Claude Code SEO skill or MCP server: which do I need to show up in ChatGPT?
A skill is a local procedure that teaches Claude Code how to write and audit a page; an MCP server brings data and checks from outside your repository. A skill cannot see the live page, Google indexing or AI visits. The strongest setup has both, plus a strategy for which pages to write, and that is what easyIndex is.
Facts
- A Claude Code skill is a SKILL.md file with instructions, stored in .claude/skills for one project or ~/.claude/skills for every project. (Claude Code docs: Extend Claude with skills)
- Claude Code uses a skill when it judges it relevant, or when you type /skill-name, and loads the skill's body only when it is used. (Claude Code docs: Extend Claude with skills)
- Claude Code's docs say MCP servers give it access to your tools, databases and APIs, added with claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>. (Claude Code docs: Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP)
- The MCP specification of 2025-06-18 runs over JSON-RPC 2.0, and its servers offer three features: resources, prompts and tools. (Model Context Protocol specification (2025-06-18))
What is the difference between a skill and an MCP server?
A skill changes how Claude Code works; an MCP server changes what it can reach. The skill is text and scripts in a folder. The server is a service Claude Code calls, which can hold data and run checks the agent cannot run on its own.
| Skill | MCP server | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | A SKILL.md folder on your machine or in the repo | A service, local or remote |
| What it adds | Instructions and scripts | Tools, data and prompts |
| Sees the live site | Only if a script fetches it | Yes, if the server checks it |
| Remembers results over months | No | Yes, if the server stores them |
| Works offline | Yes | Remote ones do not |
What do free open-source SEO skills do well?
They turn a checklist into a repeatable procedure. Free open-source SEO and GEO skills usually score a page, write an llms.txt file, add JSON-LD schema and fix titles and descriptions. That is useful work, and it costs nothing.
What can a skill not tell me?
A skill cannot see what happens after the deploy. It reads the code it was given, so it does not know whether:
- The page is live and renders its text to a crawler that does not run JavaScript
- Google indexed it, and for which searches it showed
- AI crawlers read it, and when
- Visitors arrive from ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Gemini
When do I need both?
Use both when you want the work done and proven. The skill keeps the writing consistent; the MCP server gives the next step, checks the published page from outside and keeps the measurements. Claude Code loads both at once without conflict. A method server does not need a separate skill: it carries the procedure inside the MCP, handing the agent the current rules and full instructions of each step as the method changes, so there is nothing to install or keep up to date.
How do I install each one?
A skill is a folder you copy; an MCP server is one command:
# A skill: a folder with a SKILL.md, in the repository or in your home folder .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md # this project only ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md # every project on this machine # An MCP server: one command, then /mcp in Claude Code to sign in claude mcp add --transport http <name> <server-url>
Step by step
- Write the rules once. Keep your page rules in a skill or in CLAUDE.md so every page follows them.
- Connect a server for live checks. Add an MCP server that fetches the published page and reads Search Console.
- Publish in small batches. Deploy a few pages, then let the server check each one live.
- Read results per page. Look at indexing, AI crawler reads and AI visits before writing more.
Common mistakes
- Treating a skill's score as proof that ChatGPT will cite the page.
- Trusting the agent's report that a page is live instead of fetching it.
- Installing several SEO skills with rules that contradict each other.
- Adding an MCP server's API key to a project file committed to the repository.
How easyIndex solves it
A free SEO skill gives Claude Code a procedure; a plain MCP server gives it data and checks. easyIndex is an MCP server with the method built in plus a strategy: it guides the agent to work out who your buyers are and the situations they search in, research the questions they ask AI assistants, and plan pages in batches you approve. It audits each page when submitted and checks it on the live site, and a step completes only on evidence easyIndex checks, not on the agent's report. It never changes your site or repository; the agent makes every change.
It measures AI-assistant visitors per page, AI crawler reads and Google indexing from Search Console, and once a month the agent asks ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini up to 40 tracked questions. US$ 30 per website a month, after a 7-day free trial with one website.
Frequently asked questions
Can a skill call an MCP server?
Yes. A skill's instructions can tell Claude Code to use a connected server's tools as part of the procedure.
Is an llms.txt file enough to show up in ChatGPT?
No source says so. It is a cheap file to add, but the page itself must be live, indexable and answer the question.
Do skills and MCP servers work in Codex too?
Codex connects to MCP servers from ~/.codex/config.toml. Check Codex's own docs for how it handles skills.
Does an MCP server need access to my repository?
A good one does not: the agent edits the repository, and the server only gives steps and checks the result.
Continue reading
- What should a GEO MCP server for my coding agent do?
- How do I do GEO with Claude Code or Codex?
- Does llms.txt work?
- How do I measure visitors who come from ChatGPT and other AI assistants?
- How does easyIndex work, what do I need, and how long until results?
- How much does easyIndex cost?
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