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Is Your Website Ready for AI Search? A Self-Assessment Guide

A practical self-assessment to check if your website is optimized for AI search engines. Find out where you stand and what to improve.

Cited TeamJanuary 8, 20268 min read
Is Your Website Ready for AI Search? A Self-Assessment Guide

Key Takeaways

  • Most websites are built for Google, not AI
  • Simple changes can significantly improve AI readiness
  • Self-assessment reveals quick wins
  • Professional audit provides deeper insights
  • The sooner you optimize, the better your results

Is Your Website Ready for AI Search?

A self-assessment guide for business owners

Before investing in AI optimization, it helps to know where you currently stand. This self-assessment will help you evaluate your website's AI readiness and identify quick wins.

The AI Readiness Assessment

Answer each question honestly, then calculate your score at the end.

Section 1: Content Structure (20 points)

Q1: Does your website have a dedicated FAQ section?
  • Yes, comprehensive FAQ with 10+ questions (5 points)
  • Yes, basic FAQ with 5-9 questions (3 points)
  • Yes, but minimal (1-4 questions) (1 point)
  • No FAQ section (0 points)
Q2: Are questions written in natural language (how customers actually ask)?
  • Yes, all questions are conversational (5 points)
  • Most questions are natural language (3 points)
  • Some are, some aren't (1 point)
  • Questions are keyword-focused, not natural (0 points)
Q3: Do answers provide direct, complete responses?
  • Yes, answers are clear and comprehensive (5 points)
  • Mostly, but some are vague (3 points)
  • Answers are brief or redirect elsewhere (1 point)
  • Answers are incomplete or missing (0 points)
Q4: Is your service information clearly stated?
  • Very clear: What you do, where, for whom (5 points)
  • Mostly clear with some assumptions required (3 points)
  • Somewhat vague, requires digging (1 point)
  • Unclear or buried in marketing speak (0 points)

Section 2: Technical Implementation (20 points)

Q5: Does your website have schema markup?
  • Yes, comprehensive schema (Organization, FAQ, Service, etc.) (5 points)
  • Yes, but basic (just Organization or LocalBusiness) (3 points)
  • Don't know / not sure (1 point)
  • No schema markup (0 points)
Q6: Is your business information consistent across all online listings?
  • Yes, identical everywhere (5 points)
  • Mostly consistent with minor variations (3 points)
  • Some inconsistencies exist (1 point)
  • Major inconsistencies or missing from key directories (0 points)
Q7: How current is your website content?
  • Updated within last 3 months (5 points)
  • Updated within last year (3 points)
  • Updated 1-3 years ago (1 point)
  • More than 3 years old / not sure (0 points)
Q8: Does your website load quickly and work well on mobile?
  • Yes, fast loading and fully mobile-responsive (5 points)
  • Mostly good with some issues (3 points)
  • Noticeable problems on mobile or speed (1 point)
  • Significant mobile or speed issues (0 points)

Section 3: Authority Signals (20 points)

Q9: Do you have customer testimonials with specific details?
  • Yes, multiple detailed testimonials mentioning specific services (5 points)
  • Yes, but mostly generic testimonials (3 points)
  • Few testimonials or very generic (1 point)
  • No testimonials on website (0 points)
Q10: Is your business mentioned on authoritative local websites?
  • Yes, mentioned by multiple trusted sources (5 points)
  • Some mentions on local sites/directories (3 points)
  • Basic directory listings only (1 point)
  • No external mentions (0 points)
Q11: Do you showcase credentials, awards, or certifications?
  • Yes, prominently displayed with details (5 points)
  • Yes, but not prominently featured (3 points)
  • Mentioned briefly (1 point)
  • Not showcased (0 points)
Q12: Do you have an About page that establishes expertise?
  • Yes, detailed with experience, credentials, team info (5 points)
  • Yes, but basic (3 points)
  • Minimal About information (1 point)
  • No About page (0 points)

Section 4: AI-Specific Elements (20 points)

Q13: Does your content directly answer questions customers ask?
  • Yes, we've researched and address actual questions (5 points)
  • We try to address common questions (3 points)
  • Some questions are addressed indirectly (1 point)
  • Content is feature/service focused, not question-focused (0 points)
Q14: Is your unique value proposition clearly stated?
  • Yes, very clear what makes us different (5 points)
  • Somewhat clear (3 points)
  • Generic value proposition (1 point)
  • Not clearly differentiated (0 points)
Q15: Do you have content for different customer needs?
  • Yes, segmented content for different customer types (5 points)
  • Some segmentation (3 points)
  • One-size-fits-all content (1 point)
  • Not sure what different customers need (0 points)
Q16: Is pricing or service information transparent?
  • Yes, clear pricing or "starting at" ranges (5 points)
  • Some pricing guidance available (3 points)
  • "Contact for quote" only (1 point)
  • No pricing information (0 points)

Calculate Your Score

Add up your points from all sections.

Total possible: 80 points

Your Results

60-80 Points: AI-Ready Your website has strong AI optimization foundations. Focus on refinement and monitoring. Consider professional optimization to maximize results. 40-59 Points: Partially Ready You have some good elements but significant gaps. Prioritize the areas where you scored lowest. A professional audit would identify specific improvements. 20-39 Points: Needs Work Your website needs substantial optimization for AI search. The good news: there's significant opportunity for improvement. Start with FAQs and schema markup. 0-19 Points: Urgent Action Needed Your website is likely invisible to AI search. This represents both a significant risk and opportunity. Immediate action recommended.

Quick Wins Based on Score

If You Scored Low on Content Structure:

  1. Add an FAQ section with 10+ questions
  2. Write questions in natural language
  3. Provide complete, clear answers
  4. State your services clearly

If You Scored Low on Technical Implementation:

  1. Implement basic schema markup
  2. Audit and fix consistency issues
  3. Update outdated content
  4. Improve mobile experience

If You Scored Low on Authority Signals:

  1. Gather detailed customer testimonials
  2. Submit to relevant directories
  3. Showcase credentials prominently
  4. Expand your About page

If You Scored Low on AI-Specific Elements:

  1. Research what customers actually ask
  2. Create content addressing those questions
  3. Clarify your unique value
  4. Add pricing transparency

Get a Professional Assessment

This self-assessment provides a helpful starting point, but AI visibility depends on many factors we can't assess manually.

Our free AI visibility audit:
  • Tests your actual visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity
  • Provides specific scores for SEO, GEO, and AEO
  • Compares you to competitors
  • Gives prioritized recommendations

[Get Your Free Professional Audit →]

What Comes After Assessment?

Option 1: DIY Optimization

Use this assessment and our audit results to implement improvements yourself.

Option 2: Guided Implementation

Get specific recommendations and implement with occasional guidance.

Option 3: Done-For-You

Let us handle everything while you focus on running your business.

[Explore Your Options →]

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my website is AI-ready?

Check for: clear FAQ sections, structured content that answers questions directly, schema markup implementation, consistent business information, and content that addresses what customers actually ask. Most websites lack several of these elements.

What makes a website AI-friendly?

AI-friendly websites have: clear, extractable information; FAQ content that answers common questions; schema markup that helps AI understand the content; authoritative, accurate information; and regular updates to stay current.

Can I make my website AI-ready without a redesign?

Yes. Most AI optimization doesn't require design changes. It involves adding schema markup, creating FAQ content, restructuring existing content for clarity, and ensuring information consistency. These can be done within your current design.

Do I need to hire a developer for AI optimization?

Not necessarily. Basic optimizations like FAQ content can be done without development. Schema markup and technical changes may require developer help, or you can use our done-for-you service that handles everything.

What's the most important AI readiness factor?

FAQ content that answers real customer questions. This is the quickest win for most businesses. AI systems love well-structured Q&A content because it's easy to extract and cite.

Cited Team

AI Search Optimization Experts

The Cited team has analyzed over 10,000 websites for AI search visibility. Our experts combine deep technical knowledge with practical experience helping businesses get found by ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and other AI assistants.

GEO Optimization
Schema Markup
AI Search Strategy
Technical SEO

Topics

website assessment
AI readiness
self-audit
optimization checklist

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