Besides searching on Google, another common habit when looking for solutions nowadays is asking ChatGPT. For example, “Which company is best for aircond servicing in Kepong?” is one of the many questions customers ask AI tools every day. ChatGPT will then name a few businesses. So the question for you is simple: is your business one of the names that comes up? And how do you get your brand name to show?
That is what AI visibility means: how often AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI answers mention or recommend your business. More Malaysians now get their answers this way.
You can check where your business stands in about 15 minutes, with no special tools.
Step 1: Write Down the Questions Your Customers Ask
Start with 5 to 10 questions a customer would type when looking for a business like yours. Write them the way people really talk, and add your town or city.
- “Which company is best for aircond servicing in Kepong?”
- “Good accounting firm for small businesses in Penang”
- “Is [your brand] or [competitor] better for [service]?”
- “How do I fix [a problem your product solves]?”
Use a mix: questions that ask for the best option, questions that compare two brands, and questions about a problem. Put your business name in only one of them. That question shows you what AI says about you when someone asks directly.
Step 2: Ask Five AI Tools and Write Down What They Say
Ask each question in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google Search. On Google, look at the AI answer at the top of the page, and at AI Mode if you see it. Use a private browser window and stay logged out, so your own past chats do not change the answers.
For every answer, write down four things in your notes:
- Did it name your business?
- Did it link to your website?
- What did it say about you, and was it correct?
- Which competitors did it name?
Then ask the same questions again a few days later. AI answers change from day to day, so one check only shows you that moment.
What Do Your Results Mean?
Most businesses see one of these four patterns.
- Named, but never linked. The AI tools know your brand but they link to other sites. This means the AI still trusts other websites more. You’d want to get mentioned more often on other trusted sites, such as directories, news sites and review pages, to let AI link to you.
- Missing from ChatGPT or Perplexity only. Ask your web developer to check if your website blocks these AI tools from reading it. Once they get unblocked, the AI tools will be able to detect your site.
- Missing from Google’s AI answers. Google builds these answers from its normal search results, so a page that does not rank on Google is unlikely to appear. Once your pages start to rank on the usual search results, it will increase the chances of showing on AI Overview. Here’s what you can do.
- A competitor wins almost every question. Look at which of their pages the AI tools link to. Those pages show you what your own website is missing. Fix the gap, and your brand will gradually show up as well.
What If AI Gets Your Details Wrong?
Sometimes an AI tool names your business but gets something wrong, such as old opening hours, a branch that has closed or a service you no longer offer. AI tools take these details from what they find online, so the fix is to correct the places they read from.
- Start with your Google Business Profile. Check your opening hours, address, phone number and list of services. Our local SEO guide shows what to fill in.
- Match your website to it. Your About and Contact pages should give the same details as your Business Profile.
- Clean up old listings. Update directories and social media pages, so every site shows the same business name, address and phone number.
Once the details are fixed, ask the same questions again later and see whether the answers have caught up.
Why Should You Check Your AI Visibility More Than Once?
AI answers change. A business can appear this week and drop out next week. That is why, for our AI SEO and GEO clients, we check the same questions every month across five AI tools and follow the trend over time.
Changes also take time to show. In our client work, Perplexity and Gemini usually start mentioning a business within 2 to 3 months. ChatGPT and Google’s AI answers usually take 4 to 6 months.
Want Us to Check for You?
If you would rather not do this by hand, our free AI Citation Audit does it for you. It shows where you appear, which competitors appear instead, and what to fix first. The audit is free, and the report is yours to keep.
Frequently asked questions
What does AI visibility mean?
AI visibility is how often AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI answers mention or recommend your business when people ask about your products or services. The more often you are named, and the more correct the information is, the better your AI visibility.
Is AI visibility the same as ranking on Google?
They are related, but not the same. Google's AI answers are built from its normal search results, so ranking well on Google helps. Tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity also read other websites, reviews and directories, so a business can rank well on Google and still be missing from AI answers.
How often should I check my AI visibility?
Once a month is a good habit. AI answers change often, so checking the same questions every month shows you whether you are appearing more or less over time, instead of relying on one result.