Complete DIY Guide

The Manual AEO Audit
A Complete Guide

What a professional AI Engine Optimization audit actually checks—done yourself, for free. No shortcuts. Full methodology.

2-3 hours total•No technical skills needed•Browser + spreadsheet required
Get Instant Results InsteadStart the Guide
01
Entity Coherence
20-30 min
02
Schema Markup
15-20 min
03
Review Sentiment
25-30 min
04
AI Perception
20-25 min
05
Citation Sources
30-40 min
06
Content Readability
20-25 min

Why This Guide Exists

There are "AI SEO audit" prompts floating around that tell you to paste your business info into ChatGPT or Claude and get a "full audit."

Here's the problem: Claude can't visit your website. It can't check your Schema markup. It can't verify your Google Business Profile. It can't analyze your actual reviews. It's guessing based on what you type.

This guide shows you what a real AEO (AI Engine Optimization) audit actually examines—and how to check each element yourself.

Part 01
20-30 min

Entity Coherence Audit

Can AI confidently identify your business as a single, trustworthy entity?

AI systems cross-reference multiple sources before making recommendations. When your business information conflicts across platforms, AI hedges. It says "reportedly" and "claims to be" instead of stating facts with confidence.

Step 1.1: Gather Your Digital Footprint

Open a spreadsheet. Create columns for:

Source
Business Name
Address
Phone
URL
Description
Hours

Fill in data from every source on the first two pages of Google:

  • Your website
  • Google Business Profile
  • LinkedIn Company Page
  • Facebook Business Page
  • Yelp
  • Industry directories
  • Crunchbase
  • BBB listing

Step 1.2: Identify Inconsistencies

Critical (fix immediately)
  • • Business name variations
  • • Different phone numbers
  • • Address discrepancies
  • • Conflicting descriptions
Moderate (fix soon)
  • • Different hours listed
  • • Outdated service offerings
  • • Old team member info
  • • Inconsistent founding dates

Your Entity Coherence Score

0-2Strong coherence
3-5Moderate issues (AI may hedge)
6+Significant problems
Part 02
15-20 min

Schema Markup Verification

Have you given AI structured data it can read directly?

Schema.org markup is machine-readable code that tells AI exactly what your business is, what you offer, and how to categorize you. Without it, AI has to guess from your page content.

Step 2.1: Check Your Current Schema

Go to validator.schema.org and enter your homepage URL.

"No structured data detected"

You have no Schema markup. Significant gap.

Results appear

Document which Schema types are present.

Step 2.2: Schema Types That Matter

Schema TypeWhat It Tells AIPriority
OrganizationBusiness entity, name, logo, contactCritical
WebSiteOfficial site, search functionalityCritical
LocalBusinessPhysical location, hours, service areaCritical
FAQPageCommon questions and answersHigh
Part 03
25-30 min

Review Sentiment Audit

What would AI say about you based on your customers?

Step 3.1: Collect Your Recent Reviews

Gather your last 20 reviews from:

Google Business Profile
Trustpilot
G2/Capterra
Industry platforms
Website testimonials

Step 3.2: Theme Extraction

Positive Themes
Quality • Communication • Value
Expertise • Results • Service
Ease of use • Speed
Negative Themes
Slow response • Pricing
Unmet expectations
Technical issues • Communication gaps

Sentiment Benchmark

80%+AI will recommend confidently
60-80%AI will recommend with caveats
<60%AI may hedge or mention concerns
Part 04
20-25 min

AI Perception Test

What does AI actually say about you right now?

Run These Queries

Open ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Run each query:

Direct reputation
"What can you tell me about [Your Business Name]?"
Category search
"What are the best [your category] in [location]?"
Comparison
"How does [Your Business] compare to [Competitor]?"
Recommendation
"Should I consider [Your Business] for [service]?"

Analyze Confidence Level

ConfidentHedging
"[Business] is...""[Business] appears to be..."
"Known for...""Claims to..."
"Customers praise...""Some reviews suggest..."
Part 05
30-40 min

Citation Source Audit

Where does AI get information about you?

Search for Your Mentions

"[Your Business Name]"
"[Your Business Name] reviews"
"[Your Name] [Your Industry]"
"[Your Business Name]" -site:yourdomain.com

Categorize Your Citations

Business Profiles
GBP, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Maps
AI trusts for: Basic facts
Industry Directories
Clutch, G2, Capterra
AI trusts for: Category placement
Review Platforms
Google Reviews, Trustpilot, Yelp
AI trusts for: Reputation
Media & Content
News, podcasts, guest articles
AI trusts for: Authority
Part 06
20-25 min

Content AI-Readability Audit

Is your website content structured for AI comprehension?

Homepage Clarity Test

Above the fold, can you identify:

What you do (specific service/product)
Who you serve (target customer)
What makes you different (differentiator)
What outcome you deliver (benefit)

The "Explain This Business" Test

Copy your homepage text and paste with this prompt:
"Based only on this text, explain what this business does, who it serves, and why someone should choose them. Note anything unclear."

Priority Framework

Fix Immediately (This Week)

  • 1. Critical entity inconsistencies
  • 2. Missing or broken Schema on homepage
  • 3. Factual errors AI is repeating
  • 4. Negative reviews not being addressed

Fix Soon (This Month)

  • 1. Incomplete business profiles
  • 2. Missing Schema on service pages
  • 3. Content gaps on common questions
  • 4. Review recency issues

Build Over Time (Next Quarter)

  • 1. Missing directory listings
  • 2. Media/content mentions
  • 3. Comparison content
  • 4. Community presence

Don't want to spend
3 hours on this?

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