Searchlight's SEO and AI search tools connect directly to Google Search Console via read-only OAuth, and add a dedicated layer of AI search optimisation utilities — so you can prepare your content for both traditional rankings and AI-generated answers in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

Find traditional quick wins

Pages ranking positions 4–20 that need a title or meta description update to move up and gain clicks.

Optimise for AI citations

Score your content with the Answer-First Scorer to see how likely AI search engines are to cite your paragraphs as source material.

Audit E-E-A-T signals

Run the E-E-A-T Checker to identify missing Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust signals that AI engines use to rank sources.

Classify zero-click keywords

Use the Zero-Click Classifier to separate keywords that trigger AI Overviews or featured snippets from those that still send traffic.

Control AI crawler access

Use the Robots.txt Generator's AI Crawler Permissions panel to allow or block GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and others individually.

Fix CTR leaks

Identify queries where your page ranks well but users aren't clicking — a rewritten title tag can double traffic overnight.

Most SEO platforms charge hundreds per month to show you data that already lives in your Google Search Console account, and none of them have added AI search optimisation tooling yet. We surface your real GSC data directly and layer AI-readiness checks on top — at no cost.

About SEO, AI & Analytics

A unified set of free tools covering both traditional SEO and the emerging AI search landscape. The GSC-connected tools (GSC Dashboard, Opportunity Finder, CTR Finder, Cannibalization Checker, Keyword Tracker, Anomaly Detector) read your live Search Console performance data via read-only OAuth — no sampling, no estimates. The AI search tools (Answer-First Scorer, E-E-A-T Checker, Zero-Click Classifier, Robots.txt Generator with AI crawler controls, Schema Tester with FAQ and HowTo builders) work entirely in the browser with no login required. Together they cover the full modern search workflow: diagnosing crawlability, improving snippet CTR, identifying quick-win ranking opportunities, fixing structured data, auditing redirects, and preparing content to be cited by AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot.

When to use SEO, AI & Analytics

1Monthly traffic reviews: connect your GSC account and run the Opportunity Finder to surface queries stuck in positions 4–20 with the highest click upside.
2AI search content audit: paste any article into the Answer-First Scorer to see which paragraphs are structured for AI citation and which bury the answer.
3E-E-A-T review: run the E-E-A-T Checker on your key landing pages to identify missing trust signals before pitching content for AI Overview inclusion.
4Keyword strategy: run your target keyword list through the Zero-Click Classifier to separate zero-click AI Overview terms from terms that still drive visits.
5Before publishing or updating a page: use the Schema Tester to validate your JSON-LD, add FAQ or HowTo schema, and check how the title appears in Google.
6After a site migration or domain change: run the Redirect Checker on all old URLs to confirm 301 chains are clean and no hops are missing.
7Robots.txt updates: use the AI Crawler Permissions panel to set per-bot allow/block rules for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and Bingbot in one place.
8After a traffic drop: check the Anomaly Detector, Redirect Checker, and Robots.txt Tester to quickly rule out technical causes before investigating content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Google Search Console account to use these tools?+

Only the GSC-connected tools (GSC Dashboard, Opportunity Finder, CTR Finder, Cannibalization Checker, Keyword Tracker, Anomaly Detector) require a Google account and read-only OAuth. All AI search tools — Answer-First Scorer, E-E-A-T Checker, Zero-Click Classifier, Schema Tester, Robots.txt Generator — work instantly with no login.

What is AI search optimisation and why does it matter?+

AI search optimisation (also called AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation, or GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation) is the practice of structuring content so that AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot select it as a cited source in their answers. As AI-generated answers replace a growing share of traditional search results, content that isn't structured for citation loses visibility even when it ranks well in classic results.

How does the Answer-First Scorer work?+

The Answer-First Scorer splits your content into paragraphs and checks each one for seven citation-readiness signals: whether the paragraph leads with its core claim, uses a definition verb, makes a direct statement, keeps its first sentence short, avoids burying the answer in qualifiers, and avoids being pure context-setting. Each paragraph gets a 0–100 score and a Direct / Context-first / Buried rating, with a specific improvement suggestion.

What is E-E-A-T and how does it affect AI search rankings?+

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust — the four dimensions Google's quality raters use to evaluate content quality. AI engines use similar signals to decide which sources to cite in generated answers. The E-E-A-T Checker scans your content for 17 measurable signals across all four dimensions and shows you exactly which high-impact signals are missing.

How do I block or allow AI crawlers in my robots.txt?+

Use the Robots.txt Generator's AI Crawler Permissions section to toggle access for GPTBot (ChatGPT), OAI-SearchBot (ChatGPT Search), PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot, CCBot, Applebot, Bingbot, and DuckAssistBot individually. Use the presets (Allow all AI, Block all AI, AI search only) to apply common policies in one click, then copy or download the resulting robots.txt.

What is keyword cannibalization and how do I detect it?+

Keyword cannibalization is when two or more pages on your site rank for the same query, splitting ranking signals between them. Both pages rank lower than one consolidated page would. The Cannibalization Checker clusters your GSC queries by URL overlap and flags the affected keywords so you can consolidate, redirect, or canonicalise.

How is this different from Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz?+

Those tools use their own crawl databases to estimate traffic and rankings — none of them read your actual Search Console data directly, and none include AI search optimisation tooling. Searchlight reads your real GSC performance data (no sampling, no estimation) and adds a dedicated AI search layer covering citation scoring, E-E-A-T analysis, zero-click classification, and AI crawler controls.

How do I improve my page's click-through rate from Google?+

CTR is primarily driven by your title tag and meta description. Use the CTR Finder (connected to your GSC data) to identify pages where CTR is below average for their ranking position. Then use the Meta Preview tool to rewrite and visually check the snippet before publishing.

Free SEO & AI Search Tools — Powered by Your Google Search Console Data

Find traditional quick wins

Pages ranking positions 4–20 that need a title or meta description update to move up and gain clicks.

Optimise for AI citations

Score your content with the Answer-First Scorer to see how likely AI search engines are to cite your paragraphs as source material.

Audit E-E-A-T signals

Run the E-E-A-T Checker to identify missing Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust signals that AI engines use to rank sources.

Classify zero-click keywords

Use the Zero-Click Classifier to separate keywords that trigger AI Overviews or featured snippets from those that still send traffic.

Control AI crawler access

Use the Robots.txt Generator's AI Crawler Permissions panel to allow or block GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and others individually.

Fix CTR leaks

Identify queries where your page ranks well but users aren't clicking — a rewritten title tag can double traffic overnight.

About SEO, AI & Analytics

When to use SEO, AI & Analytics

1Monthly traffic reviews: connect your GSC account and run the Opportunity Finder to surface queries stuck in positions 4–20 with the highest click upside.

2AI search content audit: paste any article into the Answer-First Scorer to see which paragraphs are structured for AI citation and which bury the answer.

3E-E-A-T review: run the E-E-A-T Checker on your key landing pages to identify missing trust signals before pitching content for AI Overview inclusion.

4Keyword strategy: run your target keyword list through the Zero-Click Classifier to separate zero-click AI Overview terms from terms that still drive visits.

5Before publishing or updating a page: use the Schema Tester to validate your JSON-LD, add FAQ or HowTo schema, and check how the title appears in Google.

6After a site migration or domain change: run the Redirect Checker on all old URLs to confirm 301 chains are clean and no hops are missing.

7Robots.txt updates: use the AI Crawler Permissions panel to set per-bot allow/block rules for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and Bingbot in one place.

8After a traffic drop: check the Anomaly Detector, Redirect Checker, and Robots.txt Tester to quickly rule out technical causes before investigating content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Google Search Console account to use these tools?+

What is AI search optimisation and why does it matter?+

How does the Answer-First Scorer work?+

What is E-E-A-T and how does it affect AI search rankings?+

How do I block or allow AI crawlers in my robots.txt?+

What is keyword cannibalization and how do I detect it?+

How is this different from Ahrefs, Semrush, or Moz?+

How do I improve my page's click-through rate from Google?+