An AEO audit (answer engine optimisation audit) shows whether AI engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews — mention, cite and recommend your business when people ask the questions that matter. It then tells you exactly what to fix. In the video below I show how I rank #1 in Google’s AI answers. Here’s what an AEO audit checks, how to run one, and how to get yours free on a strategy session.
Key takeaways
- An AEO audit tests whether AI engines recommend you for your key questions.
- It checks content structure, schema, entity signals, authority and freshness.
- You can run a basic one yourself in about an hour.
- Or claim a free strategy session and we’ll review it with you.
What an AEO audit is
Search has changed. More and more people ask an AI engine instead of scrolling through ten blue links, and the AI gives them one answer — often naming a few businesses. If you’re not in that answer, you’re invisible to that customer. An AEO audit measures where you stand in those answers today and finds the gaps.
It’s different from a classic SEO audit. A normal audit asks “can Google crawl and rank my pages?” An AEO audit asks “when someone asks an AI about my niche, does it pick me — and if not, why not?”
What an AEO audit checks
| Area | What the audit checks |
|---|---|
| AI visibility | Whether AI engines mention, cite or recommend you for your money questions |
| Answer-first content | Whether pages answer the question in the first sentence |
| Structure | Clear headings, tables, lists and FAQs that AI can quote |
| Structured data | Article, FAQPage, Organization and Person schema |
| Entity signals | Consistent name, bio, About page and profiles across the web |
| Authority | Relevant links and mentions from trusted sites |
| Technical access | Crawlability, speed, and whether AI crawlers can reach your pages |
| Freshness | Up-to-date facts, dates and pages on new topics |
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Which AI engines an AEO audit covers
| AI engine | What to check |
|---|---|
| Google AI Overviews and AI Mode | Do you appear in AI answers for your key questions? |
| ChatGPT | Does it name or cite you when asked for the best option in your niche? |
| Perplexity | Are your pages among its cited sources? |
| Gemini | Does it describe your brand accurately? |
| Claude | Does it recommend you, and with the right details? |
| Microsoft Copilot | Does your brand appear in its answers? |
How to run an AEO audit yourself
- List 10 money questions your customers ask — best-of, comparisons, how-tos and brand questions.
- Ask each AI engine those questions in a fresh session and note who gets mentioned or cited.
- Score yourself — how many of the 10 mention you?
- Check the pages AI cites for your competitors — what do they have that you don’t?
- Review your own pages against the checklist above.
- Prioritise fixes by money value: start with the questions closest to a sale.
| Prompt type | Example |
|---|---|
| Best-of | “What’s the best [service] for [audience]?” |
| Comparison | “[You] vs [competitor] — which is better?” |
| How-to | “How do I [problem you solve]?” |
| Brand | “Who is [your brand] and is it any good?” |
| Local | “Best [service] in [city]” |
Reading your AEO audit score
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0–2 prompts mention you | Invisible in AI answers — big opportunity |
| 3–5 prompts | Sometimes visible — fix structure and authority |
| 6–8 prompts | Strong — protect and expand |
| 9–10 prompts | Leader — keep content fresh |
The fixes that move AEO results fastest
- Answer the question in the first sentence of every key page.
- Add FAQ sections with real questions and short, direct answers, plus FAQPage schema.
- Use tables and lists for comparisons, prices and steps — AI engines love quotable structure.
- Strengthen your entity — a clear About page, consistent bios and profiles.
- Earn mentions and links on sites AI engines already trust in your niche.
- Publish on fresh topics before competitors, and keep facts up to date.
- Make sure AI crawlers can access your important pages.
These are the same techniques I use on my own sites — and the reason my pages show up in AI answers within days of publishing.
AEO audit mistakes to avoid
- Testing in a logged-in, personalised session — use fresh sessions so results aren’t biased by your history.
- Testing once — AI answers vary; run each question a few times.
- Only checking one engine — customers use several.
- Ignoring brand questions — make sure AI describes you accurately.
- Fixing everything at once — start with the pages closest to revenue.
How often to run an AEO audit
AI answers change as engines update and competitors publish. I’d run a full AEO audit every quarter and a quick check of your top five money questions every month. After any big content push or site change, re-test the affected questions so you can see what worked.
What happens after your AEO audit
An audit is only useful if it leads to changes. Turn your findings into a short action plan: the three money questions you’ll fix first, the pages you’ll rewrite answer-first, the FAQs and schema you’ll add, and the sites you’ll approach for mentions. Re-test those questions two to four weeks later. Seeing a competitor’s name replaced by yours in an AI answer is the best proof the work is paying off.
Get your AEO audit
You can run a basic AEO audit yourself with the steps above. If you want an expert eye on it, claim your free SEO strategy session and we’ll review your AI visibility, your competitors and the fastest fixes for your AEO audit.
About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency, best-selling author of Link Building Mastery and an AI SEO educator with 430K+ YouTube subscribers. I’ve shown results like a site going from zero to 1,300 Google clicks a day and 90,000 AI mentions in 90 days. Claim your free SEO strategy session or join the AI Profit Boardroom.
FAQ: aeo audit
What is an AEO audit?
A review of whether AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Google’s AI Overviews mention and recommend you, plus the fixes to improve it.
How is an AEO audit different from an SEO audit?
An SEO audit checks crawling and rankings; an AEO audit checks whether AI answers pick you and why.
Can I do an AEO audit myself?
Yes — test 10 money questions across the main AI engines and check your pages against the checklist.
How often should I run an AEO audit?
A full audit quarterly and a quick check of your top questions monthly.
How do I get a free AEO audit?
Claim a free SEO strategy session and we’ll review your AI visibility with you.
What fixes improve AEO fastest?
Answer-first content, FAQs with schema, tables, stronger entity signals and relevant mentions.
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Related reading
Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to aeo audit — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.