11 Questions Your AI SEO Strategy Should Answer

Are you tracking keyword rankings while your customers are increasingly asking AI assistants for recommendations?

Are you monitoring how ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity represent your brand?

If AI SEO isn't a focus in 2025, you're missing where buying decisions actually happen.

Here are the essential questions every AI SEO strategy must answer.

AI Citation Tracking

Does your brand show up as a source for queries that you expect your customers to use, and at what position?

When potential customers ask AI assistants about your industry, your brand should appear in relevant answers. Position matters because being mentioned fifth is different from being the first recommendation. Test this by asking AI systems the questions your customers would ask.

If you are included as a source, do you show up in the summarized results too?

AI systems often cite multiple sources but only highlight a few in their main answer. Your website might be listed in citations while competitors get featured in the actual response text. Most users focus on the main answer, not the source list.

Are you covering the full "query fan-out" - all the sub-questions AI breaks complex queries into?

AI systems break complex questions into smaller components. When someone asks about marketing tools, AI might research pricing, features, support, and integrations separately. Your content needs to address not just the main question but all related sub-questions AI asks behind the scenes.

Brand Consistency

Do AI searches for your brand accurately reflect it? Is the content accurate? Are prices, if listed, correct and consistent?

Search for your company name directly in different AI systems. Check whether descriptions match your current positioning. Verify that product information, pricing, and features are correct. AI systems sometimes blend old and new information, creating confusion for potential customers.

If compared against competitors, is your differentiation clear in the output?

AI systems frequently create comparison tables when users ask about multiple options. Test queries like "compare [your product] vs [competitor]" to see how your unique value comes through. How you appear in these comparisons shapes customer perception more than isolated brand mentions.

Search Volume

How often does your brand actually appear in chats for a given timeframe and platform?

Track mention frequency across multiple AI platforms and query types. Different platforms have different user bases. Your brand might appear often on ChatGPT but rarely on Claude. Look for patterns in when and how your brand gets mentioned to understand your AI visibility.

What percentage of those appearances result in a referred visit to your site?

Being mentioned without generating traffic means AI systems might provide enough information that users don't need to visit your site. Monitor referral traffic from AI platforms and compare it to mention frequency. Low conversion suggests you need better reasons for users to click through.

Reputation, Authority & Trust Signals

Do third-party sites often used as sources for AI know about you, and is what they know accurate?

Research which websites AI systems frequently cite in your industry. These might include trade publications, review sites, or expert blogs. Ensure these sources have accurate, current information about your business. If key industry sources don't mention you, focus on getting coverage there.

Response Agility

How quickly can you detect when AI systems misrepresent your brand?

Manual checking doesn't scale for ongoing monitoring. Set up systems to track how AI platforms describe your brand over time. Sudden shifts in description, pricing, or competitive positioning deserve immediate attention before they influence customer decisions.

Do you have a process for correcting inaccurate AI outputs?

You can't directly control AI responses like search results. Correction requires updating the sources AI systems reference. Develop relationships with key industry publications and review sites. When corrections are needed, you want efficient ways to update information across trusted sources.

How quickly can you update source material when your brand's information changes?

Product launches, pricing changes, and strategy shifts need to spread through sources that feed AI systems. Create a checklist of sites to update whenever important information changes. Plan for lag time between updating sources and seeing changes in AI responses.

Start With These Questions

Ask these questions regularly, not just once. Manual testing works for initial assessment, but systematic monitoring reveals trends and opportunities over time.

The businesses that answer these questions consistently will dominate AI search in their industries. Those that ignore them will become invisible to customers who rely on AI assistants for research and recommendations.