AI Search Optimization Checklist: 47 Action Items for 2026
A comprehensive checklist for optimizing your brand's visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI search platforms. Save and share this actionable guide.
Table of Contents
- Foundation: Brand Information
- Website Basics
- Structured Data
- Information Consistency
- Content Optimization
- Definitional Content
- Question-Based Content
- Use Case Content
- Authority Building
- Media and PR
- Review Sites
- Third-Party Content
- Technical Optimization
- Site Performance
- Crawlability
- Content Formatting
- AI Platform Specific
- ChatGPT Optimization
- Perplexity Optimization
- Claude Optimization
- Google AI Overviews
- Monitoring and Measurement
- Regular Audits
- Competitive Intelligence
- Documentation
- Advanced Strategies
- Content Expansion
- Community and Ecosystem
- Thought Leadership
- Quick Reference: Priority Actions
- If You're Just Starting (Do First)
- If You're Intermediate (Do Next)
- If You're Advanced (Do Last)
- Download and Track
This comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to optimize your brand's visibility in AI-powered search. Use it as a roadmap for your AI search optimization (AISO) efforts.
Bookmark this page — we update it regularly as AI platforms evolve.
Foundation: Brand Information
Website Basics
- Clear brand description on homepage explaining what you do in 1-2 sentences
- Consistent brand name used across all pages (exact spelling, capitalization)
- Founded date and company history clearly stated
- Pricing information current and easily accessible
- Product/service descriptions with specific features and benefits
- Target audience clearly defined ("built for X" or "designed for Y")
Structured Data
- Organization schema with name, description, URL, logo, founding date
- Product/SoftwareApplication schema for each product
- FAQ schema on relevant pages
- Review/Rating schema if applicable
- Breadcrumb schema for navigation hierarchy
- Article schema on blog posts
Information Consistency
- Google Business Profile matches website information
- LinkedIn company page has accurate, current information
- Crunchbase profile (if applicable) is up to date
- Social media profiles have consistent brand information
- Wikipedia article (if notable enough) is accurate
Content Optimization
Definitional Content
- "What is [Your Product]?" page with clear explanation
- "How [Your Product] works" page with detailed breakdown
- "[Your Product] vs alternatives" comparison page
- "Who uses [Your Product]?" page with use cases
- "[Your Product] pricing" page with clear tiers
Question-Based Content
- FAQ page covering common customer questions
- Individual FAQ items using actual questions as headers
- "How to" guides for common tasks in your category
- Buying guides for your product category
- Category explainer (e.g., "What is CRM software?")
Use Case Content
- Industry-specific pages (e.g., "CRM for healthcare")
- Company size pages (e.g., "CRM for small business")
- Role-specific pages (e.g., "CRM for sales teams")
- Problem-specific pages (e.g., "CRM for managing leads")
Authority Building
Media and PR
- Press page with media coverage and press releases
- At least 3 mentions in authoritative industry publications
- Founder/executive thought leadership articles published
- Podcast appearances or interviews (transcripts available)
- News coverage for major announcements
Review Sites
- G2 profile complete with current information (B2B)
- Capterra profile complete with current information (B2B)
- Trustpilot profile with customer reviews (B2C)
- Industry-specific review sites (e.g., Product Hunt for tech)
- 20+ reviews on primary review platforms
Third-Party Content
- Listed in "best of" roundup articles in your category
- Included in comparison articles (vs. competitors)
- Mentioned in educational resources (courses, tutorials)
- Cited in research or reports relevant to your industry
Technical Optimization
Site Performance
- Mobile-friendly design (responsive)
- Fast loading (under 3 seconds)
- Secure (HTTPS)
- Accessible (WCAG compliance)
- No broken links or errors
Crawlability
- XML sitemap submitted to search engines
- Robots.txt allows AI crawlers (Googlebot, Bingbot, ChatGPT-User, etc.)
- Clean URL structure (descriptive, hierarchical)
- Internal linking connects related content
- No orphan pages (all pages linked from navigation or sitemap)
Content Formatting
- Clear heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) on all pages
- Bullet points and lists for scannable content
- Tables for comparative information
- Bold/emphasis on key terms and phrases
- Quotable statements (clear, definitive sentences AI can cite)
AI Platform Specific
ChatGPT Optimization
- Tested queries — asked ChatGPT about your category
- Documented current visibility — how you appear today
- Identified gaps — where competitors are mentioned but you aren't
- ChatGPT Ads — evaluated sponsored placement opportunities
Perplexity Optimization
- Tested queries — searched your category on Perplexity
- Source citations — checked if your site is cited as source
- Perplexity Ads — evaluated sponsored answer opportunities
- Content freshness — ensured recent content for RAG retrieval
Claude Optimization
- Tested queries — asked Claude about your category
- Documented representation — noted accuracy and sentiment
- Compared to competitors — benchmarked your visibility
Google AI Overviews
- Tested queries — checked Google AI Overviews in your category
- SGE optimization — ensured content structured for featured snippets
- Source visibility — checked if you appear as cited source
Monitoring and Measurement
Regular Audits
- Monthly AI query audit — test 10+ queries across platforms
- Track mention rate — percentage of queries mentioning you
- Track sentiment — positive, negative, or neutral representation
- Track position — first mentioned, or buried in list?
- Track accuracy — is information about you correct?
Competitive Intelligence
- Competitor AI audit — how do competitors appear?
- Share of voice — your mentions vs. competitor mentions
- Differentiation — does AI clearly distinguish you from competitors?
Documentation
- Baseline report — document current state before optimization
- Monthly progress reports — track changes over time
- Screenshot evidence — save AI responses for records
Advanced Strategies
Content Expansion
- Glossary/terminology page defining key terms in your category
- Statistics/data page with quotable numbers
- Methodology/approach page explaining your unique process
- Integration/compatibility pages (if applicable)
- Case studies with specific results and numbers
Community and Ecosystem
- Partner directory (if you have integrations/partners)
- Customer community or forum (generates user content)
- Template/resource gallery (if applicable)
- Open source contributions (if applicable)
Thought Leadership
- Original research published annually
- Industry reports with proprietary data
- Expert commentary on industry news
- Predictions/trends content for upcoming year
Quick Reference: Priority Actions
If You're Just Starting (Do First)
- Complete website basics section
- Add structured data (Organization, Product, FAQ schemas)
- Create definitional content ("What is X" pages)
- Audit current AI visibility
- Ensure review site profiles are complete
If You're Intermediate (Do Next)
- Build out use case content
- Pursue PR and media coverage
- Create comparison content
- Implement technical optimizations
- Set up monthly monitoring
If You're Advanced (Do Last)
- Explore AI advertising options
- Build community/ecosystem features
- Publish original research
- Develop advanced thought leadership
- Create integration/partner content
Download and Track
Use this checklist to track your progress:
- Copy this checklist to your project management tool
- Assign owners to each section
- Set deadlines for completion
- Review monthly and update completed items
- Re-audit quarterly to measure improvement
Need help implementing this checklist? Contact AdsX for a personalized AI visibility audit and optimization roadmap.