How to improve your AI visibility readiness score: action plan
An AI visibility score below where you want it is not a judgment - it is a prioritised list of things to fix. Every category score can be improved with targeted action. Here is how to work through each category systematically.
Key takeaway: Improving an AI visibility score follows a four-phase sequence ordered by impact and speed: removing blockers in hours, adding structured citation hooks in days, optimising content structure over weeks, and building brand authority over months - with each phase unlocking the value of the next.
Improvement priority: work in order
GEO improvements are not all equal in impact or effort. The framework below organises improvements by impact and speed of effect. Complete Phase 1 before Phase 2, as technical barriers must be removed before content improvements can take effect.
Phase 1: remove blockers (impact: critical, time: hours)
These fixes are binary - before you fix them, no other GEO work can have full effect.
- Unblock the search/retrieval crawlers you intentionally rely on, such as OAI-SearchBot, Claude-SearchBot and PerplexityBot; decide training crawlers separately
- Optionally publish a valid llms.txt at domain root if the maintenance cost is low or a supported agent workflow needs it
- Ensure all key pages return 200 status codes
- Verify core page content does not require JavaScript to load
Expected score impact: If your AI Visibility score is currently below 50, completing Phase 1 alone can raise your overall score by 10 to 20 points.
Phase 2: add structured citation hooks (impact: high, time: days)
- Add Organisation schema to homepage with name, URL, logo and sameAs profiles
- Add Article schema to all blog posts with named author, datePublished and dateModified
- Add FAQPage schema to any page with Q&A content
- Add Person schema to all author bio pages
- Add BreadcrumbList to all pages
- Validate Schema.org syntax with Schema.org Validator and use Google Rich Results Test only for supported Google feature types
Expected score impact: If your Structured Data score is below 50, completing Phase 2 can raise it by 20 to 40 points.
Phase 3: optimise content structure (impact: medium-high, time: weeks)
- Audit your top 10 pages and rewrite openings so the answer is in the first paragraph
- Convert key headings to question format where not already
- Add explicit definitions for key terms
- Add useful FAQ sections where buyers genuinely need them; mark them up with FAQPage only when the visible content warrants it
- Ensure every article has a named author linked to a bio page
- Add publication dates and last-updated dates to all content
Phase 4: build brand authority (impact: high, time: months)
- Audit and update all sameAs links in Organisation schema
- Ensure NAP consistency across key directories
- Publish one piece of original research or data
- Pitch one guest article or press placement in your industry
- Create or verify Wikidata entries for your brand
- Build an active review presence on 2 to 3 trusted platforms
Tracking improvement
Re-run your GEO audit after each phase. You should see measurable score improvements in the relevant categories. Combine score tracking with manual citation testing monthly to confirm that improving signals is translating into more frequent citations in actual AI answers. For a full comparison of automated tracking options, see the best AI visibility tools.
Back to pillar
- How to Measure and Track Your GEO Performance →
S
Ronnie Huss
GEO Research & Analysis
The SearchScore editorial team researches and writes about generative engine optimisation, AI search visibility and the signals that determine whether your website gets cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
Sources & Further Reading
- SearchScore – Scoring methodology (250+ signals)
- SearchScore SAVI Report, Q3 2026 (Vol. 3, 1,000,000+ sites analysed)
- Schema.org – Getting started with structured data
- llmstxt.org – The llms.txt standard specification
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Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to improve a GEO Score?
Start with genuine technical blockers: make sure important pages are crawlable and indexable, and that search/retrieval crawlers you rely on are not accidentally blocked. Add accurate structured data where it describes visible content. llms.txt is optional agent-readiness housekeeping, not an immediate citation blocker, and FAQPage should not be treated as a direct citation lever.
How much can a GEO Score realistically improve?
Most websites can realistically move from Emerging (40-69) to Strong (70-79) within one to two months of focused GEO work. Moving to AI-Ready (80-100) typically takes three to six months. Reaching AI-Ready requires sustained work across all categories including longer-term brand authority building.
Does improving a GEO Score guarantee more AI citations?
A higher GEO Score improves the likelihood of AI citations but does not guarantee them. The score reflects signal strength - removing barriers and adding positive signals. Whether a specific AI engine cites your website also depends on competition in your topic area and the specific queries being asked.