Original framework
Cognitive Architecture of SEO
The algorithm only reaches meaning if the structure allows interpretation. Each layer depends on the one below it. Click a layer to see what it supports.
Layer 5, the decision
Action
The layer where the choice happens. Being remembered does not guarantee being chosen, and when an agent carries out the whole task it narrows the set of alternatives before any visible comparison.
- Presence in the set the agent considers before comparing
- Specification that supports the recommendation beyond the mention
- Conversion path that works without a discovery click
- Citation records kept separate from choice records
Layer 4
Memory
What the search engine keeps about the brand after the page leaves the screen. It is what makes the entity remembered in a future query, and it is what sustains citation in AI-generated answers.
- Consolidated and disambiguated entity
- Consistency of name, address and authorship
- Mentions in trusted external sources
- History of satisfying the intent
Layer 3
Interpretation
The point where text becomes meaning. Without a clear structure underneath, the system can read the page and still get its subject wrong.
- Semantic relationship between terms and entities
- Context of the block where the term appears
- Structured data that declares the content type
- Intent covered end to end
Layer 2
Structure
The skeleton that separates content from decoration. It is where the document hierarchy and the site architecture say what is primary and what is support.
- Coherent heading hierarchy
- Information architecture and internal links
- Semantic HTML and DOM order
- Canonical, pagination and parameters under control
Layer 1, the base
Crawlability
Without access, nothing above exists. It is the layer almost nobody audits and the one that explains most cases of pages that do not show up.
- Server response and time to first byte
- robots.txt, sitemap and indexing directives
- Rendering of content that depends on JavaScript
- Crawl budget spent in the right place
Click a layer or use the arrow keys to move through the layers.