AEO Implementation: 6-Month Roadmap and Timeline
Successful AEO programs follow structured implementation phases. Jumping into optimization without proper foundation leads to wasted effort and unclear results. This roadmap provides month-by-month actions to systematically build AI search visibility.
Use this guide to plan resources, set realistic milestones, and ensure each phase builds on previous work.
Month 1: Foundation and Audit
The first month establishes your starting point and strategic direction.
Week 1-2: Baseline Assessment
Technical audit tasks:
| Task |
Purpose |
Output |
| AI crawler access check |
Verify GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot can crawl |
robots.txt recommendations |
| Schema markup audit |
Assess existing structured data |
Gap analysis document |
| Page speed assessment |
Identify performance barriers |
Priority fix list |
| Mobile rendering check |
Ensure mobile-first compatibility |
Issue documentation |
Visibility baseline tasks:
- Test 20-30 priority keywords across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude
- Document current citation frequency and competitors cited
- Screenshot baseline responses for comparison
Week 3-4: Strategy Development
Strategic planning deliverables:
- Content inventory: Catalog existing content by topic and format
- Opportunity mapping: Match content gaps to high-potential queries
- Competitive analysis: Document which competitors appear for target queries
- Priority matrix: Rank opportunities by impact vs. effort
End of Month 1 checkpoint:
- Technical audit complete
- Baseline visibility documented
- 90-day priority roadmap approved
Month 2: Technical Foundation
Month two focuses on removing technical barriers to AI discovery.
Technical Implementation Tasks
Robots.txt configuration:
# Allow AI crawlers
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /
Schema markup priorities:
| Week |
Schema Type |
Implementation Scope |
| Week 1 |
Organization |
Company-wide |
| Week 2 |
FAQ |
Top 10 FAQ pages |
| Week 3 |
Article |
Blog posts |
| Week 4 |
HowTo |
Procedural content |
Site architecture tasks:
- Implement breadcrumb navigation if missing
- Add FAQ sections to high-priority pages
- Create clear heading hierarchies (H1-H4)
- Add internal links between related content
End of Month 2 checkpoint:
- All AI crawlers permitted
- Core schema types implemented
- Navigation structure optimized
Month 3: Content Optimization
Month three transforms existing content for AI extraction.
Content Restructuring Framework
Page-level optimization sequence:
- Lead with answers - Move key information to first paragraph
- Add structured sections - Clear H2/H3 hierarchy
- Include FAQ blocks - 3-5 questions per page
- Add context markers - Definitions, statistics, examples
- Update metadata - Titles, descriptions optimized for queries
Priority Content Categories
Optimize in this order:
| Priority |
Content Type |
Reason |
| 1 |
Product/service pages |
Highest conversion value |
| 2 |
Core how-to guides |
High query match potential |
| 3 |
FAQ and help content |
Natural Q&A format |
| 4 |
Industry definitions |
Informational query targets |
| 5 |
Case studies |
Authority and trust signals |
Monthly Optimization Targets
Realistic month 3 targets:
- 15-20 pages fully restructured
- FAQ schema added to 10+ pages
- Internal linking updated across optimized pages
End of Month 3 checkpoint:
- High-priority pages optimized
- Initial schema implementation verified
- Monitoring for first citations
Month 4: Authority Building
Month four expands beyond on-site optimization.
Third-Party Mention Strategy
Authority building tasks:
| Activity |
Target |
Purpose |
| Industry publications |
2-3 pitches |
Expert mentions |
| Podcast appearances |
1-2 bookings |
Brand citations |
| Data-driven content |
1 release |
Citation-worthy research |
| Partner collaborations |
2-3 mentions |
Cross-referencing |
Expert positioning tasks:
- Update author bios with credentials
- Create dedicated team/about pages with expertise details
- Ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across web
- Claim and optimize industry profiles
Expanding Platform Coverage
Cross-platform optimization:
- Review how content appears in Google AI Overviews
- Test visibility in Claude and Perplexity specifically
- Identify platform-specific optimization opportunities
- Adjust strategy based on platform performance differences
End of Month 4 checkpoint:
- Third-party mention campaign launched
- Author/expert pages enhanced
- Platform-specific patterns identified
Month 5: Scaling and Refinement
Month five expands successful patterns.
Scaling What Works
Analysis and replication:
- Identify pages generating citations
- Document what differentiates successful pages
- Apply patterns to similar content
- Create templates for new content
Expanded content targets:
- 20-30 additional pages optimized
- New content created using proven formats
- Legacy content updated with winning structures
Process Documentation
Build repeatable processes:
- Content optimization checklist
- Schema implementation standards
- Internal linking guidelines
- Quality assurance procedures
Performance Optimization
Refinement tasks:
- A/B test different content structures
- Compare citation rates by page format
- Identify underperforming optimized pages
- Iterate based on data
End of Month 5 checkpoint:
- Scaling playbook documented
- Additional pages optimized
- Clear patterns identified
Month 6: Measurement and Strategy Refresh
Month six assesses results and plans the next phase.
Six-Month Review
Performance assessment:
| Metric |
Baseline |
Month 6 |
Change |
| Citation frequency |
[baseline] |
[current] |
[delta] |
| Keywords with visibility |
[baseline] |
[current] |
[delta] |
| AI referral traffic |
[baseline] |
[current] |
[delta] |
| Competitive position |
[baseline] |
[current] |
[delta] |
ROI calculation:
- Total investment (agency + internal resources)
- Attributed traffic value
- Lead/conversion attribution
- Brand visibility value estimation
Next Phase Planning
Strategic decisions:
- Continue current approach or adjust
- Expand to additional content areas
- Increase or maintain investment level
- Add platforms or double down on performers
End of Month 6 checkpoint:
- Comprehensive results report
- ROI documentation
- Next phase strategy approved
Resource Planning Guide
Plan resources realistically for each phase.
Typical resource requirements:
| Month |
Internal Hours/Week |
External Support |
| 1 |
10-15 |
Audit support |
| 2 |
8-12 |
Technical implementation |
| 3 |
12-20 |
Content optimization |
| 4 |
8-12 |
PR/outreach support |
| 5 |
15-25 |
Scaling content work |
| 6 |
5-10 |
Analysis and planning |
Common Implementation Mistakes
Avoid these roadmap pitfalls.
Timing mistakes:
- Skipping month 1 audit (leads to misdirected effort)
- Rushing technical foundation (creates ongoing issues)
- Starting authority building before on-site optimization
- Expecting results before month 3-4
Resource mistakes:
- Underestimating content optimization time
- Not allocating internal review resources
- Stopping after initial implementation (requires ongoing work)
Key Takeaways
Follow this implementation roadmap for structured AEO success:
- Month 1: Audit and strategy—establish baseline, plan approach
- Month 2: Technical foundation—remove barriers to AI discovery
- Month 3: Content optimization—restructure pages for AI extraction
- Month 4: Authority building—expand beyond on-site work
- Month 5: Scale and refine—replicate successful patterns
- Month 6: Measure and plan—assess results, plan next phase
Sequential implementation builds each phase on previous work. Skipping phases or rushing timelines typically produces weaker results than disciplined execution of this roadmap.
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