GEO audit checklist

Build a baseline with buyer questions

Create a small test set before changing the site. Use questions about the category, the problem, alternatives, competitors and proof. Run each question in AI answer engines and record the answer exactly as shown. This baseline prevents random edits.

• Does the brand appear when it is genuinely relevant?
• Is the offer described with the correct audience and use case?
• Which competitors appear first, and for which questions?
• Which sources support the claims in the answer?

Inspect the pages that should be cited

Choose one canonical page for each important claim. It should state the answer near the top, define the category in plain language and support claims with named evidence. If the fact is scattered across five pages, an answer engine has no obvious source to use.

Check evidence, not keyword density

Look for facts a reader can verify: product scope, audience, limitations, methodology, dates, customer examples and comparison criteria. Repeating the target phrase does not create authority. Precise claims tied to a clear source do.

• One unambiguous product and category description
• Named examples or proof with enough context to assess them
• Honest limitations and who the product is not for
• Consistent facts across product, pricing, help and comparison pages

Turn every failure into a page edit

If the brand is absent, strengthen category relevance and evidence. If the description is wrong, fix the canonical wording and contradictions. If a competitor owns the answer, compare the cited sources and publish the missing proof, not a generic reaction article.

Retest without claiming a guarantee

Rerun the same questions after the updated pages can be discovered. Compare mentions, citations, accuracy and competitor presence across several runs. AI answers vary, so treat improvement as a repeated pattern rather than a single favorable screenshot.