Free AEO Checklist: 25 Checks for Answer Engine Readiness

Read this before you start

No guarantees. Eligibility is not selection. Nobody can promise citations from Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini.
No special files required. Google says no additional requirements apply to AI features beyond being indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. Proposals such as llms.txt are not requirements for Google.
Schema is not a shortcut. Use structured data to describe real content, following Google's guidelines. FAQ rich results are limited to certain authoritative sites.
Everything here also helps people. If an item would make the page worse for a reader, skip it.

Automating part of this checklist

Bizsenti AutoSEO's AEO analysis checks structured data types, FAQ coverage, question-style headings, direct-answer patterns, authorship and trust signals on your homepage and standard supporting pages, and tracks the score over time. The access checks in section A are covered by the technical SEO audit. Sections B and C still need human judgment.

How to interpret your result

Section	If most boxes are unticked	First move
A. Access	Pages may not be reachable or indexable	Fix indexing and robots problems before anything else
B. Answer-first	Content is hard to quote	Rewrite headings and openings on your top five pages
C. Trust	The site reads as anonymous	Add authors, dates, sources and About and Contact details
D. Structure and consistency	Machines and people get mixed signals	Add accurate markup and fix inconsistent facts
E. Measurement	You cannot tell what is working	Set up Search Console review and a monthly question spot check

Treat any section where you scored under half as the place to start.

A before and after you can copy

Before

Heading: "Why choose us". Text: "With years of experience and a commitment to quality, we deliver outstanding results for every client."

After

Heading: "How long does a kitchen renovation take?" Text: "A typical kitchen renovation takes four to eight weeks from the first day of work, depending on whether walls or plumbing are moved. We confirm the schedule in writing before we start, and delays caused by us are credited against the final invoice." Followed by a short timeline table, the name of the project manager, and the date the page was last reviewed.

Notice what changed: a real question, a direct answer, specific numbers, a commitment, a named person and a date. No tricks.

How often to re-check

Re-tick section A after any release or migration.
Re-tick B and C for pages you update.
Review D quarterly.
Do E monthly.

Keep dated copies of your ticked list so you can show progress.

Common objections, answered

"We do not have time to rewrite everything." You do not need to. Start with the five pages that matter most.

"Our competitors are not doing this." Clear answers help your customers too, whatever competitors do.

"Isn't this just SEO?" It overlaps heavily. The additions are emphasis on direct answers, authorship and consistency.

"Can we automate it all with AI?" AI can draft; a person must verify and own every page.

Use the resource

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A. Access and eligibility

Key pages are indexed in Google (verify with URL Inspection)
No noindex directive or robots block on pages you want surfaced
No nosnippet or very restrictive max-snippet on pages you want quotedGoogle says pages must be eligible to appear with a snippet to be linked in AI features.
You have made a deliberate decision about each AI crawler in robots.txt (for example OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, PerplexityBot)Check each vendor's current documentation; blocking a search crawler may keep you out of that product's results.
Important content is present in the delivered HTML, not only after heavy client-side rendering

B. Answer-first content

Headings on key pages are phrased as the questions customers actually ask
Each question is answered directly in the first one or two sentences
Answers include specifics: numbers, names, conditions, exceptions
Comparisons use tables and processes use numbered lists
A genuine FAQ covers real follow-up questions (price, timing, limits, next steps)
Each page focuses on one topic and intent
Key facts (prices, hours, specifications) appear as text, not only inside images or PDFs

C. Trust and credibility

Authors are named with relevant credentials on advice and expert content
Pages show a published or last-updated date and are kept current
Factual claims link to authoritative primary sources
About and Contact pages clearly identify who runs the business
Privacy policy and terms are present
No invented statistics, testimonials or case studies anywhere on the site
Errors are corrected openly and the page shows the correction date

D. Structured data and consistency

Organization or LocalBusiness structured data is present and accurate
Article, BreadcrumbList and other types match the visible content and validate
Business name, address, services and descriptions are consistent across your site and profiles

E. Measurement

Search Console impressions, clicks and queries are reviewed monthly
A fixed list of 10 to 20 customer questions is spot-checked periodically in the AI products your customers use, with dates and cited sources recorded
Brand mentions (linked and unlinked) are monitored

Progress is saved in this browser only; nothing is sent to our servers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use this checklist for a client site?

Yes. Save the CSV export for each client and re-run it quarterly.

Is there a passing score?

No official one exists. Use it to find gaps and track progress.

Will completing this checklist get me cited by AI?

It improves clarity, trust and eligibility, but inclusion in AI answers is decided by each product and cannot be guaranteed.

Do I need llms.txt?

No. It is a community proposal and not a requirement for Google's AI features.

Is my progress saved?

In your browser on this device only.

How is this different from the SEO checklist?

It focuses on answer clarity, authorship, trust and AI crawler access. The SEO checklist covers broader fundamentals.

Sources and references

Written by the Bizsenti AutoSEO editorial team. Last reviewed November 2026. Third-party facts can change; check the linked sources for the latest.