What is a technical AI-search analysis?
A technical analysis for AI-search assesses whether AI crawlers can reach, crawl and understand your website. This is the foundation for all further optimization.
The technical checklist
1. Robots.txt configuration
Your robots.txt determines which bots can crawl your site. Check if AI crawlers are allowed:
# Allow AI crawlers
User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /
User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /
User-agent: Anthropic-AI
Allow: /
User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /
Note: Some WordPress plugins and security tools block all unknown bots by default.
2. Sitemap.xml
An up-to-date sitemap helps crawlers find your important pages:
- All public pages included
- Priority set for important pages
- Regularly updated
- Linked from robots.txt
3. Structured Data
Schema.org markup helps AI understand your content:
Essential schemas:
- Organization (company info)
- WebSite (site structure)
- FAQPage (frequently asked questions)
- Article/BlogPosting (articles)
- Person (experts/founders)
- BreadcrumbList (navigation)
Validation:
- Test with Google Rich Results Test
- Check for errors in Search Console
- Validate JSON-LD syntax
4. llms.txt file
A relatively new concept: a special file for AI crawlers with structured information about your company.
# MatthCon
## Description
MatthCon is a B2B marketing consultancy specializing in digital strategy, SEO, automation and AI-search optimization.
## Services
- Strategic marketing
- SEO & content
- Marketing automation
- CMO-as-a-Service
5. Canonical URLs
Correct canonicals prevent duplicate content issues:
- Each page has one canonical URL
- Parameters are correctly handled
- No conflicting canonicals
6. Performance
Fast sites are better crawled:
- Core Web Vitals in the green
- Time to First Byte < 800ms
- No heavy JavaScript blocking
7. Mobile-first
AI tools often use mobile-first indexing:
- Responsive design
- No content differences between desktop/mobile
- Readable text without zoom
8. JavaScript rendering
Some AI crawlers struggle with JavaScript:
- Server-side rendering where possible
- Important content in HTML, not only in JS
- Fallback for JS-disabled browsers
Output of a technical analysis
After a technical analysis you deliver:
Quick wins (immediately actionable):
- Robots.txt adjustments
- Missing structured data
- Sitemap updates
- Performance quick fixes
Structural improvements (roadmap):
- Schema extensions
- Content restructuring
- Technical debt cleanup
- Performance optimization
What can MatthCon do for you?
MatthCon performs extensive technical AI-search analyses. We deliver a practical report with priorities and an implementation plan. Request an analysis or read more about our complete approach.