AEO Audit Services: Comprehensive Answer Engine Analysis
Last Updated: January 2026
Before investing in Answer Engine Optimization, you need clarity on where you stand. An AEO audit reveals exactly how visible your brand is across AI-powered search platforms—and identifies the gaps preventing you from earning citations.
This guide explains what an AEO audit includes, what deliverables to expect, and how to get started with a free preliminary assessment.
What Is an AEO Audit?
An AEO audit is a systematic evaluation of your website's readiness and performance across AI answer engines. It analyzes how platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Microsoft Copilot perceive, cite, and recommend your brand.
Unlike traditional SEO audits that focus on rankings and technical health, AEO audits examine:
- AI citation frequency: How often AI systems mention your brand
- Response accuracy: Whether AI platforms provide correct information about you
- Content structure: How well your content enables AI parsing and citation
- Technical accessibility: Whether AI crawlers can access your content
- Competitive positioning: How your AI visibility compares to competitors
The goal is identifying specific, actionable opportunities to improve your presence in AI-generated answers.
AEO Audit Components
A comprehensive AEO audit examines multiple dimensions of AI visibility:
AI Visibility Assessment
- Brand mention tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, and Copilot
- Keyword-triggered citation analysis for target queries
- Share of voice measurement versus competitors
- Sentiment analysis of AI-generated brand mentions
- Accuracy verification of AI responses about your business
Content Readiness Evaluation
- Content structure analysis for AI parsing efficiency
- Question-answer format assessment
- Topic authority coverage mapping
- E-E-A-T signal strength evaluation
- Content gap identification for high-opportunity queries
Technical Infrastructure Review
- AI crawler access verification (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot)
- Robots.txt configuration audit
- Schema markup implementation check
- Site architecture assessment for AI navigation
- Page speed and performance evaluation
Competitive Benchmarking
- Top competitor citation frequency comparison
- Content strategy gap analysis
- Technical implementation comparison
- Authority signal benchmarking
- Opportunity identification based on competitor weaknesses
Content Analysis
The content analysis portion examines how well your existing content supports AI citation:
Structure Assessment
AI systems favor well-organized content. The audit evaluates:
- Heading hierarchy: Clear H1-H6 structure that enables extraction
- Question-answer formatting: Direct answers to specific queries
- List and table usage: Structured data AI can easily parse
- Summary sections: Key takeaways AI can cite directly
- Semantic clarity: Clear topic focus without ambiguity
Authority Signals
Content authority influences AI citation decisions:
- Author expertise: Visible credentials and experience
- Source citations: References to authoritative external sources
- Data and statistics: Original research and current data
- Comprehensive coverage: Topic depth that establishes authority
- Recency: Content freshness and update frequency
Query Alignment
The audit maps your content against queries triggering AI responses:
- Target keyword coverage: Content addressing priority search terms
- Long-tail query gaps: Missing content for specific user questions
- Intent matching: Content alignment with user search intent
- Competitor content gaps: Topics competitors cover that you don't
Technical AEO Assessment
Technical factors determine whether AI systems can access and parse your content:
Crawler Access Audit
- Robots.txt review: Verify AI crawlers aren't blocked
- Crawler log analysis: Confirm AI bots are visiting your site
- Access frequency: Measure how often AI crawlers index your content
- Blocked resources: Identify any inadvertently blocked content
Schema Markup Evaluation
- Implementation check: Verify schema is present and valid
- Schema type coverage: Assess FAQ, HowTo, Q&A, Organization schemas
- Error identification: Flag schema validation issues
- Enhancement opportunities: Recommend additional schema types
Site Architecture Review
- Navigation depth: Ensure content is reachable within 3 clicks
- Internal linking: Evaluate link structure for topic relationships
- URL structure: Assess semantic URL optimization
- Canonicalization: Verify proper canonical tag usage
Platform-Specific Audits
Each AI platform has unique characteristics. Platform-specific audits examine:
ChatGPT Analysis
- Current brand mention frequency in ChatGPT responses
- Accuracy of ChatGPT information about your business
- Competitor citation comparison within ChatGPT
- Content optimization opportunities for ChatGPT preferences
Perplexity AI Analysis
- Citation frequency and source attribution
- Content depth requirements for Perplexity visibility
- Source credibility signals Perplexity recognizes
- Competitive positioning within Perplexity results
Google AI Overviews Analysis
- AI Overview trigger frequency for target keywords
- Current inclusion rate in AI Overviews
- Featured snippet overlap opportunities
- Technical requirements specific to AI Overviews
Microsoft Copilot Analysis
- Bing integration and visibility
- Copilot citation patterns for your industry
- Microsoft ecosystem optimization opportunities
Audit Deliverables and Report
A professional AEO audit delivers actionable documentation:
Executive Summary
- Overall AI visibility score and benchmarks
- Key findings and priority issues
- Strategic recommendations overview
- Competitive positioning summary
Detailed Analysis Report
- Platform-by-platform visibility metrics
- Content audit findings with specific pages identified
- Technical issue inventory with severity ratings
- Competitive analysis with gap identification
Prioritized Action Plan
- Immediate fixes (quick wins)
- Short-term optimizations (30-60 days)
- Long-term strategic initiatives (90+ days)
- Resource requirements and estimated impact
Technical Documentation
- Schema markup recommendations with code examples
- Robots.txt configuration guidance
- Content structure templates
- Implementation checklists
Monitoring Setup
- Tracking metric definitions
- Baseline measurements
- Recommended monitoring tools
- Reporting schedule suggestions
Audit Pricing
AEO audit pricing varies based on scope and depth:
| Audit Level |
Price Range |
Best For |
| Preliminary |
Free |
Initial assessment, lead qualification |
| Basic |
$500–$1,500 |
Small sites, single-platform focus |
| Standard |
$2,000–$4,000 |
Mid-size sites, multi-platform analysis |
| Comprehensive |
$5,000–$10,000 |
Enterprise sites, competitive industries |
What Affects Pricing
- Site size: More pages require more analysis time
- Platform coverage: Multi-platform audits cost more
- Competitive depth: Extensive competitor analysis increases scope
- Technical complexity: Sites with complex architectures need more review
- Deliverable depth: Detailed implementation guides add cost
ROI Consideration
An AEO audit typically costs a fraction of one month's ongoing optimization. The insights gained prevent wasted effort on low-impact activities and identify high-leverage opportunities that accelerate results.
Free Preliminary Audit Offer
Start understanding your AI visibility today with a complimentary preliminary AEO audit. This no-obligation assessment includes:
What You'll Receive:
- AI visibility snapshot across ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
- Top 5 competitor citation comparison
- 3 priority improvement opportunities
- Estimated impact potential
- Custom recommendations for your industry
How It Works:
- Submit your website URL and target keywords
- Our team conducts the preliminary analysis (2-3 business days)
- Receive your findings via email with a brief video walkthrough
- Optional consultation call to discuss results
No Strings Attached:
The preliminary audit is genuinely free. No credit card required. No sales pressure. We believe the insights speak for themselves—and clients who see the opportunities become long-term partners.
Take the First Step
Your competitors may already be optimizing for AI visibility. The longer you wait to understand your current position, the harder catching up becomes.
Get your free preliminary AEO audit today. Discover exactly where you stand across AI answer engines—and what it takes to become the brand AI recommends.
Request Your Free AEO Audit
Stackmatix AEO audits combine automated analysis with expert review to deliver actionable insights. Our team has audited hundreds of sites across industries, identifying the specific optimizations that drive AI visibility improvement.
