AEO Checklist

A comprehensive checklist to ensure your Answer Engine Optimization implementation is complete. Use this to audit your current state and track progress.

Entity Audit

Understanding how AI perceives your brand is the foundation of AEO.

• Audit brand entities — Understand how your brand is perceived by LLMs
• Test AI perception — Query multiple AI platforms about your brand
• Identify entity gaps — Find topics you should be associated with but aren't
• Document competitor entities — Understand how competitors are perceived
• Map entity relationships — Understand connections between your brand and topics

Tools for Entity Research

• Google's Natural Language API
• Entity analysis tools
• Manual AI platform testing

Technical SEO for AI

Ensure AI crawlers can access and understand your content.

Crawler Access

• AI bot indexing enabled — Check robots.txt allows GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot
• No blocking of AI crawlers — Verify no unintended blocks
• Sitemap accessible — XML sitemap is current and accessible
• llms.txt implemented — File exists at site root with complete information

Content Accessibility

• Dynamic content readable — AI crawlers can access JavaScript-rendered content
• Schema markup crawlable — Structured data not blocked by JS requirements
• Page load optimized — Fast loading for crawler efficiency
• HTML structure clean — Semantic markup throughout

Structured Data

• WebSite schema — Implemented on homepage
• Organization schema — Brand information marked up
• Article/BlogPosting schema — On all content pages
• FAQPage schema — On FAQ content
• HowTo schema — On instructional content
• Product schema — On product pages (if applicable)
• JSON-LD format — Using recommended format
• Schema validation — All schemas pass validation

Content Optimization

Optimize your owned content for AI comprehension and citation.

Structure & Format

• Clear heading hierarchy — H1 → H2 → H3 without skipping
• Semantic HTML — Using article, section, header, etc.
• Lead paragraph optimization — Key information in first paragraph
• Question-answer format — Where appropriate
• Scannable formatting — Lists, tables, clear sections

Authority Signals

• Author information — Clear attribution on content
• Author credentials — Expertise demonstrated
• Publication dates — Clear timestamps
• Update dates — When content is refreshed
• Source citations — References to authoritative sources

Quotes & Statistics

• Expert quotes included — 2-3 per major piece
• Relevant statistics — 3-5 per major piece
• Proper citations — Sources attributed
• Recent data — Using current statistics
• Natural integration — Evidence flows with content

Readability

• Fluency optimized — Clear, smooth writing
• Accessible language — Appropriate complexity level
• No keyword stuffing — Natural language use
• Comprehensive coverage — Topics covered thoroughly

Public Relations & Authority

Build the external signals that influence AI perception.

Media Presence

• PR strategy aligned with AEO — Agency/team understands AI search
• Topic association campaigns — Active efforts to build associations
• Expert positioning — Leadership positioned as authorities
• News coverage — Regular, relevant media mentions

Wikipedia

• Wikipedia eligibility assessed — Understand if you qualify
• Notability documented — Evidence of coverage collected
• Wikipedia page exists — If eligible
• Wikipedia page accurate — Information is current
• Wikipedia mentions — Mentioned on related pages if no dedicated page

Third-Party Mentions

• Industry publication coverage — Regular mentions
• Academic citations — If applicable
• Analyst coverage — Industry analyst mentions
• Partnership announcements — Strategic partnerships publicized

Community Marketing

Build presence where AI learns about brands.

Reddit

• Relevant subreddits identified — Know where your audience is
• Authentic participation — Contributing value, not just promoting
• Content strategy — Plan for posts and engagement
• Brand monitoring — Tracking mentions and sentiment

Forums & Communities

• Industry forums identified — Know relevant communities
• Active participation — Contributing expertise
• Reputation building — Established as helpful contributor

User-Generated Content

• Customer reviews encouraged — Building social proof
• Case studies published — Customer success stories
• Testimonials collected — Authentic user voices
• Community content supported — Enabling user contributions

Measurement & Monitoring

Track progress and optimize based on data.

Traffic Tracking

• AI referral tracking set up — GA4/analytics configured
• Channel grouping configured — LLM traffic segmented
• Referrer identification — Tracking specific AI platforms
• Baseline established — Know starting point

Visibility Monitoring

• Brand mention tracking — Regular AI platform testing
• Competitor monitoring — Tracking competitor visibility
• Citation tracking — Monitoring where you're cited
• Topic association tracking — Monitoring perceived expertise

Regular Audits

• Weekly query testing — Testing key queries on AI platforms
• Monthly visibility reports — Tracking trends over time
• Quarterly strategy review — Adjusting based on results

Avoid These Mistakes

Critical items to NOT do.

• No Black Hat tactics — No prompt injection, manipulation, etc.
• No AI crawler blocking — Unless intentional with clear reasoning
• No promotional Wikipedia editing — Following Wikipedia guidelines
• No Reddit astroturfing — Authentic participation only
• No outdated statistics — Keeping data current
• No keyword stuffing — Natural language only

Priority Implementation Order

If starting from scratch, implement in this order:

Week 1: Foundation

1. Set up AI traffic tracking
2. Audit current AI visibility
3. Create llms.txt file
4. Review robots.txt for AI access

Week 2: Technical

1. Implement WebSite schema
2. Implement Organization schema
3. Add Article schema to key pages
4. Validate all structured data

Week 3: Content

1. Audit top content for structure
2. Add expert quotes to key pages
3. Add statistics to key pages
4. Optimize heading hierarchy

Week 4: Authority

1. Assess Wikipedia eligibility
2. Identify relevant subreddits
3. Plan PR strategy alignment
4. Set up regular monitoring

Ongoing

1. Weekly AI query testing
2. Monthly content optimization
3. Quarterly strategy review
4. Continuous community engagement

Next Steps