Content Extraction Audit

Understand what AI systems actually extract from your pages. A content extraction audit reveals gaps between your intended content and what AI can access and understand.

In this guide

What content extraction means for AI
Testing with AI tools directly
Identifying extraction problems
Audit methodology and checklist

12 min read Prerequisite: Schema Validation

What is Content Extraction?

AI systems extract meaningful content from your pages by:

Identifying Main Content

Separating article body from navigation, ads, and boilerplate.

Parsing Structure

Understanding headings, lists, tables, and relationships.

Extracting Facts

Pulling specific data points like prices, dates, names, and features.

Testing with AI Directly

The most direct way to audit extraction is to ask AI about your content:

1. Use AI Search Tools

Ask questions about your site in tools with web access:

• "What are the pricing plans for [Your Product]?"
• "What does [Your Company] do?"
• "What are the main features of [Your Product]?"
• "Who founded [Your Company] and when?"

2. Compare Responses to Reality

Check if AI responses match your actual content. Incorrect or missing information reveals extraction problems or content gaps.

3. Test Specific Pages

Provide a URL and ask AI to summarize:

"Summarize the main points from https://yoursite.com/pricing"

Common Extraction Problems

✗

Content in Images

Pricing tables, feature lists, or key info only in images. AI can't read image text reliably.

Fix: Include text alternatives and descriptive alt text.

✗

Important Data in PDFs

Spec sheets, pricing, or documentation locked in PDF files.

Fix: Provide HTML versions of key PDF content.

✗

Scattered Information

Key facts spread across many pages without a clear summary.

Fix: Create dedicated pages that consolidate important information.

✗

Outdated Content Ranking Higher

Old blog posts appearing in AI responses instead of current information.

Fix: Update or remove outdated content, use clear date signals.

✗

Ambiguous Language

Marketing speak that doesn't clearly state what you do or offer.

Fix: Use clear, specific language with concrete details.

Extraction Audit Methodology

Step 1: List Key Facts

Create a list of facts you want AI to know about your business:

• Company name and description
• Products/services and their features
• Pricing information
• Founding date and location
• Key differentiators
• Contact information

Step 2: Query AI Systems

Ask various AI tools about each fact. Note which facts are:

• Correct: AI knows it accurately
• Partially correct: AI knows something but it's incomplete
• Incorrect: AI has wrong information
• Missing: AI doesn't know this at all

Step 3: Identify Sources

For incorrect or missing information, find where on your site this should appear. Is it:

• Not on your site at all?
• Hidden in JS-rendered content?
• Buried in a PDF or image?
• On a page with crawl issues?

Step 4: Fix and Verify

Address each issue and re-test after AI has had time to re-crawl (may take weeks for training-based AI, faster for real-time AI search).

Audit Checklist