Does ChatGPT recommend your brand? A 30-minute AI visibility test

The short answer: you can test whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot recommend your brand in about 30 minutes. Write ten questions your buyers really ask, put them to each assistant, and score three things: are you named, are you described correctly, and is your site cited. Most brands I test score close to zero on the first pass.

I’m Mark Chambers, a bilingual SEO and GEO consultant working between Italy and English-speaking markets. This is the same test I run at the start of every Corridor Audit, simplified so you can do it yourself today.

Why does AI visibility matter for sales?

Because buyers now ask an assistant for a shortlist and act on it. On three UK bed brands I ran in 2025–26, AI assistants sent 551 website sessions in twelve months, and ChatGPT alone sent twice as many visits as Bing to one of the stores. The full numbers are in the bed brand case study.

If the assistant doesn’t know you, you are not on the shortlist. And unlike Google, there is no page two to fall back on.

Step 1: which questions should you test?

Write ten questions in your buyer’s words, not yours. Mix three types:

• Category questions: “Who makes the best handmade ottoman beds in the UK?”
• Problem questions: “How do I find an Italian supplier of industrial balers that ships to Canada?”
• Brand questions: “What is [your brand] known for?” and “Is [your brand] reliable?”

If you sell in two languages, write the Italian set separately. Don’t translate the English questions; Italian buyers phrase the problem differently.

Step 2: how do you run the test fairly?

1. Use a private or logged-out window where you can, so past chats don’t bias the answer.
2. Ask each question in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot. Also check Google’s AI answer for the same query.
3. Copy each answer into a spreadsheet with the date. AI answers change, so the date matters.

Step 3: how do you score the answers?

Also note who the assistant names instead of you. That list is your real competitive set in AI search, and it is often different from the one you’d guess.

Why do AI assistants ignore good brands?

In my audits, it comes down to four causes, in this order:

1. No direct answers. The site describes the company but never answers the buyer’s question in one clean sentence.
2. Inconsistent facts. Different addresses, founding dates or product names across the site, LinkedIn and directories. The AI can’t triangulate you, so it leaves you out.
3. No one else talks about you. AI engines lean on reviews, press, trade media and forums. Your own site is only part of the evidence.
4. Wrong language. An Italian brand with a translated English site is often invisible to English-language prompts. See why “just translate it” fails.

What should you fix first?

• Add an answer-first paragraph to your key pages and guides: question as heading, two-sentence answer underneath.
• Make your name, location, services and founding facts identical everywhere, and add Organization and FAQ structured data.
• Earn three to five independent mentions in your trade press or partner sites this quarter.
• Re-run the test in 60 days and compare the score.

The thinking behind all this is in GEO explained: how to get cited by AI in two languages. If your site is the weak link, start with the cross-border website checklist.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I test my AI visibility?

Monthly is enough for most SMEs. Use the same ten questions each time so the score is comparable.

Can I pay to appear in ChatGPT answers?

Not in the organic answer. You earn a mention with clear, consistent, well-cited content, which is what GEO, generative engine optimisation, is for.

Is GEO different from SEO?

They overlap. Good SEO foundations help AI visibility, but GEO adds answer-first writing, consistent entity facts and earned mentions beyond your own site.