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GEO Checklist

Use this checklist to audit your current GEO status and track your optimization progress. Work through each section and mark items as complete.

Entity clarity

Entity clarity is how consistently and clearly your business is identified across the web.

Name consistency:

  • Your business name is the same on your website
  • Your business name is the same on Google Business Profile
  • Your business name is the same on Yelp
  • Your business name is the same on Apple Maps
  • Your business name is the same on industry directories

Address consistency:

  • Your address is the same on your website
  • Your address is the same on Google Business Profile
  • Your address is the same on Yelp
  • Your address is the same on Apple Maps
  • Your address is formatted consistently (no abbreviations)

Phone consistency:

  • Your phone number is the same on your website
  • Your phone number is the same on Google Business Profile
  • Your phone number is the same on Yelp
  • Your phone number is the same on Apple Maps
  • Your phone number is formatted consistently

Service area clarity:

  • Your service area is clearly stated on your website
  • Your service area is clearly stated on Google Business Profile
  • Your service area is clearly stated on Yelp
  • You have neighborhood-specific pages (if applicable)
  • Your service area is consistent across all platforms

Score: Count your checkmarks. Aim for 15/15.

Schema implementation

Schema markup tells AI systems what your content means.

LocalBusiness schema:

  • LocalBusiness schema on your homepage
  • LocalBusiness schema on your service pages
  • LocalBusiness schema includes your name
  • LocalBusiness schema includes your address
  • LocalBusiness schema includes your phone
  • LocalBusiness schema includes your website URL
  • LocalBusiness schema includes your service area

FAQPage schema:

  • FAQPage schema on pages with Q&A content
  • Each question is marked with "@type": "Question"
  • Each answer is marked with "@type": "Answer"
  • All questions and answers are included

Speakable schema:

  • Speakable schema on key answer pages
  • Speakable schema identifies extractable content
  • CSS selectors or XPath are correct

BreadcrumbList schema:

  • BreadcrumbList schema on all pages except homepage
  • Breadcrumb path is correct
  • URLs are correct

Testing:

  • Schema tested with Google Rich Results Test
  • Schema tested with Schema.org Validator
  • No schema errors reported

Score: Count your checkmarks. Aim for 20/20.

Citation consistency

Citations are mentions of your business across the web.

Directory presence:

  • Claimed on Google Business Profile
  • Claimed on Yelp
  • Claimed on Foursquare
  • Claimed on Apple Business Connect
  • Claimed on Bing Places
  • Listed on 5+ industry directories
  • Listed on 5+ local directories

Citation accuracy:

  • All citations have consistent name
  • All citations have consistent address
  • All citations have consistent phone
  • All citations have consistent website URL
  • All citations have consistent service area

Review management:

  • 50+ reviews on Google Business Profile
  • 4.5+ average rating on Google
  • 30+ reviews on Yelp
  • 4.5+ average rating on Yelp
  • Responding to all reviews within 48 hours

Citation monitoring:

  • Monitoring citations monthly
  • Using citation tracking software
  • Fixing errors immediately
  • Tracking new citations
  • Consolidating duplicate listings

Score: Count your checkmarks. Aim for 22/22.

Content extractability

Content extractability is how easy it is for AI systems to pull facts from your website.

Page structure:

  • Using clear H2 headings
  • Using clear H3 headings
  • Keeping paragraphs to 2-3 sentences
  • Using numbered lists for steps
  • Using bulleted lists for options
  • Answer-first page structure (key facts in first 30%)

FAQ content:

  • Adding FAQ sections to service pages
  • Writing direct answers to common questions
  • Using FAQ schema markup
  • Keeping answers concise (2-3 sentences)
  • Covering 5+ common questions per page

Answer clarity:

  • Answering questions directly in the first sentence
  • Avoiding jargon and technical terms
  • Using simple, clear language
  • Providing specific examples
  • Including relevant links

Content freshness:

  • Updating pages at least monthly
  • Adding new content regularly
  • Updating Google Business Profile regularly
  • Posting on social media
  • Keeping information current

Score: Count your checkmarks. Aim for 21/21.

Platform readiness

Readiness for specific AI platforms.

ChatGPT Search:

  • Site is crawlable (no robots.txt blocks)
  • Page load speed under 3 seconds
  • Mobile responsive design
  • XML sitemap created and submitted
  • LocalBusiness schema implemented
  • FAQPage schema implemented
  • Clear entity signals
  • High-quality content
  • Foursquare listing claimed and complete
  • Foursquare NAP matches Google Business Profile

Perplexity:

  • Pages updated at least monthly
  • Neighborhood-specific pages created
  • Clear H2 and H3 headings
  • FAQ sections on service pages
  • Citation consistency across platforms
  • Google Business Profile complete
  • Yelp profile complete with recent reviews
  • Recent customer reviews on Yelp

Google AI Overviews:

  • Ranking in top 5 for target keywords
  • LocalBusiness schema implemented
  • FAQPage schema implemented
  • Google Business Profile complete
  • High-quality, well-structured content
  • Regular content updates
  • Strong backlink profile
  • Mobile responsive design

Apple Intelligence / Siri:

  • Apple Business Connect listing claimed
  • All fields completed on Apple Business Connect
  • NAP matches Google Business Profile
  • Recent photos added
  • Monitoring Apple Business Connect insights monthly

Score: Count your checkmarks. Aim for 31/31.

Overall GEO readiness

Calculate your overall GEO readiness score:

  1. Entity clarity: ___/15
  2. Schema implementation: ___/20
  3. Citation consistency: ___/22
  4. Content extractability: ___/21
  5. Platform readiness: ___/31

Total score: ___/109

Interpretation:

  • 0-36: Critical gaps. Focus on entity clarity and citation consistency first.
  • 37-73: Significant room for improvement. Prioritize schema implementation and content updates.
  • 74-91: Good foundation. Focus on platform-specific optimization.
  • 92-109: Strong GEO readiness. Focus on monitoring and continuous improvement.

Next steps

Based on your score, prioritize your next steps:

If your entity clarity score is low (under 10/15):

  1. Audit your business information across all platforms
  2. Establish a standard NAP format
  3. Update your website with consistent NAP
  4. Update Google Business Profile
  5. Update Yelp, Foursquare, and Apple Business Connect

If your schema implementation score is low (under 13/20):

  1. Add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage
  2. Add LocalBusiness schema to service pages
  3. Add FAQPage schema to pages with Q&A
  4. Test schema with Google Rich Results Test
  5. Fix any schema errors

If your citation consistency score is low (under 14/22):

  1. Find all your citations
  2. Create a spreadsheet of citations
  3. Fix inconsistencies in major directories
  4. Claim Foursquare, Apple Business Connect, and Bing Places
  5. Encourage customer reviews and monitor citations monthly

If your content extractability score is low (under 14/21):

  1. Restructure pages with clear headings
  2. Break long paragraphs into shorter chunks
  3. Add FAQ sections to service pages
  4. Update pages at least monthly
  5. Implement FAQ schema and answer-first structure

If your platform readiness score is low (under 20/31):

  1. Complete your Foursquare and Apple Business Connect profiles
  2. Ensure all platforms have consistent NAP
  3. Update pages for freshness and specificity
  4. Implement platform-specific optimizations
  5. Monitor each platform's insights monthly

See also

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