AEO checklist: 22 steps to get cited by answer engines

This AEO checklist covers the 22 changes that make a page easy for answer engines to find, extract and cite. Work through it page by page, starting with answer readiness, which carries the most weight. Each item matches a factor in the free AEO score checker, so you can verify your progress.

Answer readiness (35%)

• Direct answer first. The first paragraph answers the main question in 40 to 60 words and starts with the subject.
• Question headings. At least three H2 or H3 headings are phrased as real questions.
• Answer under each heading. The first sentence under each question heading answers it.
• FAQ section. 4 to 8 genuine customer questions with short answers.
• Snippet-length blocks. At least four self-contained paragraphs of 40 to 60 words.
• Lists for steps and options. Numbered lists for processes, bullets for features or options.
• A table for comparisons, prices or specifications.
• Key takeaways near the top for long pages.

Structured data (20%)

• Valid JSON-LD. Every block parses and has a schema.org @type.
• FAQPage or HowTo schema that matches visible content. Use the FAQ schema generator.
• Organization or Person schema with name, url, logo and sameAs links.
• Page-type schema: Article, Product, Service, LocalBusiness or SoftwareApplication.

Content quality (25%)

• Readable. Average sentence under about 20 words; Flesch Reading Ease 60+ for English.
• Specific. Three or more facts (numbers, prices, dates) per 100 words.
• Deep enough. Around 1,000+ useful words on core pages.
• Well sectioned. At least three H2s and a heading roughly every 300 words.
• Complete. Covers the subtopics competing pages cover; the checker's content gap lists them.

Trust and access (20%)

• AI search bots allowed: OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Claude-SearchBot, Googlebot and Bingbot. Check robots.txt.
• Indexable and snippet-eligible: no noindex, nosnippet or max-snippet:0.
• Author shown, with relevant experience.
• Updated date visible and in schema; refresh at least every 6 months.
• Sources cited: at least two reputable external references.
• HTTPS and a canonical tag.

Competitor check

A checklist tells you what good looks like; competitors tell you what it takes to win. For each important question:

1. Run the AI citation gap finder with your page and target question.
2. Note which sites are cited and whether you are retrieved, cited or missing.
3. Fix every item in "They have it, you don't" first.
4. Add the subtopics and questions only competitors cover.

The fastest order to work in

1. Allow AI search bots and remove any noindex or nosnippet.
2. Write the direct answer paragraph.
3. Rewrite headings as questions.
4. Add a FAQ section and FAQPage schema.
5. Add facts, a table and sources.
6. Fill the content gaps, then add author and updated date.