12 Common GEO Mistakes That Kill Your AI Visibility (And How to Fix Them)

After analyzing over 10,000 websites, we have identified the most common mistakes that prevent businesses from being cited by AI search engines. Here is what to avoid—and how to fix each issue.

Mistake 1: Blocking AI Crawlers in robots.txt

What it is: Many websites accidentally block AI bots from crawling their content, making them completely invisible to ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Why it hurts: If AI crawlers cannot access your site, they cannot index your content or cite you in responses. How to fix it: Check your robots.txt file and ensure these user agents are allowed:

• GPTBot (OpenAI/ChatGPT)
• anthropic-ai and Claude-Web (Anthropic/Claude)
• PerplexityBot (Perplexity)
• CCBot (Common Crawl, used by many AI systems)

Add explicit allow rules for these bots to your robots.txt file.

Mistake 2: Missing FAQ Schema Markup

What it is: Having FAQ content on your site without proper FAQPage schema markup. Why it hurts: AI systems are specifically designed to extract Q&A pairs from FAQ schema. Without it, your answers are much harder for AI to parse and cite. How to fix it: Implement FAQPage schema in JSON-LD format on every page with FAQ content. Each question should have a proper Question type with an acceptedAnswer containing your Answer.

Mistake 3: Burying Answers in Content

What it is: Starting paragraphs with context or buildup instead of direct answers. Why it hurts: AI systems often extract the first sentence that answers a query. If your answer is buried in paragraph three, it may never be cited. How to fix it: Lead with your answer, then provide context. Structure content as: Answer first, explanation second, examples third.

Mistake 4: Generic Headers Instead of Questions

What it is: Using vague headers like "About Our Services" instead of question-based headers like "What Services Do We Offer?" Why it hurts: AI assistants respond to questions. Question-based headers match user queries and make your content more extractable. How to fix it: Rewrite your H2 and H3 headers as questions that match how users actually ask AI assistants. Use natural, conversational question formats.

Mistake 5: Thin Content Without Depth

What it is: Publishing short, surface-level content that does not comprehensively address topics. Why it hurts: AI systems prefer authoritative, comprehensive sources. A 200-word overview will not compete with a 2,000-word deep dive. How to fix it: Aim for comprehensive coverage of each topic. Include multiple aspects, answer related questions, and provide actionable details. Target 1,500-2,500 words for important topics.

Mistake 6: Keyword Stuffing and Unnatural Language

What it is: Overloading content with keywords in ways that sound robotic or unnatural. Why it hurts: AI systems are trained on natural language. They can detect and deprioritize content that sounds artificial or manipulative. How to fix it: Write for humans first. Use keywords naturally within conversational content. Read your content aloud—if it sounds awkward, rewrite it.

Mistake 7: Missing or Incomplete Schema Markup

What it is: Having no schema markup, or only implementing Organization schema without FAQ, Article, or other relevant types. Why it hurts: Schema markup is how AI systems understand context. Without it, they must guess what your content means. How to fix it: Implement comprehensive schema including Organization (site-wide), FAQ (where applicable), Article (blog posts), and Product/Service (for offerings). Validate your schema using Google Rich Results Test.

Mistake 8: No Clear Entity Definitions

What it is: Not clearly defining what your brand, products, or services are within your content. Why it hurts: AI systems need to understand entities to cite them correctly. Unclear definitions lead to confusion or being overlooked. How to fix it: Include clear, definitive statements about your brand and offerings. Example: "Cited is an AI search optimization platform that helps businesses get found by ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity."

Mistake 9: Ignoring E-E-A-T Signals

What it is: Publishing content without author attribution, credentials, sources, or trust signals. Why it hurts: AI systems prioritize trustworthy sources. Anonymous content without expertise indicators is rarely cited. How to fix it: Add author bios with credentials to all content. Include last updated dates. Cite reputable sources. Display trust badges, certifications, and contact information.

Mistake 10: Poor Internal Linking Structure

What it is: Pages that exist in isolation without connections to related content. Why it hurts: Internal links help AI systems understand topic relationships and content hierarchy. Isolated pages appear less authoritative. How to fix it: Link related content together. Create topic clusters with pillar pages. Ensure every important page is accessible within 3 clicks from the homepage.

Mistake 11: Outdated Information and Statistics

What it is: Citing old statistics, referencing outdated practices, or not updating content over time. Why it hurts: AI systems prefer current information. Outdated content signals that your site may not be a reliable source. How to fix it: Audit content quarterly. Update statistics with current data. Add "last updated" dates. Remove or update outdated information.

Mistake 12: Ignoring Mobile and Page Speed

What it is: Having a site that loads slowly or does not work well on mobile devices. Why it hurts: Poor technical performance signals low quality. AI systems are less likely to cite slow, broken sites. How to fix it: Achieve sub-3-second load times. Ensure full mobile responsiveness. Fix Core Web Vitals issues. Use proper image optimization.

Self-Audit Checklist

Use this checklist to identify which mistakes affect your site:

• [ ] AI crawlers allowed in robots.txt
• [ ] FAQ schema implemented on FAQ content
• [ ] Answers lead paragraphs, not buried
• [ ] Headers formatted as questions
• [ ] Content is comprehensive (1,500+ words for key topics)
• [ ] Language is natural and conversational
• [ ] Full schema markup (Organization, FAQ, Article)
• [ ] Clear entity definitions for brand and offerings
• [ ] Author bios and credentials displayed
• [ ] Strong internal linking between related content
• [ ] Information and statistics are current
• [ ] Site loads in under 3 seconds on mobile

Priority Order for Fixes

If you identified multiple issues, fix them in this order:

Critical (fix immediately):

1. AI crawler access (robots.txt)
2. FAQ schema markup
3. Mobile and page speed issues

High Priority (fix within 2 weeks):

1. Content structure (answers first)
2. Question-based headers
3. E-E-A-T signals

Important (fix within 1 month):

1. Thin content expansion
2. Entity definitions
3. Internal linking

Ongoing:

1. Natural language review
2. Content freshness updates
3. Schema expansion

Conclusion

Most websites make at least 3-4 of these mistakes. The good news is that each one is fixable with focused effort. Start with the critical issues, then work through the list systematically.

Run a GEO audit to get a complete picture of your site issues and personalized recommendations for improvement.