GEO Checklist 2026: 30 Checks to Get Cited by AI Search

Key takeaways

Work in this order: access, then content, then business data, then outside proof, then measurement. A great page that AI crawlers cannot read is worth nothing.
Check each crawler separately. Blocking OpenAI's training crawler does not block ChatGPT search, and Google-Extended does not affect Google Search.
Google's July 2026 guide says you do not need AI text files, special schema or content chopped into tiny pieces.
Measure with a fixed set of buyer questions every month plus the free official reports.

30checks in this list, grouped in 5 blocks

~24 hfor ChatGPT search to adjust after a robots.txt change (OpenAI)

144answers I log in each GEO audit: 24 questions in 6 AIs

What should a GEO checklist include?

A useful GEO checklist covers five blocks in order: crawler access, content that answers questions with facts, consistent business data, proof on other websites and a measurement routine. It should also say what not to do. Lists made only of headings and schema tweaks miss the two blocks that move results most: access and outside proof.

Print it or copy it into a spreadsheet and mark each line as done, partly done or not done. If you are new to the topic, read the GEO hub first; if you want the plan behind the list, see the GEO strategy guide.

Block 1: crawler access (checks 1 to 7)

1. Googlebot and Bingbot can crawl your key pages. Test with Search Console's URL Inspection and Bing Webmaster Tools.
2. OAI-SearchBot is allowed. OpenAI says sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot are not shown in ChatGPT search answers, and changes take about 24 hours to apply.
3. PerplexityBot is allowed. Perplexity recommends allowing it so your site can appear in its results.
4. Claude-SearchBot is allowed if Claude matters to your buyers.
5. Google-Extended is a conscious choice. It controls Gemini training and grounding, not Google Search.
6. Your firewall or CDN does not block these bots even when robots.txt allows them. Check the CDN's bot settings, not only the file.
7. Key pages are indexable and can show a snippet. Google says pages need to be indexed and eligible to show a snippet to appear as links in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Block 2: content AI can quote (checks 8 to 15)

8. Each key page opens with the answer: what, for whom, where, how much.
9. Prices or price ranges are published, or the page explains clearly what the price depends on.
10. Claims carry sources. Citing sources, adding quotations and adding statistics raised visibility about 30 to 40% in the original GEO study.
11. Numbers from your own work are real and dated, never rounded up or invented.
12. Comparisons are written out: you vs. alternatives, options side by side, who each option fits.
13. Important text is in the HTML, not only in images, PDFs, tabs or late JavaScript.
14. Each page has a named author or business and a visible update date when the topic changes.
15. Structured data matches the visible text. Google asks for structured data that matches what is on the page.

Block 3: business data (checks 16 to 20)

16. Name, address, phone and hours are identical on your site, Google Business Profile, Bing Places and main directories.
17. Services and categories match across those profiles.
18. The About page says who is behind the business, with credentials that can be checked.
19. Spanish and English versions carry the same facts, if you sell in both languages.
20. Old brand names, closed locations and old prices are cleaned up in profiles and directories.

Block 4: proof on other sites (checks 21 to 25)

21. You know which outside sites AI cites for your buyer questions: review sites, directories, lists, forums.
22. You are listed on the ones that apply, with correct data.
23. Real reviews arrive every month on the platforms your buyers use.
24. Your team answers honestly in forums where buyers ask, disclosing who they are.
25. No fake mentions. Google says seeking inauthentic mentions is not as helpful as it might seem.

Block 5: measurement (checks 26 to 30)

26. A fixed list of 15 to 30 buyer questions, run monthly in each AI that matters, in each language you sell in.
27. A log of who is named and which sources are cited for each question, so you can see a trend.
28. GA4's AI Assistant channel is checked monthly. It groups visits from ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and others.
29. Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance is set up. It shows citations in Copilot and Bing AI summaries.
30. Search Console's generative AI report is checked. It covers AI Overviews and AI Mode for all sites since August 31, 2026.

What can you leave off a GEO checklist?

Google's July 2026 guide to generative AI features lists several things you do not need: new machine-readable files, AI text files, special schema.org markup, Markdown versions and content cut into tiny pieces. It also warns that mass pages built for fan-out queries can break its scaled content policy. Spend that time on blocks 1 to 4.

Common checklist item	What the official source says	My advice
Create llms.txt	Not needed for Google Search	Optional; a Google representative compared it to the keywords meta tag
Add FAQ or special AI schema	No special schema.org markup needed	Use normal schema only where it matches the page
Chunk every page into small blocks	No requirement to break content into tiny pieces	Write clear sections for people
Publish a page for every AI sub-question	Can fall under scaled content abuse	Answer them inside your strong pages
Buy mentions or reviews	Inauthentic mentions are not as helpful as they seem	Earn them; fake reviews also break the FTC rule

What should you do after the checklist?

Fix the blocks in order and retest after a month. Access problems are fast to fix and show quickly in live-search answers. Content and business data take a few weeks. Outside proof takes months. If you prefer a second pair of eyes, a GEO audit runs this list plus 24 buyer questions in six AIs and ranks the fixes.

My GEO audit costs from USD 400, paid once, and ends with the errors found and a priority list. If you then want the work done every month, the GEO plans start at USD 1,750 per month. The robots.txt guide helps with block 1, and the home page explains how I work.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to complete a GEO checklist?

A first pass on a small business site takes a day or two. Fixing everything can take weeks for content and months for outside proof.

Is a GEO checklist different from an SEO checklist?

About two thirds overlap: crawling, indexing, helpful content. GEO adds AI crawler access, outside proof that AI cites, and testing what assistants actually say.

Which AI crawlers should I allow?

For visibility, allow the search crawlers: Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and Claude-SearchBot. Training crawlers like GPTBot are a separate decision.

Do I need to rewrite my pages for AI?

Rarely from scratch. Usually it is enough to put the answer first, add sourced facts and comparisons, and make sure the text is in the HTML.

How often should I rerun the checklist?

Run blocks 1 and 5 monthly, and the full list every quarter or after a redesign, a CMS change or a new security plugin.

About the author

Juan José Giraldo is an SEO consultant in Medellín, Colombia, with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships at Reunion Marketing, an Inc. 5000 agency, and supervises the SEO of 18 US online stores with more than 3 million products at Prontomowers. Read more · LinkedIn.

GEO checklist: 30 checks to get your business cited by AI.