# AEO QC Checklist (for AI-assisted content)

Run this before any page publishes — especially anything AI helped produce.
The point of QC is to catch the two failure modes that sink AI-assisted content:
genericness (no originality) and unverified claims (no credibility). The editor
running QC should not be the person who drafted the page.

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## Originality (the Originality pillar)
- [ ] The page contains something only we can say — proprietary data, first-hand
      experience, or a defended point of view.
- [ ] It passes the test: "Could a competitor publish this exact page?" (Answer: no.)
- [ ] It is not templated, padded, or interchangeable with generic AI output.

## Credibility (the Credibility pillar)
- [ ] Every key claim carries an inline statistic, quotation, or named source.
- [ ] Every fact, stat, quote, and source has been verified against a primary
      source. (Assume AI-generated facts are wrong until checked.)
- [ ] No fabricated statistics, quotes, studies, or citations.
- [ ] Named author with relevant credentials; publish and last-updated dates present.

## Extractability
- [ ] The opening sentence states the complete answer.
- [ ] Headings are phrased as the questions people ask.
- [ ] Passages are self-contained and ~120–180 words.

## Accuracy & safety
- [ ] Claims are current (not stale).
- [ ] No misleading or overstated claims.
- [ ] Compliance reviewed where the topic is regulated (health, legal, finance, etc.).

## Voice & quality
- [ ] Reads like a human expert wrote it — specific, opinionated, concrete.
- [ ] No filler, hedging, or "in today's fast-paced world" throat-clearing.
- [ ] No keyword stuffing.

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### Verdict
- PASS only if every box is checked.
- If Originality or Credibility fails, send it back — those are the boxes that
  decide whether AI-assisted content helps or hurts your visibility.