Write down ten to twenty questions your customers would really ask, ask them in several AI tools with a clean session, and record whether you're named, how you're described and which sources are cited. Repeat every month. One answer says little; the pattern over time says a lot.
Step by step
- Write the questions. Use buyers' words, not yours: "Which agency can build a website for a construction company?", not your own brand name.
- Mix three kinds. Questions about the category, comparisons, and questions about your business directly.
- Use several tools. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google's AI features and others can answer very differently.
- Start clean. Use a temporary chat or a logged-out session. Your own history can colour the answer.
- Record the result. Named or not, in what position, how you are described, which sources appear.
- Repeat monthly. Use the same questions so that you can compare.
What should you look for in the answers?
| You see | It probably means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You aren't named | You aren't known for this topic, or hard to read | Answer the question clearly on your site; earn mentions elsewhere |
| You're described wrongly | Old or unclear information is out there | Fix your own pages first, then profiles and directories |
| Competitors are named, with sources | Those sources carry weight | See which sites are cited and whether you belong there |
Why do the answers keep changing?
AI answers are generated and differ per moment, per tool and sometimes per person. That's why a single screenshot proves very little, in either direction. Only trust what comes back repeatedly.
Is there a quicker way to start?
Start with whether your site can be read at all. Our free AI scan checks how readable and recommendable your site is. For what to fix on the site itself, use these 15 checks.
