AEO Marketing Audit: Free Checklist and Assessment Template
An AEO marketing audit reveals where your brand stands in AI search visibility and identifies specific improvements needed. Unlike traditional SEO audits focused on rankings, AEO audits evaluate whether AI platforms can access, understand, and cite your content effectively.
This checklist provides a systematic framework for assessing your answer engine optimization readiness across technical, content, and authority dimensions.
Why Conduct an AEO Audit?
AI platforms now influence purchasing decisions for millions of users daily. Without understanding your current AI visibility, you're optimizing blindly. An AEO audit establishes baselines, identifies gaps, and prioritizes improvements.
What audits reveal:
- Current citation frequency across AI platforms
- Technical barriers preventing AI access
- Content gaps limiting citation opportunities
- Authority signals AI systems recognize
- Competitive positioning in AI responses
Technical Infrastructure Audit
Technical factors determine whether AI crawlers can access and process your content.
Crawler Access Checklist
Robots.txt configuration:
- [ ] GPTBot (OpenAI) allowed access
- [ ] ClaudeBot (Anthropic) allowed access
- [ ] PerplexityBot allowed access
- [ ] GoogleBot allowed for AI Overviews
- [ ] No blanket AI crawler blocks
Check your robots.txt for these directives. Blocked access eliminates AI visibility regardless of content quality.
Content Rendering
- [ ] Important content renders without JavaScript
- [ ] Pages load in under 3 seconds
- [ ] Core Web Vitals pass thresholds
- [ ] Mobile rendering functions properly
- [ ] Content isn't hidden behind login walls
Structured Data Implementation
- [ ] Organization schema present and accurate
- [ ] Article schema on blog content
- [ ] FAQPage schema on FAQ sections
- [ ] HowTo schema on instructional content
- [ ] Product schema on product pages
- [ ] Schema validates without errors
Validation: Test structured data using Google's Rich Results Test or Schema.org validators.
Content Structure Audit
AI systems extract specific passages to cite. Content structure determines extraction success.
Answer Optimization
- [ ] Priority pages open with direct answer statements
- [ ] Headers use question-based formats matching user queries
- [ ] Definition paragraphs provide clear, standalone explanations
- [ ] Content includes extractable sentences AI can quote
- [ ] FAQ sections provide complete standalone answers
Content Completeness
- [ ] Topics covered comprehensively without gaps
- [ ] Related questions anticipated and addressed
- [ ] Multiple perspectives included where relevant
- [ ] Supporting evidence and examples provided
- [ ] Content updated within last 12 months
Comparison Content
- [ ] Comparison pages exist for key competitors
- [ ] Tables present clear feature comparisons
- [ ] Honest assessment of strengths and limitations
- [ ] "Best for" recommendations included
- [ ] Comparisons updated as products evolve
Authority Signals Audit
AI platforms evaluate source credibility when selecting citations.
Brand Consistency
- [ ] Consistent business information across platforms
- [ ] Accurate profiles on business directories
- [ ] Wikipedia presence (if notable)
- [ ] Knowledge bases contain correct information
- [ ] Brand positioning consistent across properties
External Validation
- [ ] Expert credentials visible on content
- [ ] Industry publications reference your brand
- [ ] Review platforms contain genuine reviews
- [ ] Original research published and cited
- [ ] Community presence (Reddit, Quora, forums)
Trust Signals
- [ ] HTTPS implemented site-wide
- [ ] Privacy policy accessible
- [ ] Contact information clearly displayed
- [ ] About page establishes expertise
- [ ] Author bios demonstrate credentials
Visibility Assessment
Track your current AI citation presence.
Platform Coverage
Query each platform with 10-20 priority questions about your topic area.
- [ ] ChatGPT: Record citations and context
- [ ] Perplexity: Document mentions and sources
- [ ] Google AI Overviews: Note appearances
- [ ] Claude: Check citation frequency
- [ ] Gemini: Assess visibility
Competitive Comparison
For the same queries:
- [ ] Document competitor citations
- [ ] Note positioning (primary vs. secondary)
- [ ] Compare sentiment of mentions
- [ ] Identify visibility gaps
Baseline Documentation
Create a baseline report capturing:
- [ ] Citation frequency per platform
- [ ] Queries where you appear
- [ ] Queries where competitors appear but you don't
- [ ] Sentiment analysis of mentions
- [ ] Areas of strength and weakness
Scoring Your Audit
Assign points to assess overall readiness.
Technical Score (0-25 points)
- All AI crawlers allowed: 10 points
- Schema fully implemented: 10 points
- Performance passing thresholds: 5 points
Content Score (0-35 points)
- Answer-optimized structure: 15 points
- Comprehensive coverage: 10 points
- Fresh content (under 12 months): 5 points
- Comparison content present: 5 points
Authority Score (0-25 points)
- Consistent brand information: 10 points
- External validation present: 10 points
- Trust signals complete: 5 points
Visibility Score (0-15 points)
- Citations on 2+ platforms: 10 points
- Competitive positioning: 5 points
Score interpretation:
- 80-100: Strong AEO foundation
- 60-79: Good base, specific improvements needed
- 40-59: Significant gaps requiring attention
- Below 40: Comprehensive AEO program needed
Prioritizing Improvements
Based on audit findings, prioritize actions.
Immediate priorities (high impact, low effort):
- Fix crawler access blocks
- Implement missing schema markup
- Add answer statements to existing content
Short-term priorities (weeks 1-4):
- Create FAQ sections for priority pages
- Develop missing comparison content
- Update stale content with fresh information
Medium-term priorities (months 1-3):
- Build original research capabilities
- Expand content comprehensiveness
- Strengthen external validation signals
Ongoing Monitoring
AEO audits aren't one-time activities.
Monthly reviews:
- Track citation frequency changes
- Note competitive positioning shifts
- Identify new visibility opportunities
Quarterly reassessments:
- Repeat full audit checklist
- Compare against baseline
- Adjust priorities based on results
FAQs
How often should I conduct an AEO audit?
Conduct comprehensive audits quarterly. Perform monthly quick checks on citation frequency and competitive positioning to catch significant changes.
Can I audit without paid tools?
Yes. This checklist works with manual processes—querying AI platforms directly and documenting results. Paid tools add automation and efficiency but aren't required.
What's the most critical audit finding?
Blocked crawler access. If AI platforms can't reach your content, nothing else matters. Always check robots.txt configuration first.
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