Website Audit Checklist for AI Search: 12 Checks to Run Before You Spend on Ads
Speed scores don’t tell you whether customers, Google and AI tools can find and trust your site. Here are 12 checks to run first, each tied to what Google itself says.
The short answer
A fast website can still be invisible. Before you spend money on ads, check four things: can Google find every service you sell, can it understand what you do and where, can customers trust you, and does the site work on a phone. Google says the same SEO basics apply to its AI features as to regular search (Google Search Central).
The checklist
Can they find it?
- Every service you sell has its own page.
- Every main city or area you serve has a page with real local detail.
- Search engines can reach every page, and you’ve submitted a sitemap in Google Search Console (Google’s SEO Starter Guide).
Can they understand it?
- Each page answers one main question near the top.
- Headings describe what each section answers.
- Structured data describes the business: name, address, phone, hours and service area (Google: Local business structured data).
- Images have alt text that describes what they show. WebAIM’s February 2026 scan of the top one million home pages found 53.1% were missing alt text on images (WebAIM Million, 2026).
Can they trust it?
- Recent reviews, with replies. 74% of consumers only care about reviews from the last three months (BrightLocal, 2026).
- Real names, real photos and real credentials, like a license number.
- The same business name, address and phone number everywhere online, and a complete Google Business Profile (Google Business Profile Help).
Does it work for people?
- Pages load fast on a phone and don’t freeze. Google’s “good” line is the main content showing within 2.5 seconds (web.dev). See post 15.
- The phone number and contact form are easy to reach from every page.
Platform limits
Hosted website builders are easy to start with, but some can’t add new page types, custom structured data or a faster template. If yours can’t, put that in the audit. Sometimes the right fix is moving platforms.
FAQ
How often should I run this?
Once a quarter, and any time you add a service or a service area.
Which check matters most?
Number 1. If a service has no page, Google has nothing to show for it.
Sources: Google Search Central: AI features · Google SEO Starter Guide · Google: Local business structured data · WebAIM Million, February 2026 · BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 · Google Business Profile Help · web.dev: Core Web Vitals