Is Your Website Invisible to AI Search? A 10-Point Checklist

Miranda

16 hours ago

Here’s a test worth five minutes of your day. Open ChatGPT or Claude and ask: “Who’s the best [your service] in [your town]?”

Did your business come up? If not, you’re not alone. Most small business websites were built to rank on Google years ago, and a lot of them are close to invisible when someone asks an AI assistant for a recommendation instead.

This checklist is the quick version. Ten things to check on your website and online presence, each one something you can look at today. If you want the full step-by-step explanation, read how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT and Claude.

The AI search checklist

1. You’ve asked AI assistants about your business

Why it matters: You can’t fix what you haven’t measured. AI assistants may describe your business inaccurately, or not at all.

How to check: Ask ChatGPT and Claude (with web search on) “Who do you recommend for [service] in [area]?” and “What do you know about [business name] in [city]?” Note who shows up and what’s said about you.

2. Your homepage says what you do, for whom, and where

Why it matters: AI assistants can only repeat what’s clearly written. Clever taglines without specifics give them nothing to work with.

How to check: Read your homepage’s first screen. Does it name your actual service, your ideal customer, and your service area in plain words? If not, start with my guide to what to put on your homepage.

3. Each service has its own page

Why it matters: A single “Services” page with a list of bullet points is hard to recommend for any one of them. Dedicated pages give each service a clear, specific home.

How to check: List your main services. Does each one have a page that explains what it is, who it’s for, the process, and the area you serve?

4. Schema markup is in place

Why it matters: Schema labels your business details in a format machines can read, which removes guesswork about who you are and what you offer.

How to check: Run your homepage through Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator. Look for LocalBusiness (or a more specific type) and Service or FAQ schema where they fit.

5. Your Google Business Profile is complete

Why it matters: It’s one of the most visible, trusted sources of business information online.

How to check: Search your business name on Google. Is the profile claimed, with accurate categories, services, hours, photos, and a description that names your service area?

6. Bing Places is claimed

Why it matters: Most small businesses skip Bing, but Bing’s index has historically fed into some AI search tools.

How to check: Search for your business on Bing and Bing Maps. If you’re missing or the details are wrong, claim your listing at Bing Places for Business.

7. Your details match everywhere

Why it matters: Inconsistent names, phone numbers, or addresses across the web make your business look less certain and less trustworthy.

How to check: Compare your website, Google, Bing, Facebook, Yelp, and any industry directories. Business name, phone, service area, and description should match.

8. You have recent reviews that mention your services

Why it matters: Reviews are what other people say about you, and they carry more weight than what you say about yourself.

How to check: Look at your last 10 reviews. Are they recent? Do any mention the specific service and location? If not, ask your next few happy clients to mention both.

9. You answer real customer questions

Why it matters: AI assistants are built to answer questions. Clear, direct answers on your site are easy for them to understand and reuse.

How to check: Do your service pages have an FAQ section? Do your blog posts use question-style headings and answer them in the first sentence or two?

10. AI crawlers aren’t blocked

Why it matters: Some sites block AI crawlers without the owner knowing, through robots.txt, a security plugin, or a hosting or CDN setting.

How to check: Visit yoursite.com/robots.txt and look for rules blocking crawlers like GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, or ClaudeBot. Check your security plugin and CDN bot settings too. If you want to be found, make sure the crawlers that power AI search can reach you.

How did you score?

8–10 checks: You’re in great shape. Rerun the test from item 1 every couple of months to track your progress.

5–7 checks: You have a solid foundation with a few gaps. Start with whichever unchecked item feels quickest, then work through the rest.

0–4 checks: Your website is likely hard for AI assistants to understand and recommend. Start with items 2 and 3. Clear website copy fixes more than anything else on this list.

Keep in mind that changes take time to show up, and nobody can guarantee an AI assistant will recommend a specific business. These are the fundamentals that give you the best chance.

Want help with this?

Making websites clear to both Google and AI assistants is a big part of how I design sites for small businesses: specific copy, proper schema, and a structure that’s easy to understand. If you’d rather hand it off, reach out and let’s take a look at your site together.

New to AI tools? Start with my beginner’s guide on how to use Claude for your small business.