Free checklist, progress saved in your browser

SEO and AI Search Checklist

Work through the technical, on-page, content and AI search basics one item at a time. Each item says why it matters and links the tool that checks it. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Work through the checklist

Tick an item when it is done. Filter by priority, or export what is left.

0 of 54 done

Check it automatically

Structured data0 of 6

JSON-LD blocks parse and declare a @context and @type.Check
The home page describes your Organization with a logo and sameAs profiles.Check
Nested pages carry BreadcrumbList markup.Check
Articles use Article or BlogPosting with author and dates.Check
Products carry Product markup with offers and reviews where you have them.
Question and answer sections carry FAQPage markup.Check

AI search0 of 9

robots.txt allows the AI search crawlers you want to be cited by.Check
Your firewall or CDN does not serve AI crawlers a block page.Check
The main content is in the HTML, not only rendered by JavaScript.Check
An llms.txt file tells AI assistants what the site is and where the key pages are.Check
Your brand, product and category are named the same way everywhere.
Pages state facts in short, quotable sentences with sources.
You know which AI answers mention you and which mention competitors.Check
Pages cover the follow-up questions an assistant asks behind a prompt.Check
You are listed on the review sites and directories assistants cite in your category.

Speed and trust0 of 8

Largest Contentful Paint is under 2.5 s for real users on mobile.Check
Interaction to Next Paint is under 200 ms.Check
Cumulative Layout Shift is under 0.1.Check
Images use modern formats and are sized for the screen.Check
Security headers are set: HSTS, nosniff, a referrer policy and frame protection.Check
Text contrast, form labels and accessible names pass WCAG AA.Check
Contact details, a privacy policy and terms are easy to find.
The site is re-audited on a schedule so a bad deploy is caught the same day.Check

Your progress is saved in this browser only.

Why use the SEO and AI Search Checklist

AI search included

Items for ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews: crawler access, llms.txt, content without JavaScript, clear answers and entities.

Linked to the tools

Most items link the free tool that checks them, so you can verify instead of guess.

Saved progress

Your ticks are kept in this browser. Come back tomorrow and pick up where you left off.

Export

Copy the open items as a Markdown task list for your tracker.

When to use the SEO and AI Search Checklist

Launches

Go through the list before a new site or redesign goes live.

Audits

Use it as the outline of a manual review.

Onboarding

Give a new writer or developer the basics in one page.

Small teams

Share the priorities without a project management tool.

AI visibility

Check the items that decide whether assistants can read and cite you.

Agencies

Export the open items into a client task list.

Understanding SEO and AI Search Checklist

How to use the checklist

1Start with high priority. Filter to the high priority items first. They block everything else.
2Verify. Use the linked tool to check an item rather than assume it is done.
3Tick. Your progress is saved in this browser as you go.
4Export. Copy the open items as Markdown for your tracker.

SEO and AI search are one job

AI answer engines find pages through search indexes and their own crawlers, then quote the pages that state an answer clearly. A site that is crawlable, fast, well structured and specific does well in both. The AI section adds what is new: crawler policies, llms.txt and content written to be quoted.

Run the audit for the technical part

Most technical items can be checked automatically. The full audit runs 55 checks in seven categories and tells you which of these items fail on your site.

Privacy

Your progress is stored in this browser only. Clearing site data resets it.

Related tools and guides

SEO CheckerFind the technical problems that keep a page out of search results. The checker reads the page the way a search crawler does and lists what to fix first, with the evidence behind every verdict.AI Search Readiness CheckerGenerative engine optimization starts with access. Check that AI assistants can crawl your pages, receive the real content rather than a block page, and read it without running JavaScript.Robots.txt CheckerCheck that robots.txt is published, parses cleanly and does not block the pages you want found. See at a glance which search engines and AI crawlers the rules allow.Core Web Vitals CheckerSee how real Chrome users experience a page: LCP, INP and CLS at the 75th percentile, whether the page passes the Core Web Vitals assessment, and what to fix first.llms.txt GeneratorGive language models a clean map of your site. Fill in the name, a one sentence summary and the links that matter, and copy a valid llms.txt.Schema Markup GeneratorPick a type, fill in the fields and copy valid JSON-LD. The generator includes the properties search engines require and recommend for each type.Guide: The technical SEO checklistA practical technical SEO checklist in the order that matters. Crawling, indexing, on-page signals, structured data, speed, AI search and security, with a way to check each item.Guide: AI search readinessThe technical side of generative engine optimization. How ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI features find and read pages, and the checks that make sure they can read yours.Guide: Website launch checklistA launch checklist for new sites and redesigns. Remove the staging blockers, set up redirects, verify indexing, sharing, speed, accessibility and security, then monitor the first weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Is my progress saved?

Yes, in this browser. It is not sent to Aback, so it does not follow you to another device.

What is GEO?

Generative engine optimisation: making a site easy for AI answer engines to find, read and cite. Most of it is good SEO, plus a few new items covered in the AI section.

Do I need to do every item?

No. Start with the high priority items. Some items, such as hreflang, only apply to some sites.

Does llms.txt help with ChatGPT?

It is an emerging convention. Some AI tools read it, the major assistants have not committed to it. It is cheap to publish.

Can I check items automatically?

Many of them. Run the full audit, or the free tool linked from each item.

Can I share the checklist?

Export the open items as Markdown and paste them into a document or tracker.

How often should I go through it?

Before every launch or redesign, and once a quarter for an established site.