Practice Audit & Certification Exam

Lesson 7.1: The 5-Phase Audit Methodology

A professional GEO audit follows a strict, logical sequence — from macro (Can the AI access?) to micro (Are the facts correct?).

Phase 1: Discovery & Technical Scan

• Action: Check robots.txt — AI crawlers allowed or blocked?
• Action: Search for llms.txt in root directory — exists? Fact-dense?
• Action: Check network access — firewall blocking bots?

Phase 2: Schema & Content Deep Dive

• Action: Extract and validate JSON-LD — required set error-free?
• Action: Search for semantic context markers
• Action: Analyze answer density of the first 100 words
• Action: Sample image alt texts (Visual GEO)

Phase 3: E-E-A-T & Authority Signals

• Action: Check Person schema — authors, expertise
• Action: sameAs links to LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Wikidata
• Action: Certifications, awards referenced in code?

Phase 4: Brand Accuracy (AI Interrogation)

• Action: Query AI models about core products, prices, target audiences
• Action: Fact verification — are the generated answers correct?

Phase 5: Competitive Benchmark

• Action: Abbreviated scans for top 2 competitors
• Action: Identify strategic gaps

Lesson 7.2: From Finding to Management Roadmap

C-level decision-makers need context, impact and clear priorities.

Best Practice Format for Recommendations

FINDING:   [What was exactly found?]
IMPACT:    [How severe is the business impact?]
SOLUTION:  [What exactly needs to be done technically?]
EFFORT:    [Low / Medium / High]
PRIORITY:  [🔴 Immediate / 🟡 Short-term / 🟢 Medium-term]

Prioritization Framework

Priority	Criterion	Example
🔴 Immediate (Week 1)	Blocks AI access or incorrect info	robots.txt blocks GPTBot
🟡 Short-term (Month 1)	Significantly improve score	Create llms.txt, FAQ schema
🟢 Medium-term (Quarter)	Fine-tuning, competitive edge	Context Markers, Edge Routing

Lesson 7.3: Your Practice Work (Part B of Certification)

Choose a publicly accessible company website and conduct a complete GEO audit.

Requirements for Your Submission

1. Executive Summary (1 page) — Overall score (A+ to F), top 3 findings
2. Category Breakdown (2 pages) — Rating in 6 categories
3. Detailed Findings (3-5 pages) — Per finding: impact, solution, effort, priority
4. Quick Wins Roadmap (1 page) — 3-5 immediate measures
5. Competitor Comparison (1 page) — At least 1 competitor

Lesson 7.4: The Knowledge Test (Part A of Certification)

• Scope: 35 multiple-choice questions
• Content: Across all Modules 1–7
• Pass rate: 70% (25 of 35)
• Time limit: 60 minutes
• Retake: After 7-day waiting period