The Nutshell
the squirrelscan knowledge base. website audits, in a nutshell.
GEO & AI search
Best AI visibility trackers, and what they cannot tell you
Five AI visibility trackers with prices read off each vendor's own page, what prompt-volume pricing actually buys, and the question none of them answer.
ReadGenerative engine optimization checker: what a real GEO check tests
GEO checkers grade one URL against a rubric and return a score. This is the checklist a full check runs, the audit rule behind each item, and the command that runs it against your own site.
ReadAI crawlers explained: GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, and how to control them
A field guide to every AI crawler worth knowing, their exact user-agent strings, and a robots.txt decision framework so you block training bots without accidentally blocking your own AI visibility.
ReadChatGPT SEO: how ChatGPT actually finds and cites websites
ChatGPT SEO means two different things: getting found and cited by ChatGPT, and using ChatGPT as an SEO tool. Here's how the first one actually works, mechanically.
ReadGenerative engine optimization: what it is and how to actually do it
GEO means getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews instead of just ranking for a blue link. Here's what changed, what didn't, and a checklist you can run today.
ReadBest generative engine optimization tools: trackers, checkers, and auditors
Eleven named GEO tools with prices we checked ourselves, sorted by the job they actually do: tracking whether AI engines mention you, rewriting content so they might, or auditing the site so they can reach it at all.
ReadWhat is llms.txt? The practical guide, with real examples
llms.txt is a plain Markdown file that tells AI agents what your site is and where the good stuff lives. Here's the exact spec, real examples, and the honest truth about who actually reads it.
ReadAI coding tools
Auditing a website from inside Cursor
Two ways to run a site audit without leaving the editor: the free CLI in Cursor's terminal, and the hosted MCP server as native tools the agent can call.
ReadBest SEO MCP servers: what exists, and what each one is for
An MCP server turns SEO data and site audits into tools your coding agent can call directly. Here's what actually exists, and how to wire up squirrelscan's hosted server.
ReadSite health
SEO for vibe coded sites: what to check in Lovable, v0 and Bolt output
Sites generated by Lovable, v0, Bolt and Replit tend to miss the same checks. This is the list, the audit rule that catches each one, and how to hand the whole batch back to the agent that built the site.
ReadWebsite security scan with AI: headers, hygiene, and what agents catch
Most sites are missing basic security headers, not fending off a targeted attack. Here's the hygiene an AI-assisted security audit actually finds, and how to let an agent patch it.
ReadCore web vitals: what LCP, INP, and CLS actually measure
Three metrics, three different failure modes, and a lab-versus-field distinction that trips up almost everyone the first time. Here's what each one measures and how to actually fix it.
ReadFix SEO issues with AI: the coding agent workflow that actually works
Point Claude Code or Cursor at a squirrelscan audit and it will fix a surprising amount on its own. Here's the real workflow, including the parts that still need you.
ReadComparisons
Free and open source Screaming Frog alternatives
What Screaming Frog's free mode gives you, the three MIT-licensed crawlers that cost nothing, and which of them can gate a build.
ReadScreaming Frog vs Deepcrawl (now Lumar): which crawler fits
One is a desktop app licensed per seat. The other is an enterprise platform bought through procurement. What each one does, what each one costs, and which of them fits the way your team works.
ReadSitebulb alternatives, and how Sitebulb compares to Screaming Frog
Six crawlers worth knowing if Sitebulb is not the fit, what each one costs, how Sitebulb and Screaming Frog differ, and where a command-line crawler belongs.
ReadLighthouse alternative: when you need a whole site, not one page
Lighthouse scores a single page really well. It has nothing to say about your other 400 pages, your broken links, or whether an AI agent can even parse your content.
ReadScreaming Frog alternatives: the honest list, and when a CLI fits better
The desktop crawlers worth knowing, what each one costs, and the case for running a CLI crawler in CI instead of clicking through a GUI once a quarter.
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