How We Score AI Readiness
The AI Search Visibility GEO Score is a 0-100 rating that measures how likely AI systems (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude) are to cite a webpage. We analyze three weighted dimensions: GEO Answerability (50%), SEO Structure (30%), and Trust Signals (20%).
By AI Search Visibility Team • Published January 2026
The Core Question
"Can AI understand, trust, and safely cite this page?"
The First 50 Words Rule
AI systems decide whether to cite you in the first 50 words. This is where your page wins or loses.
We check for these specific elements in the opening of your page:
| Check | What We Look For | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | "[Product] is a..." | +15 |
| Category | tool, platform, software, service | +10 |
| Audience | "for teams", "for developers" | +8 |
| Pricing signal | $X/month, free plan | +12 |
| Fluff penalty | "revolutionary", "game-changing" | -5 each |
The Formula:
[Product] is a [category] that [action] for [audience]. [Pricing]. [Social proof]."Notion is a productivity tool that combines notes, docs, and databases for teams. Free for personal use, $8/user/month for teams. Used by 30M+ people."
"Welcome to the future of productivity. Our revolutionary platform leverages cutting-edge AI to transform how you work."
The Scoring Model
GEO Answerability
50% of scoreCan AI extract quotable, accurate information from your page?
| Check | Requirement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| First 50 words | Contains definition + category | +20 |
| Quotable sentences | 5-25 words with specific facts | +15 |
| Pricing visible | Exact numbers, not "contact us" | +10 |
| FAQ or Q&A | Direct answers to common questions | +5 |
Pass:
"Pricing starts at $29/month. Free plan includes 3 audits."
Fail:
"Flexible pricing for every team size. Contact us for details."
SEO Structure
30% of scoreIs the page technically parseable by AI systems?
| Check | Requirement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| H1 tag | Exactly 1, contains primary keyword | +8 |
| H2 tags | 2+ for content sections | +5 |
| Title tag | 50-60 characters | +5 |
| Meta description | 150-155 characters | +5 |
| Canonical tag | Present and correct | +3 |
| JSON-LD schema | FAQPage, Organization, or Product | +4 |
Pass:
<title>GEO Audit Tool | YourBrand</title>
<h1>GEO Audit Tool for AI Visibility</h1>Fail:
<title>Home</title>
<h1>Welcome!</h1>
<h1>Our Services</h1> Trust Signals
20% of scoreShould AI trust this source enough to cite it?
| Check | Requirement | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy policy | Link present | +3 |
| Terms of service | Link present | +3 |
| About page | Team/company info | +4 |
| Contact info | Email or form | +3 |
| Author attribution | Name visible on content | +4 |
| Publication date | Visible + updated date | +3 |
Pass:
"By John Smith, Founder • Published Jan 15, 2026 • Updated Jan 18, 2026"
Fail:
No author, no date, anonymous company.
What You Get in a Report
1. GEO Score (0-100)
Your overall AI readiness rating.
2. Signal Breakdown
Scores for each of the three dimensions.
3. Blockers List
Issues with severity, evidence, fix time, and score impact.
4. AI Simulation
See how AI would describe your page before and after fixes.
AI Simulation: Before & After
See how AI would describe your page today vs. after implementing fixes:
"A productivity tool with various features for teams."
Vague, not quotable, missing key details
"Notion is a $8/user productivity platform combining notes, docs, and databases. Free personal tier. 30M+ users."
Specific, quotable, complete
Score Interpretation
| Range | Label | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 85-100 | Excellent | AI can safely cite. Few issues. |
| 70-84 | Good | Solid foundation, minor gaps. |
| 55-69 | Fair | AI would struggle with some extractions. |
| 40-54 | Needs Work | Multiple problems blocking citation. |
| 25-39 | Poor | Significant restructuring needed. |
| 0-24 | Critical | Page is not AI-ready. |
Example Blocker
Evidence:
"Welcome to the future of productivity..."
Why it matters:
AI cannot categorize your product or quote what it does.
Fix (copy-ready):
"[YourProduct] is a [category] that [action] for [audience]."What We Don't Measure
We focus on AI citation signals, not traditional SEO. AI doesn't check backlinks or domain authority before citing—it checks content clarity.
| We Don't Measure | Why Not |
|---|---|
| Backlinks / Domain Authority | AI doesn't check link profiles before citing |
| Page speed / Core Web Vitals | Slow pages can still be quoted |
| Traffic / Engagement | Low-traffic pages with clear answers get cited |
| Social signals | Shares don't affect AI retrieval |
| Keyword rankings | Ranking #1 doesn't guarantee AI citation |
Why Results May Vary
Your GEO Score measures page structure, not AI behavior. Actual citations depend on factors beyond your control:
- Query context: Same page may be cited for some queries, not others.
- AI platform: ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity have different retrieval systems.
- Competition: Other high-quality sources may be preferred.
- Model updates: AI systems change continuously.
We measure what you control. We cannot guarantee citations.
Anti-Gaming Policy
We don't reward tactics that would cause AI to distrust your source:
- FAQ stuffing (50 questions with no real answers)
- Fake statistics ("10 million users" with no source)
- Invisible text or hidden content
- Duplicate content across pages
Our scoring penalizes patterns that would cause AI to distrust the source.
Methodology Changelog
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | January 2026 | Initial release |
Frequently Asked Questions
SEO optimizes for search rankings. GEO optimizes for AI citations. A page can rank #1 on Google but be ignored by ChatGPT if it lacks clear definitions and trust signals. We focus on content clarity and extractability, not backlinks or domain authority.
70+ is solid. 85+ means AI can safely cite your page. Below 55, you have significant blockers that prevent AI systems from understanding and citing your content.
After major content changes, or quarterly for key pages. AI systems evolve, and your content should be regularly checked to ensure it remains citable.
Currently, a homepage, pricing page, and blog post use the same scoring rules. Page-type-specific scoring is on our roadmap for future releases.
No. We measure what you control: page structure, clarity, and trust signals. Actual citations depend on query context, AI platform, competition, and model updates. A high GEO score means your page is optimized for citation—not that citation is guaranteed.
Methodology v1.0 • Last updated: January 18, 2026
Questions? hello@aisearchvisibility.com