Two Weeks in Search, Found Through 101 Queries — SEO, AEO and GEO Proven on a Family Tree Service
THEVOS handled the full renewal of Family Storage (familystorage.jp), a service for families operated by Tradition Blue Co., Ltd. (株式会社トラディション・ブルー). Ahead of the official launch on September 14, we'd like to show, with real Google Search Console figures, how the site came to be found in search.
There's a reason we share numbers compiled by Google rather than a screenshot saying "We're #1 in search." That reason is also one of the key points of this article.
1. Results from the first two weeks or so
These are Google Search Console figures from August 27, when the site began appearing in search results, through September 8.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Times shown in search results | 2,286 |
| Clicks | 89 |
| Distinct search queries shown | 101 |
| Average position | 7.1 |
Average positions for the main search queries were as follows.
| Search query | Impressions | Average position |
|---|---|---|
| 家系図作成サイト 無料 (free family tree maker site) | 89 | 6.2 |
| 家系図 無料 (free family tree) | 62 | 7.2 |
| 家系図作成サイト (family tree maker site) | 32 | 5.7 |
| 家系図 サイト (family tree site) | 31 | 5.5 |
| 家系が途絶える (a family line dying out) | 13 | 4.5 |
"家系図 無料" and "家系図作成サイト 無料" are highly competitive terms: they are the first thing people type when they want to make a family tree. Up against long-established family tree software comparison sites and major genealogy research sites, the new site reached the first page of results in about two weeks. Daily impressions also grew to around 300 by early September.
2. The "#1 on my own screen" trap
In fact, when our staff searched, Family Storage appeared at #1 for "家系図 無料." But when we checked Search Console, the actual average position was 7.2.
Google changes the order of results based on each searcher's browsing history and sign-in status. The more often someone visits a site to build or check it, the higher that site tends to appear for them. In other words, the ranking you see on your own screen is not necessarily the ranking your customers see.
Many business owners tell us, "Our site is #1 in search." But whether customers see the same ranking can't be known until you check aggregate figures such as those in Search Console. That's why THEVOS reports numbers, not screenshots.
3. Customers use different words than you expect
During development, we designed the pages around the term "家系図マップ" (family tree map). But when we lined up the actual queries, "家系図マップ" wasn't among the top 10 by clicks. What customers actually typed were phrases like "家系図作成サイト 無料" and "家系図 サイト."
We also found searches where people typed the question itself rather than a service name, such as "家系図 調べ方 無料" (how to research a family tree for free), "家系図 戸籍 いくら" (how much it costs to trace a family tree through family registers) and "家系が途絶える." Pages that answer questions like these become the next step in search optimization in their own right.
The words a business has in mind and the words customers type are different. After launch, it is essential to check the real queries and keep refining the pages.
4. SEO, AEO and GEO built in from the development stage
Today, there are three main approaches to search optimization.
- SEO (search engine optimization): measures to rank higher in Google and Bing search results
- AEO (answer engine optimization): measures to be chosen when a search engine directly answers a question such as "Can I…?"
- GEO (generative engine optimization): measures to be cited as a source when AI writes an answer in prose, as in Google's AI Overviews
4-1. SEO: Write in the searcher's words
We set the page title to "家系図マップを無料で作成｜家系図作成代行｜Family Storage" (Create a family tree map for free | Family tree research service) and put a concrete figure in the description: "Our specialists trace your ancestors back about 150 years." From the start, we also put in place a sitemap that tells search engines about roughly 120 pages, canonical URLs, and language tags that distinguish the Japanese and Korean versions.
4-2. AEO: Meet questions with answers
We organized questions and answers such as "Can I make a family tree for free?" and "How far back can family registers be traced?" into an FAQ, and also marked them up in a format that search engines can read as question-and-answer pairs. The site also has an AI guide that answers questions on the spot. It replies in the language of the question: ask in Japanese and it answers in Japanese; ask in Korean and it answers in Korean.
4-3. GEO: Getting AI to introduce you correctly
We prepared a guide file (llms.txt) that summarizes the site in a form AI can read easily, and set it to regenerate automatically whenever the site is updated. Apart from members-only pages and the like, the site is configured not to block AI from reading it. We also stated which company operates the service in a form that search engines and AI can verify.
As a result, when we searched Google for "家系図2.0" (family tree 2.0) on September 11, the AI Overview introduced Family Storage as "a free family tree creation and family history sharing service operated by Tradition Blue Co., Ltd." The operator's name is exactly as we described it on the site. We see this as evidence that AI read the site's information correctly.
4-4. One more factor: Links from a trusted related site
To be fair, our design wasn't the only reason the site earned recognition so quickly. Its operator, Tradition Blue (tradition-blue.jp), is a family tree company founded in 2007 that has also assisted with research for the NHK program "Family History." Its website links to Family Storage.
Links from sites that have built trust in the same field over many years are a strong signal for search engines. When launching a new service, we recommend planning from the start how to make use of your existing websites and your connections with related partners from day one.
5. The real work begins after launch
Once search rankings rise, the job isn't over. If you do nothing, they will eventually slip.
Family Storage is built on VosCMS, our multilingual CMS. In VosCMS, adding pages or articles automatically updates the sitemap and the guide file for AI. On top of that, we regularly review the actual queries and positions in Search Console and propose what to work on next, such as refining pages aimed at "家系図作成サイト 無料" or adding FAQs that answer "家系図 戸籍 いくら."
6. About Family Storage
Family Storage helps families pass their roots and memories on to the next generation. It offers a family tree map you can build with your fingertips on a smartphone or computer (free), a family tree research service that traces family registers back to ancestors from about 150 years ago, birthday and memorial-day reminders, and an AI storyteller that answers like a story, drawing on your family's records. It officially launches on September 14.
7. The same design and operation for your site
Built around our multilingual CMS VosCMS, THEVOS provides website development, reservation and store management, AI chatbots and more. We build search optimization (SEO, AEO and GEO) in from the very first stage of development and keep improving after launch based on Search Console data. With support for 13 languages, we deliver your information to customers from overseas in their own language.
If you feel that "we look #1 to ourselves, but inquiries aren't growing" or "AI doesn't mention our company when asked," please feel free to contact us.
* The figures in this article are from Google Search Console (search type: Web, August 27 – September 8, 2026) and were checked on September 11, 2026. Search rankings change daily and appear differently depending on region, language settings, sign-in status and other factors. We do not guarantee similar results.
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