A complete GEO audit checks six layers in order: AI search crawler and WAF access, plain-HTML rendering of core specs, direct-answer heading structure, valid JSON-LD schema, consistent off-site entity profiles, and a fixed 15-to-30-prompt baseline across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
1. The Six-Step GEO Audit Overview
A traditional SEO audit checks whether Google can index and rank your URLs. A GEO audit checks whether AI retrieval systems can fetch your specs without bot blocks, parse self-contained passages, and corroborate your claims across third-party sources.
| Audit Step | What to Check | Pass Condition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crawler & WAF | OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Googlebot | Allowed in robots.txt and CDN/WAF without JS challenges |
| 2. HTML Rendering | View-source of pricing and product pages | Core specs, limits, and tables exist in initial HTML |
| 3. Passage Structure | H1-to-H3 layout and opening paragraphs | Direct 40-to-60-word summary immediately below key headings |
| 4. Schema & Entities | Organization, Product, FAQPage JSON-LD | Valid syntax matching visible page copy and author bios |
| 5. Prompt Gaps | 15 to 30 commercial US buyer prompts | Dated log of mentions, cited URLs, and rival shortlists |
| 6. Measurement | GA4 AI channel + Search Console | AI referral sessions segmented alongside branded search lift |
2. Step 1 and 2: Verify Bot Access and Plain-HTML Specs
Allowing a user agent in robots.txt fails silently if Cloudflare, Akamai, or AWS WAF returns a 403 error or CAPTCHA challenge to automated requests.
- Review OpenAI's bot documentation and verify
OAI-SearchBotandPerplexityBotreceive HTTP 200 responses in server access logs. - Keep
GPTBotorGoogle-Extendeddecisions intentional: blocking training crawlers is valid, whereas blocking search crawlers removes live citations. - Test live HTML fetchability directly with our AI Citation Checker to confirm pricing tiers and comparison tables are not hidden behind client-side JavaScript.
3. Where a GEO Audit Extends Your Standard SEO Audit
Do not throw away your existing technical SEO checklist. Clean canonicals, fast response times, and XML sitemaps remain prerequisites for Google AI Overviews and Bing-backed retrieval.
Once technical checks pass, run our AI Search Visibility Audit to establish a live prompt baseline before prioritizing page updates.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an llms.txt file to pass a GEO audit?
No. While some sites publish an llms.txt summary for convenience, major search-backed answer engines rely on standard HTML pages, sitemaps, and structured data rather than requiring llms.txt.
How often should we run a full GEO audit?
Run a full technical and off-site entity audit once per quarter, and re-test your fixed 15-to-30-prompt benchmark every 2 to 4 weeks.
What is the fastest fix from a typical GEO audit?
Unblocking OAI-SearchBot or PerplexityBot at the CDN/WAF level and moving hidden pricing or integration specs out of PDFs into plain HTML tables usually delivers the quickest retrieval improvement.
Next steps & related pages
Want a baseline visibility check for your brand?
Save the CSV checklist above for manual audits, or request a baseline check on your target US buyer prompt while our automated tracking workspace rolls out.