Is your website actually built for SEO and AEO in 2026?
Most of the SEO and AEO advice out there assumes your site already has the basics in place. Most sites do not. This is the short, practical version: the specific things a site needs before any content strategy on top of it can actually work, for a business anywhere on the New Hampshire Seacoast or in northeastern Massachusetts.
Published January 6, 2027 · Kyle Fredette, Seacoast Cited
What counts as the foundation, exactly?
Four things: schema markup that states your services and service area in a format machines read directly, page content structured to answer questions up front, a Google Business Profile that matches your site word for word, and a sitemap actually submitted to Google.
Why does this come before content strategy, not after?
Content built on top of a weak foundation still fails to get read correctly, by search engines or AI engines, no matter how good the writing is. Fixing the foundation first is what makes every piece of content after it actually count.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Schema markup on every page | States facts directly instead of leaving them to inference |
| Answer-first page structure | Puts the direct answer before the background, for readers and engines alike |
| Google Business Profile matching the site | Confirms the entity is real and consistent |
| Sitemap submitted to Google | Makes sure every page is actually discoverable |
Want us to check your actual site against this list?
Contact UsFrequently asked questions
Do I need schema markup even if I am not technical?
Yes, but you do not need to write it yourself. It is a block of code added once, then updated as your services or service area change. The point is that it exists and stays accurate, not that you personally understand every line of it.
What is answer-first page structure?
It means each section opens with a direct answer to the question in its heading, before any background or story. Both readers and AI engines scan for that answer first, and a page that buries it loses both.
How often should I resubmit my sitemap?
You do not need to resubmit it on a schedule. Submit it once when the site is ready, then again any time you add a meaningful batch of new pages, so Google knows to go look.
I already read the AEO playbook. Is this the same thing?
It overlaps on purpose. This is the shorter, checklist version of the same foundation, useful as a quick gut check on your own site rather than the full explanation of why each piece matters.