SEO + AEO Owner Cheat Sheet
One page. No agency jargon. Use this to run your website, your team, and your vendors.
Rankings · traffic · impressions
Mentioned · accurate · right job · with receipts
Make the brand clear, citable, and safe to recommend
Two markets. One website truth.
- Google / Maps find the right page
- Access · Relevance · Desirability
- Failure: “We don’t rank”
- ChatGPT / Gemini / Perplexity cite you
- Extractable · Checkable · Safe
- Failure: “AI doesn’t know us / gets us wrong”
60-second site test (any page)
Said in one plain sentence?
Answered in the first two sentences?
Review, case, number, or process next to the ask?
If 2+ fail, AI invisibility is structural — not unlucky.
Non-negotiable fix order
What to demand this week
| If you see… | Owner demand | Done looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage fog | “Write who we help + outcome in 1 sentence above the fold.” | Stranger gets it in 5 seconds |
| Service page fluff | “Answer the #1 buyer question in first 2 sentences.” | No brochure opener |
| Form with no trust | “Move 1 review/case/process next to CTA.” | Proof touches the ask |
| Blog calendar first | “Stop. Fix money pages before new posts.” | Content follows clarity |
| AI doesn’t mention us | “Publish entity sentence + 3 FAQs + same story on GBP/LinkedIn.” | Consistent, citable brand |
7 AEO plays (owner version)
Same who/for whom/where everywhere
One buyer question = one direct answer
“We do X for Y in Z” beats full-service fog
H2s, lists, FAQs, comparison blocks
Named outcomes near claims
Site · GBP · LinkedIn · sales talk
7. Citable assets — process page, checklist, local guide, expert Q&A, original data.
Entity sentence formula
[Brand] is a [category] in [place] that helps [audience] get [outcome] through [method / proof].
Weak: “Leading innovative digital solutions for modern brands.”
Strong: “Brandastic is a Costa Mesa digital marketing agency for growth-minded brands. We help them get found in Google and AI answers.”
Monthly AI probe (15 minutes)
“Best [category] near [city] for [job]”
“Who is [brand] and who do they serve?”
“Compare [brand] vs [competitor] for [use case]”
Score each: missing · vague · accurate · recommendable. Treat regressions like ranking drops.
Owner decision tree
| Situation | Do this first | Not this |
|---|---|---|
| New site / redesign | Entity sentence + money pages + FAQ | Blog volume day one |
| Leads soft, traffic “fine” | Proof + CTA + offer clarity | More keywords only |
| AI never mentions you | Entity + consistency + answer assets | Prompt-spamming ChatGPT |
| Vendor wants 12 blogs/mo | Ask which money-page issue each post fixes | Pay for fog at scale |
| Local business | GBP + NAP consistency + service-area pages | National keyword fantasy |