Documentation

Everything you need to get started

Guides, concepts, and references to help you make your brand the answer AI engines give.

Getting started

SmartLayer measures and improves how often AI engines recommend your brand. To begin, connect your website by entering your domain. No code, plugins or technical setup required.

After you connect, SmartLayer crawls eligible pages, prepares the approved query set and samples the engines included in your plan. Timing depends on site size and provider availability.

Start your free audit

Understanding your scores

SmartLayer gives you three complementary scores. Each answers a different question about how discoverable your brand is in the age of AI search.

AEO

Answer Engine Optimization measures how often AI engines cite your brand when users ask for recommendations.

GEO

Generative Engine Optimization measures how ready your site is for generative search (brand mentions, schema and crawler access).

SEO

Classic Search Engine Optimization measures your traditional ranking health, which remains a foundation for AI visibility.

How the AEO score is calculated

Each observed engine contributes the configured weighted share of the score:

Claude35%

ChatGPT30%

Perplexity20%

Gemini15%

For every query, your presence in each engine's answer is scored:

0.0

Not mentioned

0.5

Mentioned, but with no link to your site

1.0

Cited with a link to your site

aeo_score = Σ(engine_weight × Σ(tier_weight × citation_score)) × 100

Query sampling & tiers

SmartLayer maps the real questions your audience asks AI and groups them into three tiers by strategic value. Higher tiers weigh more heavily in your score.

Branded· 60%

Queries that mention your brand or product directly. These are the highest-value citations and you should always own them.

Category· 30%

Comparison and 'best tool for…' queries where buyers evaluate options. Where most competitive ground is won or lost.

Informational· 10%

Broad educational questions in your space. Lower weight, but they build topical authority over time.

Sampling runs on the configured schedule. Every score exposes its observed engines, coverage and cohort so comparisons remain honest.

Content pipeline

When SmartLayer detects a gap, it can close it automatically. Content flows through a deterministic pipeline from detection to live publication:

Sampler→Scorer→Gap Analyzer→Content Generator→Quality Checker→Approval Queue→Publisher

Every generated piece passes through 4 deterministic quality checks (no extra AI tokens). It must pass at least 3 of 4, with up to 3 corrective retries, before it can ship.

High-confidence content (≥ 0.95) follows the configured auto-approval policy; everything else waits for human review. Approved content publishes through supported Shopify or WordPress APIs.

Integrations

SmartLayer samples ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude, audits GEO readiness on Google AI Overviews and Bing Copilot, and publishes directly to Shopify and WordPress.

See all integrations