Editorial Standards

Our Editorial Principles

Accuracy Comes Before Speed

AI search changes quickly, but publishing first is less important than publishing responsibly.

When we cover developments involving platforms such as Google, ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity, we aim to verify important claims before presenting them as fact.

Where something remains uncertain, experimental or based on observation rather than confirmed platform documentation, we should make that distinction clear.

Primary Sources Are Preferred

Where available, we prioritize original or authoritative sources such as:

• official Google documentation
• OpenAI documentation and announcements
• Microsoft documentation
• platform documentation
• academic research
• government sources
• original company announcements
• first-party datasets
• our own documented research

Third-party reporting may also be used when it adds useful context or when primary information is unavailable.

Facts, Observations and Recommendations Are Different

AI-search content often mixes established facts with experiments, interpretation and opinion.

We try to separate them clearly.

Documented Information

Information supported by an identifiable primary or authoritative source.

Observations

What we or other researchers have observed through testing, analysis or datasets.

An observation should not automatically be presented as a universal rule.

Editorial Interpretation

Our explanation of what a development may mean for businesses, marketers or agencies.

Recommendations

Practical actions we believe may be useful based on available evidence and established SEO principles.

Recommendations should not be presented as guaranteed outcomes.

How We Create Educational Content

Our educational pages are designed to answer real questions about:

• AI SEO
• GEO
• AEO
• ChatGPT Search
• Google AI Overviews
• Google AI Mode
• Gemini
• Perplexity
• AI citations
• AI visibility
• search measurement

Where appropriate, content should:

• answer the main question early
• use clear language
• explain unfamiliar terminology
• provide practical context
• distinguish proven practices from emerging ideas
• cite relevant sources
• link to deeper supporting resources
• be reviewed when meaningful changes occur

We avoid adding complexity simply to make an article sound more technical.

How We Handle AI-Generated Content

AI tools may assist with parts of the editorial workflow, such as research organization, brainstorming, summarization or drafting assistance.

However, AI-generated output should not be treated as an authoritative source.

Content published by AI SEO Experts Canada should be reviewed for:

• factual accuracy
• clarity
• unsupported claims
• misleading generalizations
• outdated information
• source quality
• unnecessary repetition
• usefulness to the reader

Where original research, agency evaluation or editorial judgment is required, those decisions should not be delegated blindly to an automated system.

Human Review

Important content may be reviewed by an editor, subject-matter contributor or researcher before or after publication depending on the nature of the page.

Where appropriate, pages may display:

• author
• reviewer
• publication date
• last updated date
• sources
• methodology

Not every page requires the same review process, but higher-impact content should receive greater scrutiny.

Agency Rankings

Our agency rankings are editorial selections.

Commercial relationships should not automatically determine:

• whether an agency is included
• where an agency is ranked
• whether an agency receives an award
• whether an agency is described more favourably

National ranking pages are intentionally limited to a maximum of 10 agencies, while city-level ranking pages are limited to a maximum of three agencies.

Detailed selection criteria are explained in our Ranking Methodology.

Advertising and Commercial Relationships

AI SEO Experts Canada may generate revenue through:

• agency leads
• advertising
• sponsorships
• partnerships
• sponsored initiatives
• future industry programs

Commercial relationships must be kept separate from editorial ranking decisions.

Where content or placement has been paid for, it should be labelled in a way that reasonably communicates the commercial relationship to readers.

A business paying AI SEO Experts Canada does not automatically become one of our recommended agencies.

Sponsored Content

Sponsored content may be accepted where it is relevant to our audience.

Sponsored material should:

• be clearly identified
• not be presented as independent editorial research
• not automatically influence agency rankings
• comply with our broader editorial standards
• avoid misleading or unverifiable claims

We reserve the right to reject sponsored content that does not meet our standards.

Agency Submissions

Agencies may submit information for editorial consideration.

A submission may help us understand:

• services offered
• team expertise
• markets served
• AI SEO capabilities
• GEO and AEO experience
• case studies
• research
• published expertise

Submission does not guarantee inclusion.

We may verify submitted information using publicly available sources or request additional evidence where necessary.

Conflicts of Interest

Potential conflicts should be considered when publishing recommendations, rankings or research.

Where a relationship could reasonably affect how a reader interprets content, appropriate disclosure should be provided.

Commercial relationships should not be hidden in a way that gives readers the impression that paid material is independent editorial judgment.

Sources and Citations

Sources should be used when they materially support factual claims, research findings or platform-specific information.

We prioritize sources that are:

• relevant
• authoritative
• reasonably current
• directly connected to the claim being made

We avoid adding citations merely to make content appear authoritative.

Where AI SEO Experts Canada conducts original research, the methodology should explain how the data was collected and evaluated.

Updating Content

AI search can change rapidly.

Content may be reviewed or updated when:

• a platform changes its search experience
• official documentation changes
• a major feature launches
• previous information becomes outdated
• new evidence changes our understanding
• an agency's information materially changes
• a ranking requires reassessment

Significant pages may display a Last Updated or Last Reviewed date.

An updated date should reflect a meaningful review or change, not simply a cosmetic edit.

Corrections

If we discover a meaningful factual error, we aim to correct it.

Depending on the significance of the issue, a correction may involve:

• correcting the factual statement
• updating the relevant source
• adding clarification
• revising a conclusion
• noting an important correction where appropriate

Readers, agencies and contributors may contact us if they believe information is inaccurate.

What We Avoid

Our editorial approach avoids:

• invented statistics
• fabricated case studies
• fake testimonials
• unsupported guarantees
• misleading ranking claims
• publishing rumours as facts
• disguising advertisements as independent recommendations
• creating content only to repeat what already exists elsewhere
• presenting AI-generated statements as verified evidence

Our Standard for Useful Content

Before publishing, we should be able to answer:

• Does this page help the reader understand something better?
• Is the main answer clear?
• Are important claims supported appropriately?
• Have facts been separated from interpretation?
• Is the content more useful than simply repeating existing information?
• Would we be comfortable explaining publicly how we reached the conclusion?

If not, the page needs more work.

Questions About Our Editorial Process?

If you believe a page contains an error, requires clarification or raises a disclosure concern, contact AI SEO Experts Canada.