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SEO, AEO & Schema: a plain-English guide to getting your pages noticed

From a blank page to an SEO, AEO and schema-optimised website — a step-by-step guide for non-technical website owners, using free tools (FileZilla and Notepad++) and the AIWebPageSEO audit tools. No coding required.

Preface

Once upon a time there was a bookie who spent all year trying to get into the posh boxes at Ascot. One year he finally managed to secure a place for around £1,000 and went merrily along to set up his pitch, thinking it would be a good day. To cut a long story short, all you could hear was him moaning. Rich folk with £10k bottles of champagne were placing 25p each-way bets and wanting every penny back, and one chap had a tenner to win that wiped out his profit. The moral: sometimes what you think you get is not what you get — and we are here because we do not know what to do with a blank page.

Step 1 — The blank page

Every great web page starts blank. Over these steps we turn an empty page into something Google and AI search engines actually notice — one small step at a time, no jargon and no scary code. You do not need to do all 13 in one sitting; work down the list at your own pace and tick each one off.

Step 2 — Two free tools you will need

You will need two free programs. Get them set up before you start the other steps:

1. FileZilla — moves files between your computer and your website. Download it from filezilla-project.org (choose "FileZilla Client", not Server). Install it like any normal program.
2. Notepad++ — edits web pages safely. Download it from notepad-plus-plus.org and install it. Never edit web pages in Microsoft Word — Word adds hidden formatting that breaks them.
3. To connect FileZilla to your website you need three things from your hosting company: a host (or FTP address), a username and a password. If you do not have these, ask your host for your "FTP details".

Our setup guide shows you, with pictures, how to download both programs and plug your FTP details into FileZilla. Any similar editor or FTP program works too — these are just the free ones we use.

Step 3 — What are we trying to do?

Three simple goals, in plain English:

1. SEO helps Google find and rank your page.
2. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) helps AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity quote your page.
3. Schema is a hidden label on your page that tells both of them exactly what your page is (a business, an article, a product, and so on).

You do not need to understand the theory. Each step below uses one of our tools to check one thing and hands you the exact fix to paste in.

Step 4 — A proper title and description

Your title is the blue headline Google shows in search results; your description is the grey summary underneath it. Here is how to check and fix yours:

1. Open the Meta Analyzer.
2. Paste your page's web address (for example yourdomain.com/about.html) into the box and run the check.
3. It shows your current title and description, how long each is, and a tick or a cross. A cross means it is too long, too short, or missing — and it gives you a better version to use. Copy the suggested title and description.
4. Open your page in Notepad++. Press Ctrl+F, type <title> and press Enter to jump to it. Replace the words between <title> and </title> with your new title.
5. Just below it, find the line that starts <meta name="description" and replace the words inside content="…" with your new description.
6. Save with Ctrl+S, then upload the page in FileZilla by dragging it from the left side (your computer) to the right side (your website).

Step 5 — Sort out your headings

Headings are like chapter titles that search engines read to understand your page. The rule: one main heading (called an H1), then smaller sub-headings under it. Here is how to check yours:

1. Open the Site Audit and run it on your page's web address.
2. Scroll to the Headings section of the results. It tells you if you have no H1, more than one H1, or headings in the wrong order — and what it should be instead.
3. To fix in Notepad++: your main heading should look like <h1>Your main title</h1> and appear only once. Sub-headings use <h2> and <h3>. Make sure there is just one <h1>.
4. Save (Ctrl+S) and upload with FileZilla.

Step 6 — Add schema markup

Schema is hidden text that tells Google your page is a business, article, product or review — and it can earn you the fancy Google results with stars and extra info. You do not write it yourself; our tool writes it for you:

1. Open the AI Schema Generator and give it your page's web address.
2. It reads your page and produces a block of code called JSON-LD. Copy the whole block (there is usually a "copy" button).
3. In Notepad++, find the line </head> (press Ctrl+F, type </head>, Enter). Click just before it and paste the copied block there.
4. Save (Ctrl+S) and upload with FileZilla. Do not worry about understanding the code — you only need to paste it in the right spot.

Step 7 — Check your schema works

After adding schema, make sure Google will accept it:

1. Open the Schema Debugger and run it on the page you just updated.
2. It scores your markup out of 100 against Google's rules and lists any errors (must fix) and warnings (nice to fix).
3. If it flags something, go back to the AI Schema Generator, regenerate, paste the new block over the old one in Notepad++, upload again, and re-check until the errors are gone.

A green, error-free score is what makes the rich results (stars, prices, FAQs) possible.

Step 8 — Create an llms.txt file

An llms.txt file is a simple text file that sits in the top folder of your website and tells AI search engines what your site is about and which pages matter. Here is how to make and place one:

1. Open the LLMs.txt Auditor and give it your site's address.
2. It checks whether you already have one and, if not, generates a proper llms.txt file for you. Save or copy the file it gives you.
3. In FileZilla, connect to your site and open the root folder — the top-level folder that already contains your home page (often called public_html, httpdocs or www).
4. Drag the llms.txt file into that folder. It must sit at the top, alongside your home page — not inside a sub-folder.
5. Check it worked: in your browser go to yourdomain.com/llms.txt — you should see the text appear.

Step 9 — See how AI engines view you

Now check how visible your page is to the AI answer engines:

1. Open the AEO Checker and run it on your page.
2. It shows how easily ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews can read and quote your page, and gives you a list of tweaks to get quoted more often.
3. Work through its suggestions the same way as before: make the change in Notepad++, save, upload with FileZilla, then re-run the checker to confirm the score improved.

Step 10 — Get found locally (Maps and more)

If you serve a local area, this matters both for Google Maps and for AI answers that recommend nearby businesses. Run these three checks in turn:

1. Open the Maps Audit and follow its checklist for your Google Maps listing.
2. Open the Google Business Profile Audit — this checks your free Google business listing (your name, address, phone, opening hours, photos and reviews). It tells you exactly what is missing or inconsistent.
3. Open the Local SEO Checker and run it on your page to confirm your area and contact details are set up so Google links them to your business.

The most common local fix is making your name, address and phone number identical everywhere — on your site, your Google listing and any directories. Even small differences confuse Google.

Step 11 — Readable and trustworthy

Google rewards pages that are easy to read and clearly written by someone who knows their subject (Google calls this E-E-A-T). Two quick checks:

1. Open the Readability check and run it on your page. It flags long, hard-to-read sentences and suggests simpler wording. Edit the text in Notepad++, save and upload.
2. Open the E-E-A-T check. It looks for trust signals — an author name, an "about" page, contact details, dates — and tells you which to add. Add the ones it suggests, then re-run.

Step 12 — Make it fast

A slow page loses visitors and rankings. Here is how to find out what is slowing yours down:

1. Open the Core Web Vitals check and run it on your page.
2. It measures your speed and points to the cause — most often large images or too much clutter loading at once.
3. If images are the problem, the usual fix is to shrink them before uploading: a photo straight from a phone is far bigger than a web page needs. A free tool like tinypng.com will shrink them. Replace the big image with the smaller one in FileZilla, then re-run the check.

Step 13 — Your page now shines

That is the full set. You now have a proper title and description, clean headings, working schema, an llms.txt file, AI visibility, strong local signals, readable trusted content and good speed — a page Google and the AI engines actually notice.

1. Run the full Site Audit one more time to confirm everything is green.
2. Come back and re-run it any time you change the page, so it stays sharp.
3. Repeat these steps for your other important pages, one at a time.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SEO, AEO and Schema?

SEO helps Google rank your page, AEO helps AI engines quote your page, and Schema is structured data that tells both what your page is.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. The guide uses free tools and the audit tools generate the schema, llms.txt and fixes for you to copy and paste.

What is an llms.txt file?

A simple text file in your site root that tells AI search engines what your site is about and which pages matter.

How much does it cost?

Pay-as-you-go with no subscription. Most checks cost between 1p and £3.99 per run, and credits never expire.