AI Search Optimization Checklist: 32 Checks to Run

An AI search optimization checklist is a short list of the checks that decide whether AI answer tools can reach, understand, trust and cite your site. Each item below links back to the full guide on that topic. This checklist is part of our AI search optimization guide and pairs with how to track AI mentions for the monthly measurement.

How to use this checklist: work through one group at a time and tick an item only when you've checked it on the live site. Fix crawler access first, because nothing else matters if AI crawlers are blocked. Then print the measurement group and rerun it every month.

Crawler access

These checks confirm that the crawlers behind each AI search tool can reach your pages. The details are in robots.txt for AI crawlers.

• Check that robots.txt allows Googlebot on every page you want in Google's AI features.
• Confirm robots.txt allows OAI-SearchBot, the crawler behind ChatGPT search.
• Confirm robots.txt allows PerplexityBot, the crawler behind Perplexity search.
• Decide on GPTBot separately; it covers model training, not ChatGPT search.
• Allow OpenAI's and Perplexity's published IP ranges in your CDN or firewall bot rules.
• Recheck robots.txt and firewall rules after every hosting, CDN or security change.

Google indexing and AI controls

Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet before it can appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. See optimizing for Google AI Overviews for each step.

• Run URL Inspection on key pages to confirm they're indexed.
• Check the Search generative AI setting in Search Console is not set to Exclude.
• Remove accidental nosnippet or max-snippet rules from pages you want cited.
• Remember that blocking Google-Extended doesn't remove pages from Google Search.
• Verify your site in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Content AI tools can quote

AI tools lift passages, so each key answer needs to stand on its own. The habits behind these items are covered in how to write content LLMs can quote.

• List the top questions buyers ask, and map each to one page.
• Answer each question in the first sentence under a descriptive heading.
• Replace vague claims with specific, sourced and dated facts.
• Add first-hand detail only your business can give.
• Put prices, steps and answers in HTML text, not images or PDFs.
• Keep FAQ answers in the page HTML, even inside accordions.

Entity and brand signals

AI answers repeat what the web says about you, so your facts need to match everywhere. Entity SEO and the Knowledge Graph explains why.

• Use one exact business name across your site, profiles and listings.
• Add Organization markup with your name, logo and official profiles.
• Match every structured data value to the visible page.
• Add real author names and bios to guides and articles.
• Earn genuine mentions on other sites; never buy links or reviews.

Local business details

Skip this group if customers never find you through local searches. Otherwise, see AI search for local businesses.

• Verify your Google Business Profile and complete every relevant field.
• Update hours, special hours and services whenever they change.
• Make your address and phone number identical on every listing.
• Ask every customer for an honest review, with no incentive offered.
• Add LocalBusiness markup only to pages for a real address.

Measurement and reporting

You can't control whether an AI tool cites you, but you can measure it. Run these checks in the same week every month.

• Run a fixed list of buyer questions in each AI tool and log the answers.
• Record which answers name your business and which link to your site.
• Export AI impressions from Search Console's generative AI performance report.
• Segment analytics sessions with source or referrer chatgpt.com or perplexity.ai.
• Fix every wrong fact at its source, then recheck those questions next month.

Nobody can guarantee an AI citation, and Google says no third-party tool has access to its internal ranking or AI systems. What this checklist does is remove the reasons you'd be left out. If you'd rather hand the whole list off, our in-house SEO team runs these checks end to end and reports on where clients are mentioned in Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT.