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:

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:

Citation monitoring:

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

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

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

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 20/20.

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

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
Recent customer reviews

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

Score: Count your checkmarks. Aim for 24/24.

Overall GEO readiness

Calculate your overall GEO readiness score:

Entity clarity: ___/15
Schema implementation: ___/20
Citation consistency: ___/20
Content extractability: ___/20
Platform readiness: ___/24

Total score: ___/99

Interpretation:

0-33: Critical gaps. Focus on entity clarity and citation consistency first.
34-66: Significant room for improvement. Prioritize schema implementation and content updates.
67-82: Good foundation. Focus on platform-specific optimization.
83-99: 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):

Audit your business information across all platforms
Establish a standard NAP format
Update your website with consistent NAP
Update Google Business Profile
Update Yelp and Apple Maps

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

Add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage
Add LocalBusiness schema to service pages
Add FAQPage schema to pages with Q&A
Test schema with Google Rich Results Test
Fix any schema errors

If your citation consistency score is low (under 13/20):

Find all your citations
Create a spreadsheet of citations
Fix inconsistencies in major directories
Encourage customer reviews
Monitor citations monthly

If your content extractability score is low (under 13/20):

Restructure pages with clear headings
Break long paragraphs into shorter chunks
Add FAQ sections to service pages
Update pages at least monthly
Implement FAQ schema

Entity clarity

Schema implementation

Citation consistency

Content extractability

Platform readiness

Overall GEO readiness

Next steps

See also