What is a GEO audit?
A GEO audit (generative engine optimization audit) checks how likely AI search tools are to find, understand, trust and cite a website. Where a traditional SEO audit focuses on rankings in the ten blue links, a GEO audit looks at whether a brand shows up inside AI-generated answers in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Overviews.
How the GEO readiness score works
The checklist covers five areas, four questions each:
- Crawl and access: can AI crawlers reach and read your content?
- Entity and trust: is it clear who you are, and are your details consistent everywhere?
- Content structure: do pages give direct, specific, quotable answers?
- Authority and citations: do other trusted sources mention you?
- Measurement: do you know when and how AI tools mention you?
Each Yes scores 1 point, Partly scores ½ and No scores 0. Your score is the share of the 20 points you earn.
| Score | Rating |
|---|---|
| 80–100% | AI-ready: keep building authority and measuring |
| 60–79% | Solid foundation with clear gaps |
| 40–59% | At risk of being left out of AI answers |
| Below 40% | Not ready: start with crawl access and entity basics |
GEO vs SEO: what changes?
Good SEO is still the foundation. AI systems mostly retrieve from pages that already rank and are easy to crawl. GEO adds three priorities:
- Answer-first content: clear, self-contained statements AI can quote.
- Entity clarity: consistent facts about the brand across the web, reinforced with schema.
- Off-site mentions: citations in sources AI trusts, from industry publications to Reddit threads.
What to fix first
- Access: make sure AI crawlers are not blocked and content is in the HTML.
- Entity basics: Organization or LocalBusiness schema, consistent NAP, a factual About page.
- Top pages: rewrite your ten most important pages to answer the main question up front.
- Mentions: start a steady program of digital PR, reviews and community participation.
- Tracking: set up AI referral tracking so you can show progress.
For agencies: selling GEO to clients
Agencies can use this checklist as a lead magnet or as the first step in a GEO engagement. Run it with a prospect, share the PDF, and turn the fix list into a proposal. If you want to offer GEO without building the team, ALM Corp delivers white label GEO under your brand.
Frequently asked questions
What does GEO stand for?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization: improving a website so AI search tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews find it, trust it and cite it in their answers.
Is GEO different from SEO?
GEO builds on SEO. Strong technical SEO and rankings still matter, but GEO adds a focus on quotable answers, entity consistency and mentions on trusted third-party sites.
How long does a GEO audit take?
This checklist takes about five minutes. A full professional GEO audit, including prompt testing and competitor analysis, usually takes a few days.
Should I block AI crawlers?
Blocking AI search crawlers keeps your content out of AI answers. Most businesses that want visibility should allow search-focused crawlers such as OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot, and decide separately about training crawlers.
How do I know if ChatGPT mentions my brand?
Ask the AI assistants the questions your customers ask and record whether and how your brand appears. Check AI referral traffic in Google Analytics as well.
Is my data saved?
No. The checklist runs in your browser and nothing you select is sent or stored.