AI search visibility checklist

More customers now ask an AI tool for a recommendation instead of scrolling through search results. “Who’s the best plumber in Newcastle?” or “What’s a good accounting app for a small business?” gets one answer that names a handful of businesses. If you’re not one of them, the customer may never see you.

This checklist helps you see how ready your business is to be mentioned.

How to use it

Tick an item only if you’ve checked it and it’s true. Start with section 1: it shows you where you stand today, before you change anything.

1. Where you stand today

• You’ve asked the AI tools. You’ve typed five to ten questions your customers would ask into ChatGPT, Google (looking at the AI Overview), Gemini and Copilot.
• You know who gets named. You’ve written down which businesses each tool mentions, and whether you’re one of them.
• You know what’s said about you. Where you are mentioned, the description is accurate and up to date.
• You’ve checked your brand name. Asking “What is [your business]?” gives a correct answer, not a mix-up with another business.
• You check again regularly. You repeat the same questions every month or two and keep a record.

2. Your website

• It says plainly what you do. Your homepage explains what you offer, who it’s for and where, in the first few lines, without jargon.
• Each main service or product has its own page, rather than everything on one page.
• You answer common questions. Pages include clear answers to the questions customers actually ask, in their words.
• Facts are easy to find. Prices or price ranges, locations, opening hours and contact details are written as text, not only in images.
• Content is current. Pages show when they were last updated, and old offers and staff have been removed.
• AI tools aren’t blocked. Your website settings don’t stop AI search tools from reading your pages, unless you’ve decided to.
• Your site is technically sound. Pages load quickly, work on phones and appear in Google’s normal search results.
• Business details are marked up. Your web developer has added structured information (schema) for your business, products, reviews and FAQs.

3. What others say about you

• Google Business Profile is complete, with the right categories, services, photos, hours and service areas.
• Directory listings match. Your name, address and phone number are the same everywhere you’re listed.
• You appear on industry sites. You’re listed on the directories, associations and comparison sites that matter in your industry.
• Reviews are steady and recent. You ask happy customers for reviews and reply to them, good and bad.
• You’re mentioned in the press or by partners. Trusted sites such as local news, suppliers and industry bodies mention or link to you.
• Your social profiles are consistent, with the same description of what you do and a link to your website.
• You show up in discussions. Your business, or the problems you solve, come up in forums and communities your customers use, such as Reddit or industry groups.

4. Showing you’re the expert

• You publish useful content. Guides, comparisons or how-tos that answer real customer questions, not just news about your business.
• Authors are named. Articles show who wrote them and why they know the subject.
• You share your own information. Original figures, examples or case studies that other sites can’t copy.
• You compare honestly. Where customers compare options, you explain the differences, including when you’re not the right fit.

5. Measuring it

• You can see AI visitors. Google Analytics is set up to show visits that come from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and similar tools.
• You ask new customers how they found you, and “ChatGPT” or “AI” is one of the options.

Your score

Count your ticks out of 26.

• 21 or more: You’re in good shape. Keep checking regularly, as the AI tools change often.
• 13 to 20: Some solid foundations, with gaps that are probably costing you mentions.
• Under 13: AI tools are unlikely to recommend you yet. Start with sections 2 and 3.

Want us to check it for you?

Our AI search visibility audit asks the AI tools your customers’ questions, compares you with your competitors and gives you a list of fixes, most important first.