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AEO Fundamentals14 min read2026-04-09

The 2026 AI Visibility Checklist: 25 Things Every Business Must Do

A comprehensive checklist of everything your business needs to be visible in AI search. From schema markup to AI crawler access, this covers it all.

Your Complete AI Visibility Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your business is fully optimized for AI recommendations. Each item contributes to your overall AI visibility score.

Foundation (Do These First)

☐Google Business Profile is complete with all fields filled
☐Schema markup (JSON-LD) implemented for your business type
☐robots.txt allows AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot)
☐llms.txt file created at your website root
☐HTTPS enabled (not HTTP)
☐Mobile-friendly design (AI cites mobile-optimized sites more)

Content & Structure

☐FAQ page with FAQPage schema — minimum 10 questions
☐Service/treatment pages — one per service, not all on one page
☐About page with doctor/team credentials
☐Location page with address, map, and LocalBusiness schema
☐Blog with minimum 1 post per month on industry topics
☐Clear H1-H3 heading hierarchy on every page

Reviews & Reputation

☐Google reviews — 50+ with 4.5+ rating
☐Review schema — AggregateRating markup on key pages
☐Directory listings — Zocdoc, Yelp, Bing Places, etc. (at least 20)
☐NAP consistency — same name/address/phone across all listings
☐Review response — respond to all reviews within 48 hours

Technical

☐Page speed under 3 seconds on mobile
☐Meta descriptions on every page (120-160 characters)
☐Canonical URLs set correctly
☐XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
☐Internal linking between related pages

Advanced

☐Video content — at least 1 YouTube video per month
☐Social media profiles linked from website
☐PR mentions in at least 1 authoritative publication

How to Score Yourself

  • 20+ items checked: AI-optimized — you're likely being recommended
  • 15-19 items: Good foundation — some gaps to fill
  • 10-14 items: Significant gaps — your competitors likely beat you
  • Under 10: AI-invisible — urgent optimization needed

    • Monthly Maintenance

    AI visibility isn't set-and-forget. Each month:

    1. Search your business on ChatGPT and Perplexity

    2. Check if your AI citations are accurate

    3. Publish at least 1 new blog post

    4. Respond to all new reviews

    5. Update schema if any business details change

    Get your automated AI visibility score →

    Check Your AI Visibility Now

    Free audit in 30 seconds. See what AI sees about your business.

    Get Free AI Audit →

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