The answer engine optimization checklist
This checklist scores your organization across five areas AI search tools use to decide who to recommend: answer-first content, structured data, entity consistency, reviews and AI Overview presence. Score yourself honestly, two points for yes, one for partial, zero for no. Most healthcare organizations score under half. When you are done, request a consultation for a second, more technical read.
Self-Scoring Checklist
1. 1. Answer-first content
2. 2. Structured data and schema
3. 3. Entity consistency
4. 4. Reviews and reputation
5. 5. AI Overview and AI search presence
Score yourself
Add up your points, two per question, 30 possible.
0 to 10: Just getting started. Most of the mechanics AI search tools rely on are not in place yet.
11 to 20: Making progress. Some structure exists, but gaps are likely costing you visibility.
21 to 30: Ahead of most of your market. Worth a technical review to find the remaining gaps.
What this checklist does not tell you
A self-score is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Organizations using this framework with a full technical review have seen results like Southern California Health System's 22x increase in AI Overview traffic. If you want that level of detail for your own organization, request a consultation.