AI-readiness benchmarks
The targets a page should hit to be readable, trustworthy and quotable for AI engines, and a free audit to see where yours stands.
About industry data: industry averages will be published once our tracking platform has measured enough sites in each industry. Until then this page sets out the targets our audits score against, so you can benchmark against best practice.
| Signal | Target | Why it matters | Check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content in the HTML | 80+ words without JavaScript | Most AI crawlers don't run JavaScript. | Site audit |
| AI search crawlers | None blocked | A blocked crawler can't cite you. | Crawler checker |
| Opening paragraph | 70 words or fewer | Short openings can be lifted as a direct answer. | Site audit |
| Section length | 150–300 words per heading | Each section can be retrieved and quoted on its own. | Site audit |
| Question headings | At least one per key page | They match how people phrase prompts. | Site audit |
| Fact density | 35%+ of sentences specific | Numbers, dates and names make passages quotable. | Citation audit |
| Sources linked | 3+ outside domains | Sourced claims are easier to trust. | Citation audit |
| Structured data | 1+ relevant schema type, no errors | States what the page is in machine-readable form. | Site audit |
| Author and dates | Both shown | Supports expertise and freshness. | Citation audit |
| Last updated | Within 12 months | AI engines favor fresh sources for many questions. | Citation audit |
| sameAs profiles | 3+ on the homepage | Connects the site to the same brand elsewhere. | Brand entity check |
| Image alt text | 90%+ of images | Models reading the page can't see images without it. | Site audit |
Three-Score Site Audit
Score any page against these benchmarks: technical, content and AI, and agent readiness, with every miss explained.
What matters most where
Every target applies everywhere, but each industry has a few signals that decide most outcomes.
Agencies
- Repeatable audits across clients
- Crawler access on every client site
- Answer-first templates
See the free tool for Agencies →
E-commerce
- Complete Product and Offer markup
- Price and stock accuracy
- Review and shipping data
See the free tool for E-commerce →
SaaS & B2B
- Current pricing in markup and copy
- Server-rendered docs
- Honest comparison pages
See the free tool for SaaS & B2B →
Enterprise
- One brand name across properties
- Shared crawler policy
- hreflang between markets
See the free tool for Enterprise →
Local Business
- Identical NAP everywhere
- LocalBusiness markup with hours
- Steady reviews
See the free tool for Local Business →
Publishers & Media
- Crawler policy by purpose
- Author and date on every article
- Quotable, sourced passages
See the free tool for Publishers & Media →
About these benchmarks
Where do these targets come from?+
They're the thresholds our free audits score against, based on how retrieval systems split and quote pages and on search engines' published guidance. They're targets, not industry averages.
Will you publish industry benchmarks?+
Yes, once our tracking platform has measured enough sites in each industry. We won't publish averages we haven't measured.
Does hitting every target guarantee AI citations?+
No. These targets remove obstacles and make pages easier to quote. Whether an engine cites you also depends on your reputation, the competition and the question.
Be the brand AI recommends, and the one customers choose.
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