The AI Visibility & GEO Checklist

01

What AI visibility means

When buyers ask an AI assistant for a recommendation, the answer is built from what the model has learned and what it can find on the web right now. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are the work of making your brand easy to find, understand and quote in those answers. It builds on SEO but is not the same. AI answers reward clear entity information, direct answers and trusted third-party mentions over keyword density.

02

Make your brand a clear entity

AI systems need to know exactly who you are. Use the same name, description, location and category everywhere.

Entity checklist

• One consistent one-sentence description across site, LinkedIn, directories.
• Organization schema with name, logo, address, sameAs links.
• An About page that states what you do, for whom, and where.
• Profiles on the review and directory sites your category trusts.

03

Write answer-first content

Structure key pages around the questions buyers actually ask. Put a direct two-to-three sentence answer at the top, then the detail. Questions like 'what is', 'how much does', 'best for' and 'X vs Y' are the ones AI assistants answer most often. Own the honest answer for your category.

Key points

• Use question headings and short direct answers.
• Add FAQ sections with real customer questions.
• Publish comparisons and pricing context honestly.

04

Earn third-party mentions

Models trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself. Reviews, podcasts, press, partner pages and directory listings are the citations that AI answers lean on.

Key points

• Ask happy clients for reviews on the platforms your buyers use.
• Appear on podcasts and ensure the episode page links to you.
• Get listed in credible industry roundups and directories.

05

Technical access

Make sure AI crawlers can read your site: allow them in robots.txt, keep important content in plain HTML, publish an llms.txt summary and an up-to-date sitemap.

06

Measure it

Each month, run a fixed set of 20 buyer questions across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Claude. Record whether you are mentioned, cited or recommended, and which sources are quoted. Track the trend rather than any single answer.

Monthly scorecard

• Mention rate across your question set.
• Share of citations pointing to your site.
• Which competitors and sources appear instead of you.