optimization Guide
2025-08-27 · 16 min
Shopify: E-commerce Performance Secrets - Website Optimization Guide

Shopify's infrastructure provides significant advantages, with 93% of Shopify stores achieving fast loading speeds compared to other platforms . However,

How to Win at Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Optimization in 2025
2025-08-26 · 13 min
How to Win at Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Optimization in 2025

Website performance has become more critical than ever for business success. Among Google's Core Web Vitals metrics, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) stands

The Complete Guide to Website Audits: 8 Essential Types
2025-08-26 · 22 min
The Complete Guide to Website Audits: 8 Essential Types

Your website serves as the cornerstone of your online presence. But how do you know if it's performing at its peak? The answer lies in conducting

CMS Performance Optimization: The Key Wins You're Missing
2025-08-26 · 17 min
CMS Performance Optimization: The Key Wins You're Missing

Website performance isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a necessity. Studies show that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to

The Ultimate Technical SEO Audit Checklist for 2025: 20+ Steps
2025-08-26 · 12 min
The Ultimate Technical SEO Audit Checklist for 2025: 20+ Steps

Having a comprehensive technical SEO audit checklist isn't just helpful—it's essential for staying competitive. With Google's algorithms becoming

Wix Performance Myths: The 2025 Guide to 90+ Mobile Speed Scores
2025-08-26 · 17 min
Wix Performance Myths: The 2025 Guide to 90+ Mobile Speed Scores

Wix ranks fourth among major CMS platforms with 52% of sites achieving good Core Web Vitals scores, proving that high-performance Wix websites are

Interaction to Next Paint Optimization - Tips for Perfection
2025-08-26 · 12 min
Interaction to Next Paint Optimization - Tips for Perfection

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures how quickly your webpage responds to user interactions like clicks, taps, and keystrokes. Achieving an INP under

Mastering CLS How to Optimize Cumulative Layout Shift
2025-08-26 · 14 min
Mastering CLS How to Optimize Cumulative Layout Shift

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the visual stability of your webpage by tracking unexpected layout shifts that occur during page loading. Achieving

Complete Guide to SEO Audits
2025-08-08 · 12 min
Complete Guide to SEO Audits

How Professional SEO Audit Services Can Transform Your Website Performance Maintaining optimal website performance is crucial for business success. SEO

Blind Spots: What Marketers Miss When Auditing Their Own Sites
2025-08-05 · 12 min
Blind Spots: What Marketers Miss When Auditing Their Own Sites

As a marketer, you understand the importance of website performance. You've probably run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights, checked a few broken links, and made sure your contact forms…

SEO Audit Software: Professional Tools Compared & Reviewed
2025-08-05 · 27 min
SEO Audit Software: Professional Tools Compared & Reviewed

Having the right SEO audit software can mean the difference between a website that ranks on page one and one that gets lost in the depths of search results. With hundreds of tools claiming to be the…

Regular Website Audits are Crucial for Performance
2025-08-01 · 25 min
Regular Website Audits are Crucial for Performance

Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. Whether you're running a small local business, a growing e-commerce store, or managing a large…

Image Optimization Beyond Compression: Better SEO & Faster Speed
2025-07-31 · 22 min
Image Optimization Beyond Compression: Better SEO & Faster Speed

Images have become the dominant form of content across the modern web, with visual elements driving engagement, supporting brand messaging, and enhancing user experiences across every industry…

Core Web Vitals Explained: A Guide to Google's Ranking Factors
2025-07-29 · 13 min
Core Web Vitals Explained: A Guide to Google's Ranking Factors

In 2021, Google fundamentally changed how websites compete for search rankings by introducing Core Web Vitals as official ranking factors. This shift marked a pivotal moment in search engine…

Color Contrast and Web Accessibility: Design That Everyone Can Use
2025-07-29 · 12 min
Color Contrast and Web Accessibility: Design That Everyone Can Use

Color is one of the most powerful tools in web design, conveying emotions, establishing brand identity, and guiding user attention through digital interfaces. However, for millions of users…

The Hidden Cost of Slow Websites: How Page Speed Hits Your Bottom Line
2025-07-29 · 10 min
The Hidden Cost of Slow Websites: How Page Speed Hits Your Bottom Line

In today's digital-first economy, your website serves as the primary gateway between your business and potential customers. While many business owners focus on design aesthetics and content quality…

ADA Website Compliance: Legal Requirements and SEO Benefits
2025-07-29 · 11 min
ADA Website Compliance: Legal Requirements and SEO Benefits

AI has fundamentally transformed how businesses interact with customers, making websites essential touchpoints for commerce, information, and services. However, this digital transformation has also…

The Marketer's Guide to Website Audits: Technical Fixes to Traffic
2025-07-25 · 12 min
The Marketer's Guide to Website Audits: Technical Fixes to Traffic

Picture this: Your marketing campaigns are driving thousands of visitors to your website, but conversions remain frustratingly low. Your SEO rankings plateau despite content efforts. Your bounce rate…

Local Citations: Why They Still Matter for Local SEO Success in 2025
2025-07-21 · 14 min
Local Citations: Why They Still Matter for Local SEO Success in 2025

One question continues to surface among business owners and marketers: what are local citations, and do they still matter for local SEO success? The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, businesses…

Local SEO Audits Are Critical for Business Success
2025-07-21 · 13 min
Local SEO Audits Are Critical for Business Success

The difference between thriving and merely surviving often comes down to one critical factor: how easily your local customers can find you online. With 80% of US consumers searching for local…

How Much Does an ADA Accessibility Audit Cost?
2025-07-09 · 8 min
How Much Does an ADA Accessibility Audit Cost?

If you're a business owner wondering about the cost of an ADA accessibility audit , you're asking the right question. With over 8,800 ADA lawsuits filed

Why Your Website Needs an Audit—Yesterday
2025-06-10 · 5 min
Why Your Website Needs an Audit—Yesterday

Your website is often your first impression. Whether you’re a small business, an e-commerce brand, or a service provider, your website’s performance can