What a skill is
A skill file (.skill) is a packaged instruction set that you install once into Claude. After installation, you invoke it by typing a slash command in any Claude conversation. The skill runs in the context of that conversation, with access to whatever MCP connections and data you have shared. It is not a separate app: everything happens inside Claude.
Skills are different from the free web audits at /ai-visibility and /store-audit. The free audits run against a single URL you submit through the website. The skills run inside your Claude session with access to your connected Shopify store, your full catalogue, and any context you have provided, making them far more powerful and customisable.
The three skills in the Pack
1. GMC Compliance Skill
Invoke with /gmc-compliance-check. This skill checks product listings against the Google Merchant Center misrepresentation triggers that cause account suspensions. It covers: real-player name usage, team or governing-body references in titles, brand-field drift between the Shopify vendor field and the Organization schema name, missing policy pages, price mismatches between the feed and the live site, and shipping policy inconsistencies.
Output: a pass/fail table per product with the specific rule triggered and the exact text to change. The same ruleset that powers the free GMC audit, running against your live connected catalogue.
2. GEO Skill (Generative Engine Optimisation)
Invoke with /geo-check. This skill checks whether your store's content is structured in a way that AI answer engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini AI Overviews) can parse and cite. It audits: sentence-level answer formatting in product descriptions, the presence of Q+A formatted content on key pages, entity consistency (your brand name spelled the same way everywhere it appears), and the quality of your Organization sameAs schema block.
Output: a scored report by page with specific rewrite suggestions for any content that is below the threshold for AI citation.
3. AEO Skill (Answer Engine Optimisation)
Invoke with /aeo-check. This skill audits all 9 AI Readiness Score signals and returns your ARS score (0 to 100) with per-signal pass, partial, or fail ratings and a prioritised fix list. The 9 signals are the same ones checked by the free AI Visibility audit, but the skill version runs against your live store via MCP and can fetch real-time data rather than a single URL snapshot.
Output: your ARS score, band (AI READY 80+, PARTIAL 55 to 79, LOW 30 to 54, INVISIBLE 0 to 29), per-signal detail, and the top 3 fixes in priority order.
Installing the skills
Purchase and download the Skills Pack
Go to /skills and complete the $14.99 purchase. You will receive a download link for a .skill file bundle and the Shopify connection guide PDF. Save the files to your computer.
Install in Claude
In the Claude desktop app or Cowork, go to Settings > Capabilities > Skills. Click "Install skill" and select the downloaded .skill file. Repeat for each of the three skill files. Each installed skill appears in your skills list with its slash command.
Connect your Shopify store
If you have not done so already, follow Guide 1: Connect Shopify via MCP. The skills work without a live MCP connection (you can paste product data into the conversation instead), but with MCP they run against your full live catalogue automatically.
Run your first skill
Start a new Claude conversation. With your Shopify store connected, type: /aeo-check and press Enter. The skill will fetch your store data via MCP, run all 9 signal checks, and return your ARS score with a prioritised fix list.
Chaining skills in one session
The most productive workflow is to run all three skills in sequence in a single session. Start with /aeo-check to get your overall AI Readiness Score. Then run /gmc-compliance-check to get the GMC pass/fail table. Then run /geo-check for the content rewrite suggestions. With all three results in the same conversation, you can prompt Claude to prioritise fixes across all three audits simultaneously, then execute the changes against your connected store.
Before running any skill, paste your store boilerplate (covered in Guide 4) at the top of the conversation. This gives Claude your brand voice, compliance history, and specific rules before the skill runs, so the output reflects your store's specific rules rather than generic advice.
Sources and references
- Anthropic Claude: The AI model that runs all three skills
- Shopify Admin GraphQL API: The data source the skills query via MCP
- Google: Misrepresentation policy: The policy the GMC compliance skill audits against
- SEO Intel Skills Pack ($14.99): Download page for all three skills plus the Shopify connection guide
- Guide 1: Connect Shopify via MCP: Complete the MCP connection before running skills for best results
- Guide 3: Key Prompts and Workflows: The prompt patterns that get the most out of each skill
- AI Visibility Playbook series: Signal-by-signal detail on what the AEO skill checks
Frequently asked questions
What is a skill file?
A skill file (.skill) is a packaged set of instructions that you install into Claude once, and can then invoke by typing a slash command. It is not a plugin in the traditional sense: there is no separate app to open. You type /gmc-compliance-check in a Claude conversation, and the skill runs against your connected store data.
What are the three skills in the SEO Intel Skills Pack?
The GMC compliance skill checks product listings against the Google Merchant Center misrepresentation triggers that cause account suspensions. The GEO skill checks and fixes generative engine optimization signals so your store appears in AI-generated answers. The AEO skill audits the 9 AI Readiness Score signals and returns a prioritized fix list.
Do I need my store connected via MCP to use the skills?
The skills work best with a live MCP connection because they can fetch current product data directly. Without MCP, you can still use the skills by pasting product data or a URL into the conversation, but the MCP-connected workflow is much faster and covers your entire catalogue rather than one product at a time.
How long does a skill run take?
A single-product GMC compliance check takes 10 to 30 seconds. A full catalogue scan on a store with 50 or more products typically takes 2 to 5 minutes, depending on product complexity. The AEO skill run on a connected store takes around 60 seconds.
Where do I get the Skills Pack?
The Skills Pack is available at seo-intel.co.uk/skills for $14.99. It includes all three skills plus the Shopify connection guide. If you have already purchased the GMC paid audit, the GMC compliance skill was included with that purchase.