Methodology Changelog
Version history for the friendly4AI GEO Scanner scoring methodology. Entries are listed in reverse chronological order.
v4.5 — Current Methodology
Phase 5 — 5 new scored parameters (ids 49–53), per-engine cluster sub-scores display, crawler-tier correction, advisory checks. Active parameter count: 48 (source: content/methodology/version.json).
v4.5 is the current methodology: 48 parameters (47 scored + 1 informational), across 7 categories.
Composite Score Formula
weighted(GEO, AEO)
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) weight: 60% — AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) weight: 40%
Parameter Categories (7)
Crawlability & Access
20%
Discovery & Metadata
20%
Content Structure
15%
AI-Specific Signals
15%
Authority & Trust
10%
Technical SEO
10%
Entity & Schema
10%
Per-parameter weights are not published. See the methodology overview for the full parameter list.
v4.4
Phase 4 — UCP manifest added, 5 deprecated API-specific checks removed, weight rebalance. Active parameter count: 43 (source: content/methodology/version.json).
Phase 4: UCP Manifest + Deprecated Check Removal (v4.4)
v4.4 is the current methodology. It runs 43 active parameters (42 scored + 1 informational) and keeps 5 parameters in deprecated status so older citations still resolve.
Source for parameter count: content/methodology/version.json (parameterCount: 43).
What changed
Removed (deprecated, no longer scored): we moved 5 API-specific checks to deprecated status after flagging them as low-signal for standard web pages:
rate_limit_headerscors_headersreal_agent_testcontent_negotiation_jsonidempotency_support
These checks stay accessible for citation preservation (EC-2), but no longer feed into the composite AI-Readiness Score.
Added: UCP (Universal Calibration Profile) manifest detection. The scanner now
fetches /.well-known/ucp and validates the JSON structure. This check is conditional
on commerce/API site classification.
Weight rebalance: dropping the 5 deprecated API checks and adding the UCP manifest
parameter shifted the category weights, so we rebalanced them. You can find the updated
weights in content/methodology/version.json and on the
methodology overview page.
Score compatibility
Because of the weight rebalance, v4.4 scores aren't directly comparable to scores from v4.3 or earlier. The score history chart flags this with a methodology marker at the v4.4 boundary, and old reports keep their original scores.
v4.2
Phase 2 — Content extractability checks. Added answer-first compliance, chunk extractability, TL;DR section, dated-statistics ratio, and enhanced answer-structure (v2). Active parameter count: 39; total scoring weight: 216.
Phase 2: Content Extractability (v4.2)
v4.2 introduces four new parameters and one enhancement, together worth 17 weight points. That brings the active parameter count from 35 (v4.1) to 39, and lifts total scoring weight from 199 to 216.
Parameters added
| Parameter | Group | ID | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answer-first compliance | D (Content Quality) | D6 (ID 42) | 5 |
| Chunk extractability | D (Content Quality) | D7 (ID 43) | 5 |
| TL;DR / Key Takeaways section | D (Content Quality) | D8 (ID 44) | 3 |
| Dated statistics ratio | D (Content Quality) | D9 (ID 45) | 4 |
| Answer-structure (enhanced v2) | D (Content Quality) | D3 v2 (ID 31) | 5 (unchanged) |
Source: marketing/archive/friendly4ai-geo-scanner-v4-2-extractability-update.md — Phase 2 section.
What each check measures
Answer-first compliance (D6) checks each H2 section for whether its first sentence answers the implied question in 30–60 words, with no preamble.
Chunk extractability (D7) runs three deterministic checks on every H2 block: an explicit entity in the first sentence, no anaphoric pronouns in the first 20 words, and a noun phrase in the heading itself.
TL;DR section (D8) looks for a Key Takeaways or Summary block of 3–5 bullets — the chunk the friendly4AI Writing Guide flags as the single most-cited one per article.
Dated statistics ratio (D9) measures what share of numeric claims carry a year. Retrieval systems tend to ignore undated statistics.
Answer-structure v2 (D3) extends the existing D3 check. Its weight stays the same (5), but the logic now adds an answer-first bonus for Q&A pages.
Score compatibility
Because v4.2 raised the weight budget from 199 to 216, v4.1 and v4.2 scores for the same site
are not directly comparable. The score history chart marks the v4.2 boundary with a
methodology marker, and every report now carries a scoringVersionLabel field (v4.1, v4.2)
so methodology changes stay visible in that chart.
v4.1
Phase 1 — Structural extractability checks. Added paragraph length distribution, section length distribution, and internal link coverage. Active parameter count: 35; total scoring weight: 199.
Phase 1: Structural Extractability (v4.1)
v4.1 adds three structural checks worth a combined 14 weight points. That lifts the active parameter count from 32 (v3) to 35, and total scoring weight from 185 to 199.
Parameters added
| Parameter | Group | ID | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paragraph length distribution | C (Content Structure) | C6 (ID 38) | 5 |
| Section length distribution | C (Content Structure) | C7 (ID 39) | 5 |
| Internal link coverage (body only) | B (SEO & Schema) | B8 (ID 47) | 4 |
Source: marketing/archive/friendly4ai-geo-scanner-v4-2-extractability-update.md — Phase 1 section.
What each check measures
Paragraph length distribution (C6) scores the share of paragraphs that land in the 40–80 word optimal range, and penalises any paragraph over 120 words — those block AI chunking.
Section length distribution (C7) scores the average words per H2 block against a 120–180 word target, the typical span of an AI-generated answer.
Internal link coverage (B8) counts internal links found in body content only — <main>,
<article>, or the largest content block — while ignoring links in <header>, <footer>,
and <nav>. It expects three or more body links to distinct pages, and adds a bonus for
links into glossary or definition URLs.
Score compatibility
Because v4.1 raised the weight budget from 185 to 199, v3 and v4.1 scores for the same site no longer line up directly. The score history chart marks a methodology boundary at v4.1.