Publishing a post is easy. Publishing one that search engines, AI assistants and answer boxes can understand is harder. Siteryn SEO, GEO & AEO adds a panel to the WordPress editor that reviews your content as you write, so you can fix problems before you publish. This tutorial shows how to use its SEO, GEO and AEO checks step by step.
You will learn what each group of checks means, which warnings to fix first and how to build a simple pre-publish routine.
Quick answer
To use the SEO, GEO and AEO checks in WordPress, fill in the meta boxes (SEO title, meta description and focus keyphrase), read the analysis panel, fix red errors first, then amber warnings, and review the generative engine, answer engine and internal link sections before you publish. Green checks mean the item passes. Warnings are guidance, not rules.
What are SEO, GEO and AEO checks?
SEO, GEO and AEO checks are automated tests that review your page for search engine optimization, generative engine optimization and answer engine optimization, covering titles, keyphrases, structure, readability, links, direct answers and signals that help AI assistants understand and quote your content.
Before you start
- WordPress 6.4+, WooCommerce 8.0+ (for store pages) and PHP 7.4+.
- One published or draft post to practice on.
- A main question or topic for that post.
- Our guides on answer engine optimization for WordPress and the WooCommerce SEO checklist for background.
Watch the video tutorial
See other walkthroughs on the video tutorials page, and check the documentation for full setup details.
Step 1: Fill in the meta boxes
In the post editor, find the Meta Boxes area. It has three main fields:
- SEO title: aim for about 30 to 60 characters and put your main phrase near the start.
- Meta description: aim for about 120 to 160 characters and include your main phrase.
- Focus keyphrase: the main phrase people would search to find the page. It is used by the analysis and is not shown to visitors.
Step 2: Read the analysis panel
The sidebar groups its checks, with green ticks for passes, amber triangles for warnings and red crosses for problems. You will see checks such as:
| Group | Example checks |
|---|---|
| SEO | SEO title length, meta description length, focus keyphrase set, keyphrase in title, meta description and URL, search intent |
| Content | Keyphrase in the introduction and in subheadings, keyphrase usage, content length, subheadings and heading hierarchy |
| Readability | Sentence length and paragraph length |
| Images | Featured image set |
| Links | Internal links, sources and outbound links |
Step 3: Fix problems in the right order
- Red errors first. For example, a keyphrase that appears zero times in the text.
- Keyphrase placement. Add it to the title, meta description, first paragraph and at least one subheading, in a natural way.
- Readability. Shorten long sentences and long paragraphs.
- Amber warnings. Treat them as suggestions. Fix what helps the reader.
Step 4: Review the generative engine checks
The Generative engines and AI assistants section looks at signals that help AI tools understand your page. It can include topic coverage, semantic sections, lists and tables, citation readiness, machine-readable data, author expertise and freshness.
- Use lists and tables for facts that assistants can extract.
- Add a short biography to the author’s user profile, because assistants weigh identifiable authors more.
- Keep structured data in place. See WordPress schema markup.
- Update older posts so freshness checks pass.
Step 5: Review the answer engine checks
The Answer engines and featured answers section looks at how well your page answers questions. Checks can include questions as headings, direct answers, definition clarity, answer completeness, a visible FAQ, a featured-answer summary, answer formats and answer length.
- Turn key headings into questions.
- Start answers with a clear definition sentence, such as “X is…”.
- Put comparisons in a table.
- Keep each direct answer to a short paragraph.
Step 6: Add the internal links it suggests
The internal link suggestions section lists related posts you do not link to yet, with a Copy link button for each. Link the ones that genuinely help the reader. See WordPress internal linking for how to choose anchor text.
Build a simple pre-publish routine
- Meta boxes filled in and keyphrase set
- No red errors left
- Keyphrase in title, meta description, introduction and a subheading
- Question headings with direct answers
- A table or list where it helps
- Visible FAQ added
- Author bio completed
- Internal links added
- Featured image set
Check every post for search, generative and answer engines
Siteryn SEO, GEO & AEO reviews your content as you write, from titles and keyphrases to answer formats, author details and internal links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need every check to be green?
No. Green means a check passes, but warnings are guidance. Fix what helps your reader and your page, and ignore what does not fit the content.
Why does the sources check show a warning?
It asks you to link to evidence for facts and figures. If your site uses only internal links by policy, you can leave that warning and avoid unsupported claims instead.
What is a focus keyphrase?
It is the main phrase people would search to find the page. It guides the analysis and is not shown to visitors.
Will good scores guarantee rankings or AI citations?
No. The checks guide good practice, but nobody can guarantee rankings or citations. Quality, accuracy and usefulness still matter most.
Final Thoughts
Good checks make good habits. Fill in the meta boxes, fix the red items, shape your headings as questions and add useful links.
Run the same routine on every post, and your whole site becomes easier for people, search engines and AI to understand.
