The GEO Audit Checklist: 25 Signals AI Models Use to Cite Your Content
AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini decide which sites to cite based on specific signals. This checklist covers the 25+ signals our GEO scorer checks, organized into 5 categories. Each signal includes why it matters and how to fix it.
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You can check your score automatically with the free GEO Checker, or use this checklist for a manual audit. Each category contributes to a 100-point total: a score above 85 means your site is consistently cited; below 50 means AI models are skipping you.
Free GEO Checker (60 seconds)
Score every page of your site across all 25 signals automatically.
1Answer Readiness (25 pts)
Answer-first content structure
AI models prefer pages that lead with direct answers, not marketing preamble.
Sufficient word count (500+)
Pages with enough text give AI enough context to understand and cite your product.
Good text-to-HTML ratio (>15%)
JavaScript-heavy pages with low text ratios may not render for AI crawlers.
Named feature keywords
Specific product features (not vague marketing) help AI match your page to specific queries.
2Data Density (20 pts)
Comparison tables
Tables are the most extractable data format for AI. Comparison tables directly answer buyer queries.
Bullet lists and ordered lists
Lists help AI parse features, steps, and benefits into structured answers.
Pricing information
AI frequently cites pricing in product recommendations. Clear pricing data increases citation likelihood.
Integration and platform names
Named integrations (Slack, GitHub, Jira) help AI recommend you for stack-specific queries.
3Schema & Structure (20 pts)
JSON-LD structured data present
JSON-LD helps AI understand your page type, product details, and entity relationships.
FAQPage schema
FAQ schema directly feeds AI Q&A extraction. High-impact, low-effort signal.
SoftwareApplication / Organization schema
Product and org schemas establish entity identity in AI knowledge bases.
Clear heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
AI uses heading structure to understand page sections and extract relevant answers.
Multiple schema types (3+)
Rich schema coverage gives AI more structured data to work with.
4Discoverability (20 pts)
Canonical URL set
Prevents AI from indexing duplicate content and diluting your page authority.
Complete OpenGraph tags (title + description + image)
OG tags are a secondary signal for AI content understanding, especially from social citations.
Meta description (80+ characters)
Concise meta descriptions help AI quickly understand what the page is about.
H1 heading present
A clear H1 is the primary topic signal for any AI system parsing the page.
Viewport meta tag
Mobile-ready pages indicate quality and modern maintenance.
5Citability (15 pts)
JSON-LD sameAs links
sameAs links verify your brand entity across platforms. AI uses these to confirm identity.
Social profile links (3+)
Multiple social profiles strengthen entity recognition across AI training data.
About/team content present
AI values entity transparency. Team pages and founder mentions build E-E-A-T.
Comparison content (vs, alternative)
Comparison content directly answers category queries where AI recommends alternatives.
Review platform links (G2, Capterra)
Links to review platforms create trust signals that AI cross-references.
6How to Use This Checklist
- Run the automated check first. The GEO Checker scores each page in under 60 seconds.
- Focus on lowest-scoring pages. Pages are sorted worst-first. Fix the biggest gaps first.
- Prioritize high-impact signals. JSON-LD, llms.txt, and answer-first content structure have the highest impact per effort.
- Re-check after fixes. Run the checker again to verify improvements and track progress over time.
Free 60-second AI audit
The full audit covers all 25 GEO signals + 18 additional AI visibility checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a GEO audit?
A GEO audit measures how ready your site is for citation by generative AI models — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot. It checks 25+ signals across five categories: Answer Readiness, Data Density, Schema & Structure, Discoverability, and Citability. Each signal has a defined weight and the total rolls up to a 0–100 score.
Which GEO signals matter most?
JSON-LD structured data, FAQPage schema, llms.txt, and answer-first content structure are the highest-impact-per-effort signals. They take minutes to add and move scores by 10–20 points. Comparison tables, named feature keywords, and review platform links matter heavily but require ongoing content work.
How long does a GEO audit take?
60 seconds for the automated audit (per page). Manual audits using this checklist take 30–60 minutes per page if you're checking each signal yourself. Most teams run the automated audit first and use the manual checklist only for the lowest-scoring pages.
How often should I re-audit?
Monthly is the right cadence for active sites. Re-audit immediately after shipping fixes (to validate they took effect) and after any major content overhaul. AI models update their training data and citation behavior continuously, so a stale audit from six months ago tells you about the past, not the present.
What's a 'good' GEO score?
Below 50: invisible to most AI models. 50–70: cited occasionally. 70–85: regularly cited for category queries. 85+: dominant — your brand shows up consistently across multiple AI engines. Most early-stage SaaS sites score 30–60 before optimization; mature sites with structured content score 70–85.