The Complete SEO, AEO & GEO Cheatsheet for 2026 — 40+ Tactics

A comprehensive checklist of over 40 SEO, AEO, and GEO tactics to rank on Google, appear in AI Overviews, and get cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity in 2026. Use this as your optimization playbook.

Technical SEO Tactics

Core Web Vitals (LCP under 2.5s, CLS under 0.1, INP under 200ms). Mobile-first design. HTTPS. XML sitemap. Clean URL structure. robots.txt. Structured data / schema markup. Canonical tags. Internal linking. Page speed optimization.

On-Page SEO Tactics

Target keyword in H1. Unique title tags (50–60 chars). Unique meta descriptions (150–160 chars). Keyword in first 100 words. Image alt text. Header hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3). Content depth and topical coverage. E-E-A-T signals (author bio, credentials, citations).

AEO Tactics (Answer Engine Optimization)

FAQ sections with direct question-and-answer format. Featured snippet targeting. People Also Ask optimization. Structured data: FAQPage, HowTo, Article schemas. Concise, direct answers under 50 words for snippet boxes. Voice search optimization.

GEO Tactics (Generative Engine Optimization)

Build entity authority (consistent NAP, Organization schema, Wikipedia-style references). Get cited on authoritative third-party sites (industry publications, news outlets, review platforms like G2 and Clutch). Create original research and data. Use conversational, question-answering content format. Build topical clusters around core subject areas.

Local SEO Tactics (Ottawa & Beyond)

Google Business Profile optimization. Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across all directories. Local keyword targeting. Local backlink building. Customer review generation. LocalBusiness schema markup.