Free Interactive Tool

AEO Readiness
Checklist.

30 checks across 5 categories. Mark each item Yes, Partial, or No and get an instant score showing where your Answer Engine Optimisation stands right now.

30
individual checks
across 5 categories
3
answer states per item
(Yes, Partial, No)
60
maximum score
with instant band rating
How to use

Work through each item and select Yes (full credit), Partial (half credit), or No (zero). Your score updates in real time. Results appear once you have answered 15 or more items.

Content
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Technical
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Authority
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Entity
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Platform
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01
Content Formatting for AI
How your content is written and structured for AI extraction
Direct answer in the opening paragraph (40 to 70 words)
AI systems scan for the answer near the top. Answer first, context second.
FAQ section with clear Q&A format
Explicit question-answer pairs are the most reliable format for AEO extraction.
Numbered lists for step-by-step processes
Ordered lists are pulled into AI responses verbatim more often than prose.
Definitions of key terms clearly stated on the page
"[Term] is defined as..." constructions are highly extractable by AI systems.
Comparison tables or structured data comparisons
Tabular comparisons are pulled into AI answers for "vs" and "best X for Y" queries.
Content addresses the query intent directly, not tangentially
Off-topic preamble dilutes AEO signal. Every paragraph should serve the primary query.
02
Technical Foundation
Schema markup, indexability, and site health for AI crawlers
FAQ schema implemented on Q&A pages
Machine-readable Q&A pairs significantly improve AEO eligibility.
HowTo schema on instructional content
Step-by-step content with HowTo schema is one of the highest AEO-performing formats.
Organisation schema on the homepage
Establishes your brand entity with AI systems: name, description, URL, logo.
Page speed under 3s, confirmed in PageSpeed Insights
Slow pages are deprioritised for all forms of organic visibility including AEO.
Clean, crawlable HTML with no critical errors in Search Console
Technical errors that block Googlebot also block AI crawler access.
Internal linking points to key AEO-target pages
Signal to AI systems which pages are authoritative on specific topics.
03
Authority Signals (E-E-A-T)
Trust signals that determine whether AI systems will cite your content
Named author with credentials on all content
Anonymous content scores poorly for AEO. Real human authorship is an explicit E-E-A-T signal.
Third-party citations linking to your content
External sites referencing your content validates your authority to AI systems.
Content cites credible external sources
Outbound links to authoritative sources signal research quality and contextual accuracy.
Content is regularly updated with a visible date
Freshness signals matter. Outdated content loses AEO eligibility over time.
Brand has press coverage or media mentions
Media coverage is one of the strongest external authority signals for AI trust models.
Original data, research, or proprietary insights published
Content AI cannot paraphrase, forcing citation, is the gold standard for AEO authority.
04
Entity Optimisation
How clearly your brand is defined as an entity in AI knowledge models
Google Knowledge Panel exists for your brand
A Knowledge Panel confirms Google has established your brand as a recognised entity.
Brand listed on Wikidata or Wikipedia
Wikidata entries directly feed AI knowledge graphs and significantly improve entity recognition.
Named frameworks or methodologies published under your brand
Proprietary concepts build entity nodes. "The [Your Brand] Framework" forces AI to associate your name with a concept.
Consistent brand description across all online profiles
AI builds entity profiles from aggregated mentions. Inconsistent descriptions create conflicting signals.
About page defines your brand's territory, what you do and for whom
Your About page is a primary entity definition document. It should read as a clear, structured entity statement.
Brand tested in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity and appears accurately
Test: "Tell me about [your brand]." Accurate, positive AI descriptions confirm entity establishment.
05
Cross-Platform Presence
Discovery platform signals that AI systems use to validate brand authority
Active LinkedIn presence with thought leadership content
LinkedIn is heavily indexed by AI retrieval systems including Perplexity. Regular content builds stronger signals.
YouTube channel with SEO-optimised video content
YouTube is the world's second largest search engine and a key AI training data source.
Reddit or community forum presence in relevant subreddits
AI systems including Perplexity heavily weight Reddit. Organic community mentions are high-value signals.
Listed in relevant industry directories or review platforms
G2, Trustpilot, Clutch, and niche directories reinforce entity legitimacy for AI systems.
Podcast appearances or guest content on other platforms
External expert appearances create co-occurrence signals: your brand plus your topic on third-party sites.
Newsletter or owned content channel with consistent publication
Consistent publishing builds topical authority signals over time, a key compounding AEO factor.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about AI search, AEO, and how Sticky Frog helps B2B businesses get cited by AI engines.

What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation. It is the practice of structuring your website content, entity data, and online presence so that AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews cite your business in their generated answers. Unlike traditional SEO, which targets click-through traffic, AEO targets citation: being the source an AI engine recommends when someone asks a relevant question.

Why does AI search visibility matter for B2B businesses?

B2B buyers increasingly use AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to generate vendor shortlists before making contact. If your business is not cited by these AI engines, you are invisible to these buyers at the most critical point in their decision-making process. AI shortlisting makes AI search visibility a strategic priority for any B2B business.

What is the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?

SEO focuses on ranking in traditional Google search results. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) focuses on being cited in AI-generated answers on ChatGPT and Perplexity. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) focuses on appearing in outputs of generative AI tools. Sticky Frog specialises in AEO for B2B businesses and professional services.

What is an llms.txt file and does my website need one?

An llms.txt file is a plain-text file at the root of your domain that tells AI language model crawlers what content to index, trust, and cite. It is the AI equivalent of robots.txt. Most business websites do not yet have one, making it a meaningful competitive advantage in AI search visibility.

How long does it take to see results from AEO?

AI search visibility improvements can begin within 4 to 8 weeks for technical fixes like schema markup and llms.txt. Content-driven citation builds over 3 to 6 months. The AI Visibility Accelerator is a minimum 6-month engagement delivering results across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, YouTube, and Reddit.