Guide to SEO tools

Once in the SEO tab, you can modify the following:

SEO title

The SEO Title field, also known as the title tag, is what appears as the clickable headline in search engine results and browser tabs.

How it works: If you leave this field empty, the page's main title is used as a fallback. Set a custom title here when you want search engines to see something different from your content's display title.

Best practices:

• Keep it under 60 characters to avoid truncation in search results

• Make it descriptive and specific rather than vague

• Write for humans; keyword stuffing is over

Meta description

The meta description is the short summary that appears below the title in search results. It doesn't directly affect rankings, but it strongly affects click-through rate. You can find this field under the “Title” field in the SEO tab.

Best practices:

• Keep it between 140–160 characters

• Summarize the page's main value

• Include a call to action when appropriate, such as “Learn how…"

• Each page should have a unique meta description (don’t re-use across pages)

Note: If left empty, search engines will auto-generate a snippet from your page content. This is less predictable and typically less effective.

Global SEO settings

Editors with administrative access can configure site-wide SEO defaults through the Global settings area. These settings apply across the entire site and don't need to be set per-page.

How to access Global Settings

Look for the gear icon in the top right of the admin bar. Click this to open Global Settings.

What to know about structured data in ApostropheCMS

Apostrophe’s SEO extension automatically generates structured data based on the content in your page. For most schema types to work well, the following content should be present:

• Article, Review: Include author information. A byline strengthens both the schema and E-E-A-T signals

• FAQPage, QAPage: Requires actual questions and answers present in the page content

• Event: Should include address or location details

• Recipe: Requires a featured image (Google's requirement for recipe rich results)

• VideoObject: Requires a thumbnail and upload date

• Product: Benefits from price, availability, and review data

Where do I access robots.txt settings in ApostropheCMS?

To access robots.txt settings, open your Global Settings and click the tab labeled SEO/AEO.

How do you write to be cited by LLMs?

AEO refers to writing and structuring content so it's more likely to get picked up by LLMs and included in AI-generated answers (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews.). It overlaps significantly with good SEO, but has some specific emphasis.

1. Write direct, factual answers near the top of your content

AI systems and featured snippets both prefer content that answers a question immediately rather than building up to it. If your page addresses "What is a headless CMS?", the first paragraph should answer that directly.

Use clear heading structures

Headings and overall solid page structure has always been important for accessibility and SEO, and now there is one more reason to get it right. In case you need a reminder, AI is very much not human! The way it understands context is specific and unique, and machine-readable headings are important context clues. Clear headings help search engines and AI systems understand the scope and organization of a page, making relevant sections easier to retrieve and quote.

The same rules of good SEO still apply:

• Use one H1 per page (the page title)

• Use H2s for main sections

• Use H3s for sub-topics within sections

• For headings, tip the balance toward concise and clear over cute: "How to Install the SEO Extension" beats "Let's Get Started!"

Write (real) FAQ-style content when appropriate

Questions and direct answers are highly extractable by AI systems, but it’s important to be genuine and not create FAQ sections just for SEO or AEO. They should answer real questions your audience asks. When relevant, structure sections of your content as explicit Q&A:

Q: Does the SEO extension work with all page types?
Yes. The extension automatically adds an SEO tab to every page and piece in ApostropheCMS with no additional configuration.

If this format fits your content type, apply the FAQPage schema to unlock the ability to be featured in Google's rich results.

Use schema types intentionally

Structured data helps search engines and other systems understand the purpose of your content. Use schema types that accurately reflect the page's content, such as Article, Product, Event, or Recipe. Schema alone won't guarantee AI citations, but it can improve machine readability and eligibility for search features.

Keep your meta description accurate and specific

Meta descriptions still influence how your content appears in traditional search results and can sometimes be surfaced in AI-powered experiences. Accurate descriptions help users understand what they'll find on the page. Remember: The SEO extension adds this field to your schema, and the SEO Assistant makes it possible to generate descriptions using your AI model of choice.

Prioritize topical depth over keyword repetition

AI-powered search increasingly rewards topical authority — covering a subject comprehensively — over keyword frequency. When writing a piece, aim to address the full scope of the topic, including common questions, edge cases, and related considerations.

Make sure it's clear who the author is

For article content, include a clear author name and, where possible, a brief bio with relevant credentials. Clear authorship can contribute to overall trust and credibility signals, particularly for health, finance, legal, and other high-stakes content. In ApostropheCMS, authors are typically pieces, aka content types, so that you can update the author info in one place and have those updates carry through to any piece of content that author is attached to.