AI SEO Course Workbook 2026: Rank on Google and Get Recommended by ChatGPT

Module 3: Build the 4 pages every business needs

H1: About [BRAND]
First line: [BRAND] is a [what] in [where], run by [name] since [year].
Who we serve: [customer type]
What makes us different: [2-3 specific facts, with numbers]
Credentials / proof: [licences, awards, press, years]
Contact: [address, phone, email, hours]

H1: [Service] in [City]
First line: We [do what] for [who] in [area], usually in [timeframe].
What's included
Who it's for / not for
Price: starts from [X] (or how pricing works)
Process: steps 1-4
FAQ: 3-5 questions customers really ask
Call to action

H1: [BRAND] pricing
First line: [Service] costs [range] depending on [factors].
Table: package | price | what's included | best for
What changes the price
What's not included
FAQ: 'Why does it cost more than X?', 'Do you offer payment plans?'

H2: [Question in customer's words]
Answer: [direct answer in 1-2 sentences]
[Optional: 2-4 more sentences of detail, a number, a link]
...repeat for 10-20 questions

Module 4: Write answers AI can lift

• Every H2 is a question a buyer actually asks.

  Matches how people prompt AI tools.

• The first sentence after the heading answers it directly.

  Easy to quote. Detail comes after.

• Use specific facts: numbers, prices, dates, locations, names.

  Specific statements are quotable; vague ones aren't.

• Cite your sources with links.

  One of the strongest methods in the GEO benchmark.

• Show the author and a true updated date.

  Google's helpful content guidance asks who created the content and why.

• Write it yourself or edit AI drafts heavily.

  Google allows AI-assisted content, but mass-producing pages to manipulate rankings breaks its spam policies.

Module 5: Earn mentions, reviews and list placements

1. Find the lists

   Google 'best [category] in [city]' and 'best [category] for [use case]'. List the top 10 pages. Those are what AI tools often read.

2. Ask for a fair listing

   Email each list owner with one line on why you fit and the facts they'd need. Don't pay for fake reviews or placements.

3. Ask for reviews every week

   Ask happy customers for a Google review and reply to every review. Google says reviews and replies help local prominence.

4. Show up in discussions

   Answer questions in 2-3 relevant subreddits or forums, disclosing who you are. Use the Reddit playbook.

5. Pitch 3 podcasts or newsletters

   Offer a specific story or data you're allowed to share. Each mention is a source AI can find.

Module 6: Technical basics AI crawlers need

• Site verified in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

  Free, and the only way to see what search engines see.

• robots.txt allows Googlebot, Bingbot, OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and Claude-SearchBot.

  Each company documents these as the crawlers behind its search answers. OpenAI and Perplexity say changes can take about 24 hours to apply.

• Decide on GPTBot, ClaudeBot and Google-Extended separately.

  These relate to AI training. OpenAI and Anthropic say blocking their training bots is separate from search; Google says Google-Extended doesn't affect inclusion in Google Search.

• Search Console > Settings > Search generative AI is left on.

  Google's own switch for appearing in AI Overviews, AI Mode and Discover's AI features. On by default.

• CDN/firewall doesn't block AI crawlers by accident.

  Google's AI features guide lists crawling allowed 'by any CDN or hosting infrastructure'.

• Key content is HTML text, not only images or scripts that fail to load.

  Google: make important content available in textual form.

• Structured data matches visible content; validate it.

  Use Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator.

• Pages load fast on mobile.

  Check with PageSpeed Insights; Google lists page experience in its AI features best practices.

Module 6 template: robots.txt

User-agent: OAI-SearchBot
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Claude-SearchBot
Allow: /

# Optional: opt out of AI training only
# User-agent: GPTBot
# Disallow: /
# User-agent: ClaudeBot
# Disallow: /
# User-agent: Google-Extended
# Disallow: /

User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/

Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

Module 7: Test and track your AI visibility

Date | Tool | Question | Named? (Y/N) | Position | Competitors named | Cited URLs | Wrong facts | Fix

Tools: ChatGPT (search on), Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode
Questions: 5 buyer questions, same every month
Run each 3 times; record how many times you appear (0-3)

1. Search the web. What is [BRAND]? What do they offer, where, and at what price? List your sources.
2. Who are the top three [CATEGORY] in [CITY]? List your sources.
3. What's the best [CATEGORY] for [CUSTOMER TYPE] with [SPECIFIC NEED]?
4. Compare [BRAND] and [COMPETITOR] on price, quality and who each is best for.
5. What do customers complain about with [BRAND]?

Google Search Console > Performance > Generative AI performance report (Search)
  Note: AI impressions for your 10 key pages (impressions only, no clicks or queries)
Google Search Console > Performance > Search results
  Note: clicks, impressions, CTR (AI feature traffic is also counted here under Web)
Bing Webmaster Tools > AI Performance
  Note: total citations, top cited pages, sample grounding queries (Copilot + Bing AI)
GA4 > Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition > Session source
  Note: sessions from chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai, gemini.google.com, claude.ai, copilot.microsoft.com

Module 7 worked example: reading one month (illustrative numbers)

A made-up accounting firm runs its 5 prompts, 3 times each, in 3 tools: 45 answers.

Module 8: AI search for local businesses

• Google Business Profile verified, with every field filled: category, hours, services, attributes, photos.

  Google: complete and accurate info makes you more likely to show in local results.

• Name, address and phone match exactly on your site and every listing.

  Conflicting facts give AI tools conflicting answers.

• A page per service area you actually serve, with real local details.

  Thin copy-paste city pages risk Google's doorway/scaled content spam rules.

• Reply to every review.

  Google says positive reviews and helpful replies help you stand out.

• Test 'best [service] in [city]' in AI tools monthly.

  This is the prompt local buyers use.

Module 9: Your 90-day AI SEO plan

1. Days 1-7: foundations

   Search Console + Bing Webmaster Tools verified, robots.txt checked, baseline numbers written, monthly test run once.

2. Days 8-30: the 4 pages

   About, one page per service, pricing, FAQ. Publish one every few days.

3. Days 31-60: answers

   Rewrite your top 10 pages so each heading is a buyer question with a direct first-sentence answer and sourced facts.

4. Days 61-90: mentions

   Contact 10 list owners, ask for reviews weekly, answer forum questions twice a week, pitch 3 podcasts or newsletters.

5. Day 90: retest

   Run the same monthly test and Search Console check. Compare with day 1. Keep what moved, fix what didn't.

Module 9: week-by-week checklist

• Week 1: robots.txt, Search generative AI setting, Search Console + Bing verified, baseline test run

  Foundations. Write down the 'before' numbers.

• Weeks 2–4: About page and one page per service live

  Module 3 templates. Facts AI can repeat word for word.

• Weeks 5–6: pricing page and FAQ page live

  Buyers ask AI about price; the FAQ answers in their words.

• Weeks 7–8: top 10 pages rewritten with question headings and direct answers

  Module 4.

• Weeks 9–10: 10 list owners contacted, review requests sent every week

  Module 5. Honest asks only.

• Weeks 11–12: local profile complete (if eligible), forum answers twice a week

  Modules 5 and 8.

• Day 90: same monthly test and reports, compared with week 1

  Keep what moved, fix what didn't.

Common AI SEO mistakes

• Skipping classic SEO to chase 'AI hacks'

  Google says AI features use the same indexed, snippet-eligible pages. No index, no AI answer.

• Building llms.txt and special schema first

  Google says its AI features don't need them. Do the four pages first.

• Blocking all AI bots in a panic

  Blocking the search bots removes you from those answers. Training bots are a separate choice.

• Mass-producing AI pages

  Google allows AI-assisted content, but scaled pages made to manipulate rankings break its spam policies.

• Buying reviews or 'best of' placements

  Fake reviews break Google's policies, and paid placements that aren't disclosed mislead buyers.

• Judging results from one screenshot

  AI answers change between runs. Use the 3-run count in Module 7.

• Tracking only AI and forgetting enquiries

  The goal is customers. Ask every lead how they found you.