How long does the AI Foundation Sprint take?

The AI Foundation Sprint is completed in 4 to 6 weeks. Week 1 covers discovery and audit. Weeks 2–3 cover technical implementation (Schema.org, heading restructure, metadata). Week 4 covers content and distribution (templates, GBP optimisation, llms.txt). Weeks 5–6 cover quality assurance, handoff, and strategy documentation.

Do I need the AI Visibility Snapshot before the Sprint?

We strongly recommend completing the AI Visibility Snapshot before the Sprint. The Snapshot identifies which structural issues most limit your visibility and which opportunities are highest priority. Without that baseline, the Sprint's implementation priorities are estimates rather than data-driven decisions. Many firms find the Snapshot makes the Sprint more targeted and effective.

Will I need to make changes to my website?

Yes — the Sprint involves direct changes to your website's technical structure, metadata, and Schema.org implementation. Citation North typically works with your existing web developer or CMS directly. For WordPress sites, we implement changes via theme customisation or a plugin. We can also provide a complete implementation brief for your developer to execute independently if you prefer.

What is an llms.txt file and why does it matter for GEO?

An llms.txt file is an AI-native site summary document that tells AI platforms what your firm does, who you serve, where you're located, and what pages to prioritise. It's analogous to robots.txt for web crawlers but specifically designed for large language models. A well-structured llms.txt file improves how AI platforms index and understand your firm's entity, services, and geographic coverage.

One-Time Implementation

AI Foundation Sprint

Q: What is included in the AI Foundation Sprint?

The AI Foundation Sprint includes: full GEO strategy document (8-step, platform-by-platform), website machine-readability audit with all issues remediated, Schema.org JSON-LD implementation (LocalBusiness, ProfessionalService, Person, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList), heading hierarchy restructure, Google Business Profile optimisation, AI-friendly content templates, and llms.txt file creation. It is a complete GEO technical and content foundation.

Citation North's AI Foundation Sprint is a fixed-scope GEO implementation for Canadian professional services firms that have completed their AI Visibility Snapshot and are ready to fix what's holding them back. In four to six weeks, we implement the structural, technical, and content foundations required for AI platforms to recognise, understand, and cite your firm.

Enquire About the Sprint Start with a Snapshot First

one-time · 4–6 weeks · Fixed scope and price

The Problem

Your Expertise Is Invisible to AI — Not Because It Doesn't Exist, But Because It's Not Structured

Most professional services firms have genuine expertise — years of case results, named practitioners with real credentials, specific practice area depth that should make them authoritative. But AI platforms can't see it.

The reason is structural. Large language models process content differently from search engine crawlers. They look for entity-dense prose, Schema.org markup that tells them what your firm does and where, correctly attributed practitioner expertise, and third-party validation through directories and citations. Without these foundations, your firm is essentially invisible to the most important emerging research channel.

The AI Foundation Sprint fixes this. It is not content marketing — it is infrastructure. And infrastructure, once built correctly, pays compounding returns through every content initiative that follows.

Common Reasons AI Can't Cite Your Firm

No Schema.org Markup

AI can't reliably identify what your firm does, where you operate, or who works there

Generic Content Structure

Pages lack entity-dense headings and prose that match how clients query AI tools

Practitioners Not Named Entities

Individual lawyers, accountants, or advisors aren't attributed as authoritative sources

No AI-Readable Site Summary

AI crawlers have no concise, structured summary telling them what your firm does or who it serves

Thin Directory Presence

Minimal third-party entity signals mean AI can't verify your firm's authority independently

What's Included

Sprint Deliverables in Full

Every Sprint deliverable is scoped, priced, and contracted in advance. No surprises, no scope creep, no retainer lock-in.

1. Full GEO Strategy Document

An 8-step, platform-by-platform GEO strategy built specifically for your firm, practice area, and target market. This document serves as your ongoing AI visibility roadmap — it explains what to do, in what sequence, on each platform, and why each action matters for citation acquisition.

Covers: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Google AI Overviews. Includes quick-win prioritisation and 12-month strategic arc.

2. Website Machine-Readability Audit + Remediation

A complete assessment of how well your website communicates with AI crawlers — including AI bot access permissions, content structure, heading hierarchy, entity clarity, and technical signals. Every identified issue is remediated as part of the Sprint, not just documented.

Includes: robots.txt review, structured data validation, heading analysis, internal linking map, content entity density assessment.

3. Schema.org JSON-LD Implementation

A full structured-data implementation across your key website pages — covering your firm, practitioners, services, FAQs, and the relationships AI platforms weight most heavily for your industry. This is the single most impactful technical action for improving AI platform recognition of your firm as a credible, well-defined entity.

4. Content Architecture Restructure

AI platforms extract meaning from how your content is structured, not just what it says. We re-architect your service and practice-area pages so they function as the answers your prospects ask for — rather than generic navigation labels.

5. Google Business Profile Optimisation

Your Google Business Profile is a primary entity signal for multiple AI platforms — especially Google Gemini and Google AI Overviews. We optimise your GBP for categories, service areas, practitioner attribution, business description entity density, and Q&A schema alignment.

6. AI-Friendly Content Templates

Three ready-to-use content templates designed for GEO-optimised content production — so your team (or ours, under the Retainer) can consistently produce content that AI platforms will process as citable expertise.

Three production templates designed for GEO-quality content output, calibrated to your firm's voice.

7. AI-Native Site Summary

We create and publish a concise, AI-native summary of your firm — the document large language models read to understand what you do, who you serve, where you operate, and which content to prioritise. Publishing one signals that your firm is deliberately structured for AI machine-readability, which is itself an authority signal.

The Four-to-Six Week Process

How the Sprint Unfolds

Every Sprint follows the same four-phase process. Weeks are approximate — some phases run in parallel for firms with responsive development teams.

1 Wk 1

Discovery & Audit

Kick-off call, access to your website CMS and Google Business Profile, Snapshot findings review (if applicable). Full machine-readability audit completed. Current entity signals mapped. Competitor positioning documented. Strategy brief drafted.

2–3 Wk 2–3

Technical Implementation

Structured data written and implemented across your key pages. Content architecture restructured. Metadata tightened for entity clarity. AI crawler access verified.

4 Wk 4

Content & Distribution

Content templates produced and briefed to your team. AI-native site summary created and published. Google Business Profile optimised. First directory citation placements identified and submitted.

5–6 Wk 5–6

QA, Strategy Handoff & Measurement Setup

Full quality assurance of all implementations. GEO strategy document finalised and delivered. Baseline measurements documented for future Snapshot comparison. Handoff call with your team covering all deliverables, recommendations for ongoing work, and Retainer options if relevant.

AI Foundation Sprint

CAD · One-time · Fixed scope

Full GEO strategy document
Machine-readability audit + remediation
Structured-data implementation across your key pages
Content architecture restructure
Google Business Profile optimisation
GEO-ready content production templates
AI-native site summary published

Before the Sprint, start with an AI Visibility Snapshot to identify your highest-priority fixes.

Enquire About the Sprint Start with a Snapshot

After the Sprint

Many firms move from the Sprint into the AI Visibility Retainer — where Citation North handles ongoing content production, monthly scoring, and citation building on a retained basis.

→ Learn about the Retainer

Industry Applications

The Sprint Is Built for Your Industry

Law Firms

Practitioner-attributed articles. Law Society advertising rule compliance.

Accounting Firms

Service area specialisation. Named accountant entity markup.

Healthcare

PIPEDA-compliant data structures.

Financial Advisory

CIRO/MFDA registration entity signals.

Common Questions

AI Foundation Sprint — FAQs

What is included in the AI Foundation Sprint?

The Sprint includes seven deliverables: a full GEO strategy document, machine-readability audit and full remediation, structured-data implementation across your key pages, content architecture restructure, Google Business Profile optimisation, three production-ready content templates, and a published AI-native site summary. Everything is implemented — not just documented.

How long does the Sprint take?

Four to six weeks from kick-off to final handoff. The timeline depends primarily on access to your CMS (typically WordPress) and the responsiveness of any third-party developers involved. Firms with an in-house or available developer often complete in four weeks. The Sprint scope is fixed — we don't extend it to extract additional fees.

Do I need to complete the Snapshot first?

We strongly recommend it. The Snapshot's priority fix list and query-tier analysis directly inform the Sprint's implementation priorities — which structural fixes matter most for your practice area, which content restructures are highest value, and which content gaps should be addressed in the templates. Without the Snapshot, we use general best practices. With it, every decision is targeted. The Snapshot investment more than pays for itself in Sprint efficiency.

What access will Citation North need to my website?

We'll need CMS admin access (typically WordPress), Google Business Profile manager access, and Google Search Console access. All credentials are handled securely and access is revoked upon project completion if requested. For firms that prefer not to share CMS access directly, we provide a complete implementation brief and work with your developer to execute the changes.

What happens after the Sprint is complete?

You receive the complete GEO strategy document, all implementation files, and a handoff briefing. From there, you can execute the ongoing strategy independently using the content templates, or engage Citation North for the AI Visibility Retainer — where we handle monthly content production, scoring, and citation building. Approximately 60% of Sprint clients move to a Retainer within 90 days.

Ready to Fix Your GEO Foundations?

Most firms start with an AI Visibility Snapshot to identify their highest-priority fixes — then move into the Sprint for implementation. Both are available now.

Start with a Snapshot Enquire About the Sprint

After the Sprint: AI Visibility Retainer/mo →