You don’t need a six‑month project plan to start with Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). In 60 focused minutes, you can run a quick AEO readiness audit to see how “answer‑friendly” your current site is and where to improve next.
This checklist is designed for SEOs and content leads who already understand the basics of AEO and want a fast, practical way to benchmark their site.
1. Before You Start: What You’re Auditing For
This 60‑minute audit focuses on four pillars:
- Technical discoverability – Can answer engines find and access your content?
- Answer‑friendly content – Are your key pages structured for direct, clear answers?
- Entity & trust signals – Do entities, knowledge graphs, and E‑E‑A‑T support your authority?
- Internal linking & journeys – Can users and AI navigate between related answers?
If you need a refresher on concepts:
- AEO basics: What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
- Strategy positioning: AEO vs Traditional SEO vs GEO
- AI mechanics: How AI Answer Engines Work
- Foundations: Entities, Knowledge Graphs, and E‑E‑A‑T
You’ll get more value from this audit if you’ve read those first.
2. Minute 0–10: Pick Your “AEO Core” Pages
You can’t audit everything in an hour, so start with a tight set.
2.1 Choose 5–10 Core Pages
Pick pages that:
- are central to your business (money pages, key educational hubs)
- already get some organic traffic
- you want to be cited for in AI answers
Typically:
- 1–2 “what is / definition” pages
- 1–2 comparison/strategy pages
- 2–4 how‑to or tools/resources pages
For your AEO silo specifically, that might look like:
- What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
- AEO vs Traditional SEO vs GEO
- How AI Answer Engines Work
- Entities, Knowledge Graphs, and E‑E‑A‑T
- Best Free AEO Tools for Beginners
2.2 Define the Main Question for Each Page
For each URL, write down:
- the primary question it should answer (e.g., “What is AEO?”, “How do AI answer engines work?”)
- 2–3 supporting questions that logically belong on the same page
You’ll use this list in the next step to judge how well the page actually answers those questions.
3. Minute 10–25: Check Answer‑Friendliness (On‑Page)
Now quickly review each core page from a user and AI perspective.
3.1 Direct Answer at the Top
For each page, ask:
- Does the first paragraph give a clear, 40–60 word answer to the main question?
- Could that paragraph be lifted as a standalone answer in an AI snippet?
If not, note “Needs direct answer intro” in your audit notes.
3.2 Question‑Based Headings
Scan H2s and H3s:
- Do they mirror real questions or intents?
- Or are they vague (e.g., “The Future,” “Our Approach”)?
Mark pages that need heading rewrites so that sections line up with specific user queries. Your previous articles provide good patterns:
- Use “What / Why / How / When / Who / vs” style headings, like in What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? and AEO vs Traditional SEO vs GEO.
3.3 FAQ Blocks
At the bottom of each core page, check:
- Do you have an FAQ section with 3–7 real questions?
- Are answers short, direct, and self‑contained?
If a page lacks FAQs—or they’re weak—note “Add/upgrade FAQ” in your audit.
4. Minute 25–40: Entities, Knowledge Graph, and E‑E‑A‑T Pass
Next, do a fast pass through the entity and trust fundamentals, guided by what you laid out in Entities, Knowledge Graphs, and E‑E‑A‑T.
4.1 Entity Clarity on Each Page
For each core page, ask:
- Is it obvious who is speaking (name, role, brand)?
- Are your core entities (you, your brand, your main services/topics) mentioned clearly?
- Is the page consistent with your positioning across other AEO silo pages?
If a page reads like anonymous, generic content, mark “Weak entity signals.”
4.2 E‑E‑A‑T Basics
Check for:
- Author name + link to bio
- Brief “why you should trust this” cues (experience, niche focus, case hints)
- Reasonable freshness (last updated date isn’t years old on fast‑moving topics)
If any core page lacks an author or feels “faceless,” mark it. That’s a priority for AEO tuning.
4.3 Cross‑Page Consistency
Look at your four AEO foundation articles together:
- What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
- AEO vs Traditional SEO vs GEO
- How AI Answer Engines Work
- Entities, Knowledge Graphs, and E‑E‑A‑T
Ask:
- Do they all present the same “story” about who you are and what you do?
- Are your niche, services, and specializations described consistently?
If not, note which page needs a positioning alignment.
5. Minute 40–50: Internal Linking and Answer Journeys
Now, quickly review how your core pages connect to each other.
5.1 Check Internal Links Between Core AEO Pages
You want a simple, logical journey:
- From AEO definition → deeper conceptual pieces → tools / implementation.
Visually confirm:
- Does What Is AEO link to:
- Does each of the Cluster 1 guides link back to What Is AEO and to at least one practical resource (tools)?
Note any missing links so you can add them later.
5.2 Anchor Text Quality
Check how you’re linking:
- Are you using descriptive anchor text (“how AI answer engines work”, “best free AEO tools for beginners”)
- Or generic (“click here”, “read more”)?
Mark any internal links with vague anchors as “anchor improvement needed.”
6. Minute 50–60: Technical and Tools Snapshot
Finally, take a quick snapshot of technical and tool readiness for these pages.
6.1 Basic Technical Status
For each core page, quickly confirm:
- Loads fast enough (no obvious lag or layout shift).
- Mobile view is clean and usable.
- No obvious indexation issues (e.g., noindex tags, blocked in robots).
If you keep a simple spreadsheet, add a column like “Tech OK?” and flag any problem URLs.
6.2 Tools and Monitoring
Make sure you have at least a basic stack in place to keep improving AEO:
- Google Search Console set up and monitored.
- At least one way to check structured data / schema health.
- One or two AEO/AI visibility tools from your own stack in Best Free AEO Tools for Beginners.
If a core page doesn’t show up at all in your monitoring tools (no impressions, no schema, no AI visibility checks), add it to your “instrumentation needed” list.
7. Turning the 60‑Minute Audit into a Roadmap
By the end of this process you should have:
- A short list of core pages
- Notes on:
- missing direct answers
- weak headings and FAQs
- entity/E‑E‑A‑T gaps
- internal linking fixes
- technical or tooling issues
Turn this into a simple prioritized roadmap:
- Phase 1 – Quick wins (1–2 weeks)
- Add direct answer intros and FAQs.
- Fix obvious internal linking gaps.
- Add/clean up author bios on all core pages.
- Phase 2 – Entity & Schema (next 2–4 weeks)
- Align entity language across the silo (using Entities, Knowledge Graphs, and E‑E‑A‑T as your internal spec).
- Implement or tighten Person/Organization/Article schema.
- Phase 3 – Monitoring & Iteration (ongoing)
- Use your tools stack (from Best Free AEO Tools for Beginners) to track performance, schema, and AI visibility for your AEO core pages.
- Iterate headings, FAQs, and content depth based on what queries and answer patterns you see.
