=== SEO for AI - AI Search Optimization ===
Contributors: seoforai, freemius
Tags: SEO, AI, llm, search-optimization, ai-overview
Requires PHP: 8.0
Requires at least: 5.7
Tested up to: 6.8
Stable tag: 2.4.1
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Future-proof your SEO with AI optimization. Works alongside Yoast, RankMath and other SEO plugins. Optimize for AI Overviews & next-gen search.

== Description ==

**Maximize Your Existing SEO Investment for the AI Era**

As AI engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google's AI Overviews reshape how people find information, your carefully optimized content needs to work in this new landscape. SEO for AI bridges the gap between traditional SEO and AI-powered search, ensuring your investment in tools like Yoast SEO and RankMath pays off in the AI era.

**Why SEO for AI Matters Now:**
* AI assistants are becoming primary search tools
* Google AI Overviews are changing search results
* Traditional SEO alone isn't optimized for AI understanding
* Early adopters gain competitive advantage as AI refreshes training data

**Perfect Complement to Your Existing SEO Stack:**
* **Works WITH Yoast SEO** - doesn't replace, enhances
* **Compatible with RankMath** - adds AI-specific optimization
* **Builds on your SEO foundation** - leverages existing optimization work
* **Future-proofs your content** - ready for emerging AI search platforms

**Who Benefits Most:**
* **Content Publishers** - Get cited in AI responses and maintain authority
* **E-commerce Sites** - Ensure products appear accurately in AI recommendations  
* **Professional Services** - Position expertise for AI-powered research
* **Educational Institutions** - Maintain credibility as AI reference sources
* **Brand-Conscious Companies** - Control messaging in AI-generated content

**Free Version Features:**
* ✅ **AI-Friendly Metadata** - Specialized tags for better AI understanding
* ✅ **OpenGraph Enhancement** - Improved social and AI platform compatibility  
* ✅ **Yoast/RankMath Compatible** - Works alongside existing SEO plugins
* ✅ **Regular Updates** - Stay current with AI platform changes
* ✅ **Easy Validation** - Built-in tools to verify functionality

**Premium Version (Available as Upgrade):**
* 🚀 **Advanced Structured Data** - Rich schemas specifically designed for AI engines
* 🚀 **AI Crawler Management** - Automatic robots.txt optimization for 30+ AI bots
* 🚀 **FAQ Structured Data** - Transform your FAQ content into rich schemas that AI engines love to cite and reference 
* 🚀 **Enhanced Content Signals** - Advanced metadata for better AI comprehension
* 🚀 **Future AI Platform Support** - First access to new AI optimization features

**The AI Search Revolution is Here**
Don't let your valuable content become invisible to the next generation of search. While others scramble to understand AI optimization, you'll already be optimized and ranking in AI responses.

**Start optimizing for AI today** - because when AI answers customer questions, your content should be the source.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin files to `/wp-content/plugins/seo-for-ai/` or install through WordPress admin
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' screen
3. Navigate to 'SEO for AI' in your WordPress admin menu
4. Enable the features you want to use
5. Follow the validation instructions to confirm everything is working
6. To Upgrade, etiher select Upgrage in the sub-menu under SEO for AI, or from the 'Plugins' screen

**Note:** This plugin is designed to work alongside your existing SEO plugins like Yoast SEO or RankMath - you don't need to disable them.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does this free version actually help my site get discovered by AI engines like ChatGPT and Claude? =

This version adds specialized AI-friendly metadata to your content that helps AI engines better understand and index your website. The plugin adds custom meta tags that provide clear context about your content, making it more likely to be cited and referenced when AI assistants answer user questions related to your topics.

= Does this replace my existing SEO plugin like Yoast or RankMath? =

No, SEO for AI is designed to work alongside your existing SEO plugins, not replace them. Think of it as an additional layer of optimization specifically for the emerging AI search landscape. We actually recommend keeping your traditional SEO work active while adding SEO for AI to future-proof your content discovery strategy.

= What's the difference between the free and premium versions? =

The free version provides essential AI metadata optimization to help AI engines understand your content better. The premium version adds advanced structured data markup and robots.txt management for comprehensive AI crawler control, giving you maximum visibility and control over how AI systems interact with your site.

= How do I know if the plugin is working correctly? =

Easy! Visit the plugin settings page in your WordPress admin and it will provide detailed validation instructions at the bottom. You can verify the plugin is working by checking your page source for the AI-specific metadata tags.

= Does the FAQ feature help with AI citations? =

Yes! The FAQ structured data feature creates a FAQ Page schema that AI engines can easily find and cite. When someone asks an AI assistant a question related to your content, your FAQs are more likely to be referenced as authoritative sources. You can add up to 10 Q&A pairs and choose which pages display them.

= Will this slow down my website? =

Not at all! The plugin adds lightweight metadata tags that have minimal impact on page load times. The AI-friendly tags are small text additions to your HTML head section, similar to how traditional SEO plugins work, so there's no performance concern.

= Which AI engines will this help with? =

SEO for AI is designed to work with major AI platforms including ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google's Gemini and AI Overviews, and other AI-powered search tools. As the AI landscape evolves, we continuously update our optimization techniques to work with new platforms and crawlers.

= Can I use this with Yoast SEO? =

Absolutely! SEO for AI is specifically designed to complement Yoast SEO. While Yoast handles traditional SEO optimization, SEO for AI adds the specialized metadata and signals that AI engines need. Using both together gives you comprehensive optimization for both traditional search and AI-powered discovery. We do suggest our OpenGraph tags over the Yoast ones as they are slightly more complete, otherwise Yoast is a great plugin for getting SEO right.

= Will this work with my existing theme and plugins? =

Yes, SEO for AI is built to be compatible with virtually all WordPress themes and plugins. It uses standard WordPress hooks and doesn't interfere with other plugins' functionality.

= How often do you update the plugin for new AI platforms? =

We monitor the AI landscape continuously and update the plugin regularly to support new AI crawlers and platforms as they emerge. Premium users get priority access to new AI platform optimizations.

= Can I suggest new features? =

Absolutely! We love hearing from our users and regularly implement suggested features. Please share your ideas by visiting our contact page at <a href="https://seoforai.co/#contact" target="_blank">https://seoforai.co/#contact</a>

You can also reach out if you have questions about AI optimization strategies or need help with specific use cases. We're always happy to help our community succeed with AI-powered search optimization.

== Screenshots ==

1. Main settings page showing free features including the start of the Validation section at the bottom
2. Main settings page showing free and premium features

== Changelog ==

= 2.4.1 =
* Update to OpenGraph tags for better alignment with the canonical url


= 2.3.0 =
* Added OpenGraph support for enhanced social and AI platform compatibility
* Improved metadata structure for better AI engine understanding
* Enhanced validation tools for easier setup verification

= 2.2.5 =
* Plugin now supports premium upgrade functionality

= 1.1.0 =
* Initial public release with core free features
* Basic AI metadata implementation

= 1.0.7 =
* Updated help/support links for better user experience
* Added support for new AI User-Agent detection

= 1.0.5 =
* First public version released

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 2.3.0 =
Enhanced OpenGraph support and improved AI platform compatibility. Recommended update for all users.

= 2.2.5 =
Major update adding premium features and enhanced AI crawler support. Existing users can now upgrade to premium for advanced features.