Your GEO Future-Proofing Checklist
This lesson provides a comprehensive checklist for implementing GEO. Use it to audit your current state and guide your optimization efforts.
Foundation Checklist
Technical Requirements
- Crawlability: Content is accessible to search engines and AI crawlers
- Indexing: Pages are properly indexed in search engines
- Page speed: Fast loading (under 3 seconds)
- Mobile-friendly: Responsive design works on all devices
- HTTPS: Secure connection enabled
- Structured data: Schema.org markup implemented
Robots.txt Configuration
- Not blocking CSS/JavaScript resources
- Not blocking AI crawlers (GPTBot, etc.) if GEO visibility is desired
- Sitemap properly referenced
Structured Data Implementation
- Article schema on blog posts
- Author schema on author pages
- Organization schema on about page
- FAQ schema on FAQ sections
- HowTo schema on instructional content
Content Citability Checklist
For Each Piece of Content
Structure:
- Clear H1 with topic
- Logical H2/H3 hierarchy
- Self-contained sections
- Scannable formatting (lists, tables)
Answers:
- Direct answer in first 1-2 sentences
- Common questions addressed
- Comprehensive coverage
- Actionable information
Specificity:
- Specific statistics included
- Sources cited for data
- Concrete examples provided
- Definitive statements where appropriate
Currency:
- Publication date visible
- Last updated date shown
- Statistics are current
- No outdated information
E-E-A-T Checklist
Experience
- First-hand experience demonstrated
- Specific examples from direct work
- Case studies with real results
- Practical tips beyond theory
Expertise
- Author credentials displayed
- Professional qualifications listed
- Relevant experience mentioned
- Technical accuracy maintained
Authoritativeness
- Comprehensive topic coverage
- External citations and backlinks
- Industry recognition mentioned
- Consistent publishing history
Trustworthiness
- Factual accuracy verified
- Sources cited for claims
- Conflicts of interest disclosed
- Corrections policy in place
Author Setup Checklist
Author Pages
- Dedicated author pages exist
- Professional bio included
- Credentials and experience listed
- Social/professional profiles linked
- Author schema markup implemented
Bylines
- Author name on all content
- Link to author page
- Brief credentials visible
- Consistent author attribution
Content Format Checklist
Text Content
- Direct, active writing style
- Short paragraphs (3-4 sentences)
- Clear topic sentences
- Appropriate hedging (not over- or under-)
Statistics and Data
- Bold or highlighted for visibility
- Source cited with date
- Context provided
- Regularly updated
Lists and Tables
- Used for appropriate content (comparisons, steps)
- Clear headers on tables
- Consistent formatting
- Mobile-friendly display
Definitions
- Key terms clearly defined
- Definitions are complete and standalone
- Technical terms explained
- Consistent terminology throughout
Platform-Specific Checklist
For ChatGPT (with browsing)
- Content ranks well in search
- Direct question-answer format
- FAQ sections included
- Current dates and statistics
For Claude
- Comprehensive, in-depth content
- Authoritative presentation
- Expert credentials prominent
- Downloadable resource quality
For Perplexity
- Strong SEO fundamentals
- Specific, citable claims
- Comparison content available
- Featured snippet optimization
For Google AI Overviews
- Top search rankings
- Informational query targeting
- Structured content for extraction
- E-E-A-T signals strong
Monitoring Checklist
Setup
- Target query list defined
- Tracking spreadsheet created
- Analytics tracking AI referrals
- Competitive queries identified
Regular Tasks
- Weekly priority query checks
- Monthly comprehensive audits
- Quarterly strategy reviews
- Continuous content updates
Metrics Tracked
- Citation rate
- Citation accuracy
- AI referral traffic
- Brand mentions
- Content coverage
Quick Start Implementation
Week 1: Foundation
- Audit technical requirements
- Implement missing structured data
- Review robots.txt for AI crawlers
- Set up monitoring spreadsheet
Week 2-3: Content Audit
- List all existing content
- Score citability for each piece
- Identify high-priority improvements
- Note content gaps
Week 4: Priority Updates
- Update top 5 pages for citability
- Add author credentials
- Include specific statistics
- Improve content structure
Ongoing: Continuous Improvement
- Apply checklist to new content
- Monitor citation performance
- Update existing content regularly
- Iterate based on results
Quarterly Review Template
Q1 2024 GEO Review
Citation Performance:
- Citation rate: ___%
- Change from last quarter: ___%
- Top cited content: ___
Content Updates:
- Pages updated: ___
- New content created: ___
- Citability score average: ___
Competitive Position:
- Share of AI voice: ___%
- Competitive gains/losses: ___
Priorities for Next Quarter:
Final Checklist Summary
Must-Have (Do First)
- Technical foundation solid
- Author credentials visible
- Top content has specific facts
- Monitoring in place
Should-Have (Do Second)
- Comprehensive structured data
- All content follows format guidelines
- Regular update schedule
- Competitive monitoring
Nice-to-Have (Do When Possible)
- Original research published
- Advanced tracking tools
- Full content audit completed
- All platforms optimized
Summary
This lesson provided comprehensive checklists for:
- Technical foundation requirements
- Content citability elements
- E-E-A-T signal implementation
- Author setup and attribution
- Platform-specific optimization
- Monitoring and tracking setup
- Quick start implementation guide
Use these checklists to audit your current state and guide systematic improvement. GEO is an ongoing process—use these checklists regularly as you create and update content.
Quiz
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