Ultimate AI & AEO Checklist [2026]
Winning the "expert interview" with AI and moving from strings to things.
"If SEO is the library catalog, AEO is the librarian who has actually read the books and is summarizing them for you."
The Shift from Strings to Things In the old school SEO world, we focused on keywords because search engines were looking for exact matches. In the age of Gemini, Perplexity, and SearchGPT, these engines look for intent and entities.
To help you optimize your content for this new era, here is a quick breakdown of how the workflow changes:
| Feature | SEO Strategy | AEO Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Point | Keyword Research | Question Intent |
| Format | Long-form Blogs | Structured FAQ / Snippets |
| Goal | High CTR | Cited Source Attribution |
| Metric | Ranking Position | Brand Mention / AI Share |
AEO Question List Builder
Three actionable steps to align your content with AI retrieval patterns.
Execution Steps
01
Check "People Also Ask":
A goldmine for the exact phrasing people use when talking to AI. Focus on capturing the natural syntax of user queries.
02
Use Conversational Language:
Write how people speak, not how they type. Be the friend, not the textbook. This increases the likelihood of being used in voice and chat answers.
03
The Inverted Pyramid:
Give the direct answer in the first sentence. Provide the "why" and "how" afterward to satisfy both the AI summary and the human reader.
04
Question in Answer:
Echo the user's intent: "To optimize for voice search, you should..."
05
Complete Sentences:
Always answer in full, clear sentences to improve clarity for voice assistant
06
Second Person:
Use "you" to speak directly to the user and increase engagement.
Grouping related queries to build topical authority and dominate the SERPs.
Group Related Questions
Main: "What is AEO?"
├─ "What does AEO stand for?"
├─ "What is AEO marketing?"
├─ "What is AEO in digital marketing?"
└─ "What is AEO and how does it work?"
├─ "What does AEO stand for?"
├─ "What is AEO marketing?"
├─ "What is AEO in digital marketing?"
└─ "What is AEO and how does it work?"
🚀
The Strategy: Create pillar content that comprehensively answers the main query while weaving in the semantic variations from your clusters.
Question Intent Layers
The primary intent classification for mastering AI-driven search queries.
User Intent Breakdown
🔍
Informational Questions: Focus on learning and understanding with no immediate action required.
Example: "What is link building?"
Example: "What is link building?"
📍
Navigational Questions: Seeking a specific brand, tool, or resource.
Example: "Google Search Console login"
Example: "Google Search Console login"
⚡
Transactional Questions: The user is ready to act or buy. Decision-making stage.
Example: "Best SEO agency near me"
Example: "Best SEO agency near me"
📊
Commercial Questions: Pre-purchase research and comparison shopping.
Example: "Semrush vs Ahrefs pricing"
Example: "Semrush vs Ahrefs pricing"
AEO-Specific Content Structuring
The Answer-First Formula
1.
Direct Answer: Aim for 40 to 60 words. This is the "snippet bait" that AI engines love to scrape for the top result.
↓
2.
Brief Elaboration: 100 to 150 words. Provide immediate context that supports your direct answer.
↓
3.
Detailed Explanation: The remainder of your content. Dive deep into the data, nuance, and expert insights.
↓
4.
Related Questions/FAQs: Seal the deal by covering semantic variations and user follow-ups.
AEO Placement Checklist
The complete framework for making content discoverable and citable by AI engines.
Headings & Core Content
✅As H2/H3 Headings: Phrase as exact questions. "How do you calculate ROI?" instead of generic terms.
✅Main Content Body: Integrate question-based sub-sections naturally. Prioritize your top 10 pages by traffic or authority first.
✅TL;DR Snippets: Front-load short, standalone answers under each question-heading for easy AI parsing.
Strategic High-ROI Pages
✅Dedicated FAQ Sections: Add visible FAQ blocks at the end of posts or pillar content. Use real data from PAA, Reddit, or customer support.
✅Product/Service Pages: Add question-driven sections like "How does [product] integrate with X?" or pricing models.
✅Help Centers & Knowledge Bases: High-ROI spots that naturally answer support-style questions which AI engines favor.
✅Homepage & Key Landers: Use compact question blocks selectively. Don't overload (avoid 15+ FAQs) unless they add real value.
Technical & Meta Optimization
✅Meta Elements: Incorporate primary questions into page titles and meta descriptions to signal relevance to search engines.
✅Structured Data: Apply FAQPage and HowTo schema markup to make answers machine-readable for rich results.
✅List: Use numbered or bulleted lists for "how-to" guides and step-by-step processes.
✅Table: Present comparison data clearly in table format for easy AI extraction.
✅Visibility Rule: Make FAQs substantial and visible. Avoid hiding them in accordions to help AI extraction.
Quick Tips for Success
⚡Research Sources: Use PAA boxes, Search Console, AlsoAsked, Quora, and sales data for high-intent queries.
⚡Answer Style: Keep responses clear, concise, authoritative, and placed directly under the question.
⚡No Over-Optimization: Focus on genuine user value. Avoid stuffing irrelevant questions for the sake of SEO.
Brand Authority & Mention Strategy [2026]
The prioritized roadmap for dominating AI training data and search entities.
Foundational Assets
✅Owned Ecosystem: Optimize Homepage, About, and Service pages with consistent taglines. Use Organization/Product Schema to help AI recognize your entity.
✅Google Business Profile (GBP): Essential for local intent. Maintain exact NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency. AI Overviews pull heavily from here.
✅Trust Platforms: Prioritize Google Reviews, Trustpilot, G2, or Clutch. Positive mentions of your brand name strengthen trust signals for AEO.
Media & Social Authority
✅High-Authority Media: Aim for guest posts and PR in niche publications. Unlinked mentions in positive contexts (e.g., "leading expert") are now powerful signals.
✅Communities & Social: Be active on Reddit, Discord, and niche forums. Organic mentions in these "conversational" hubs feed AI training data.
✅Video & Audio: Appear on podcasts (transcripts are indexed) and YouTube. YouTube is the #2 search engine and a major AI data source.
✅Knowledge Bases: Maintain a Wikidata item for entity recognition. This is high-leverage for AI understanding.
2026 Prioritization Cheat Sheet
| Priority | Place | Action Level |
|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ | Website + Schema | Immediate |
| ★★★★★ | GBP + Reviews | Immediate |
| ★★★★☆ | Trustpilot / G2 | High |
| ★★★★☆ | Media / PR Roundups | High |
| ★★★☆☆ | Wikidata / Directories | Medium |
| ★★☆☆☆ | Reddit / YouTube | Ongoing |
Pro Tips for Results
⚡Consistency: Use exact brand spelling and descriptions everywhere. Inconsistency confuses AI entities.
⚡Monitoring: Track mentions via Google Alerts or AI-specific graders (e.g., HubSpot AEO Grader).
⚡Quality over Quantity: One mention in a respected niche site beats 50 random forum posts.
