How to Do an AI SEO Audit (and Rank in ChatGPT, Perplexity & Google AI Overviews)

How to Do an AI SEO Audit

AI search isn’t the future, it’s the now.

Platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews are already reshaping how people discover information, products, and services online.

But most websites still aren’t built for it.

An AI SEO audit helps you fix that.

This guide walks you through the 10 essential steps to evaluate your site's readiness for LLM-powered search. We'll cover everything from structure and schema to citation-worthiness and prompt testing, ensuring your content is optimised for AI visibility. Follow these steps to perform a comprehensive AI SEO audit and boost your presence in AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews.  

Step 1: Check for Semantic HTML Structure
Step 2: Assess Content Clarity and Format
Step 3: Add a Structured Summary or TL;DR
Step 4: Build an FAQ Block
Step 5: Audit for Schema Markup (Structured Data)
Step 6: Use Semantic Triples & Entity Anchors
Step 7: Check Robots.txt for Al Bot Access
Step 8: Prompt Test in ChatGpt, Claude, Perplexity
Step 9: Evaluate Topical Authority with Query Fan-Out
Step 10:Look for Product-Led SEO Opportunities

Whether you’re an SEO pro, content lead, or in-house marketer, this is your starting point for building a site that AI wants to reference.

Why AI SEO Needs Its Own Audit

Unlike traditional SEO, which optimizes for Google’s ten blue links, AI SEO focuses on how content is retrieved, interpreted, and surfaced by large language models (LLMs).

That includes: 

• Semantic clarity over keyword stuffing
• Structured, scannable answers instead of long-form waffle
• Schema markup that feeds knowledge panels and summaries
• Entity anchoring that makes your brand memorable to AI
• Testing prompts in ChatGPT to simulate user experience

You’re optimising to be quoted, summarised, and trusted by machines.

Step 1: Check for Semantic HTML Structure

• One <h1> per page (focused on the main topic)
• Logical nesting of <h2>, <h3>, etc. 
• Proper use of paragraphs (<p>) and ordered/unordered lists

📌 Tip: Use SEO Minion or SEOquake to quickly audit heading structure.

🔧 Fix: Update wireframes or CMS layouts to reflect a single, logical content outline.

Every section should feel like a nested answer, not a random block of text.

Step 2: Assess Content Clarity and Format

LLMs prefer clean, declarative content. That means:

• Short paragraphs (1–3 sentences)
• Simple language (grade 6–8 reading level)
• Clear, answer-first sentences (claim → source → context)

🔧 Fix: Break long blocks into digestible chunks.

Rephrase intros to match user queries like “How does X work?” or “What is Y?”

Step 3: Add a Structured Summary or TL;DR

• A 1–3 sentence summary
• Clear benefit for the reader
• Optional: bullet-point breakdown of what’s inside

🔧 Fix: Start each page with “In this guide, you’ll learn…” or a bulleted TL;DR. Format matters models love clarity.

Step 4: Build an FAQ Block

• Each question acts as a prompt
• Each answer becomes retrievable snippet 
• Helps with "people also asked" and long-tail search coverage

📌 Tip: Use Semrush Keyword Magic Tool or even Reddit threads to source real questions users ask.

🔧 Fix: Add 4–6 FAQs per key page. Keep answers under 60 words, and mark them up with FAQPage schema.

Step 5: Audit for Schema Markup (Structured Data)

Schema helps AI extract meaning. Prioritise:

FAQPage for Q&A sections

Article or BlogPosting for content

Product or LocalBusiness for eCommerce/local SEO

Use JSON-LD format (Google prefers it)

📌 Tip: Use the Structured Data Markup Helper to create and validate schema quickly.

🔧 Fix: Install RankMath or Yoast, or inject schema manually using custom JSON-LD.

Step 6: Use Semantic Triples & Entity Anchors

LLMs store knowledge in triples: subject → predicate → object.

✅ “StudioHawk is an SEO agency based in Melbourne.”

✅ “This tool costs $19 per month and integrates with Shopify.”

📌 Fix: Write clear, factual sentences that can be pulled into knowledge graphs.

🔎 Test: Google “site:[domain] [entity]” and check if your pages appear for branded or topic terms.

Step 7: Check Robots.txt for AI Bot Access

Want to show up in ChatGPT or Claude?

Then make sure their bots can crawl your site.

• GPTBot (OpenAI)
• ClaudeBot (Anthropic)
• PerplexityBot
• CCBot (Common Crawl)

🔧 Fix: Open your robots.txt and remove any disallow lines targeting these.

Step 8: Prompt Test in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity

LLM audits are incomplete without real-world testing.

• “What does [Brand] offer?”
• “Best [category] tools for [use case]”
• “How to [query your page answers]”

• Bots can’t crawl it
• Headings are vague
• Content lacks clear answers
• Schema is missing or broken

🔧 Fix: Refine the structure, reword answers, test again.

Step 9: Evaluate Topical Authority with Query Fan-Out

• Pillar page: broad overview
• Cluster pages: specific queries (e.g., pricing, reviews, alternatives)

🔧 Fix: Link your cluster pages with clear anchor text, and summarize their topics on the pillar page. Use headings like “Best for beginners,” “Pricing breakdown,” or “Compared to X."

Step 10: Look for Product-Led SEO Opportunities

• "ROI Calculator for SEO Campaigns”
• “Keyword Map Generator”
• “Digital PR Pitch Template”

📌 Why it matters: Tools attract backlinks, usage, and citations great for both traditional and AI SEO.

🔧 Fix: Identify niche use cases and prototype with no-code tools like Tally, Outgrow, or even ChatGPT APIs.

Bonus: Technical Hygiene Checklist

Make sure your content is:

Indexable: Public pages, not gated or behind logins

Fast-loading: Good Core Web Vitals

Server-rendered: Avoid heavy JS blocking LLMs

Canonicalized: One clear version of each URL

Linked clearly: With descriptive anchor text like “Compare Shopify SEO apps”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Multiple H1s
🚫 Pages with no clear topic
🚫 Dense, jargon-heavy paragraphs
🚫 Unmarked FAQs
🚫 Vague headings like “Overview” or “Solutions”
🚫 Schema errors or none at all
🚫 Blocking LLM bots in robots.txt
🚫 Assuming ChatGPT “just knows” your brand

How to Package and Present Audit Findings

Use this format:

• Crawl/index issues
• Missing schema
• Content clarity
• Topic gaps

Final Word

The AI search era rewards sites that are structured, specific, and semantic.

Running a proper AI SEO audit is about building content that machines can understand and trust.

If you’re already doing SEO, the leap isn’t far.

But you’ll need to train your team, shift your content habits, and test regularly with live LLMs to stay ahead.

Skip the Guesswork. Get an AI SEO Audit That Actually Moves the Needle.

Too lazy to do it yourself? We get it.

Get a personalised SEO masterplan built for the AI search era, designed to help you get cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

P.S. Did you know we have a new AI Search white paper? Download now for the complete guide to navigating this new era of search.