ai-seo

AI Visibility & AI SEO Audit — Phase 14

Executive Summary

AI search is the fastest-growing traffic channel in 2025. Google AI Overviews appear for 20–35% of local service queries (SparkToro 2025). ChatGPT Search has 200M+ monthly active users. Perplexity processes 100M+ queries/month. Being cited in AI answers = significant visibility gain; being absent = invisible to AI-first searchers. This phase audits where the client appears (or doesn't) across all major AI platforms, identifies content gaps causing AI invisibility, and produces a prioritized action plan for AI citation dominance.

2025 AI search benchmarks:

• AIO citation rate: pages with FAQPage schema cited 3.2× more than pages without (Amsive 2025)
• ChatGPT freshness: pages updated within 30 days cited at 76.4% rate vs. 31.2% for 90+ day old pages
• Perplexity local query share: 18% of all queries are local business intent (Perplexity data, 2025)
• AIO + organic position 1 = ~45% CTR combined (vs. ~25% for position 1 alone when AIO shows)

Tools for This Phase

| Tool | Purpose | Cost | |------|---------|------| | Google Search (incognito) | Test AIO presence for top 20–30 target keywords | Free | | ChatGPT (GPT-4o with Search) | LLM visibility test — local service queries | Free/Paid | | Perplexity | AI search citations for local service queries | Free | | Google Gemini | Gemini AI visibility test + source attribution | Free | | Microsoft Copilot | Bing-powered AI visibility | Free | | Google Rich Results Test | FAQPage, HowTo, Speakable schema validation | Free | | Ahrefs | Featured snippet ownership — AIO pulls from snippets | Paid | | SEMrush | Featured snippet tracking per target keyword | Paid | | AlsoAsked.com | PAA question mapping — AIO uses PAA patterns | Freemium | | Otterly.ai | Track AIO mentions over time (monitoring) | Paid |

The AI Search Landscape (2025-2026)

AI search is no longer emerging — it IS the mainstream:

• Google AI Overviews: Shown for ~20-30% of queries (growing)
• Google AI Mode: Full conversational search experience
• ChatGPT Search: Now default for 200M+ users with web access
• Perplexity: 100M+ monthly queries, growing fast
• Microsoft Copilot: Integrated into Windows/Edge/Bing
• Gemini (Google): Deep integration with Android + Google Workspace
• Claude (Anthropic): Growing presence with web search

For local businesses, AI search drives both:

1. Direct visibility (being mentioned in AI answers)
2. Competitive displacement (competitor gets the mention instead)

Step 1: Read Project Context

Read {AUDIT_DIR}/intake-data.md — business name, URL, services, location. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/competitor-profiles.md — competitor AI visibility signals. Read {AUDIT_DIR}/onpage-findings.md — content structure gaps.

Section 1: Google AI Overviews (AIO) Audit

Test Protocol

Test top 20-30 target keywords in Google Search (incognito, desktop + mobile):

For each query, document: | Query | AIO Shows? | Client Cited? | Competitors Cited? | Source URLs Used | AIO Format | |-------|-----------|--------------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------| | [query] | Yes/No | Yes/No | [names] | [URLs] | Paragraph/List/Table/Steps |

AIO Appearance Patterns to Identify

• Which query types trigger AIO? (Informational, local, how-to, comparison?)
• Which content format is used in AIO? (Paragraphs, numbered steps, bullet lists?)
• What's the word count of the cited answer section?
• Does AIO pull from the first paragraph? A specific H2 section?
• Are any client pages cited? If so, which ones and why?

AIO Optimization Strategy

To be cited in AI Overviews, content needs:

1. Direct answers — First 40-60 words answer the query directly
2. Question-format headers — H2: "What is [topic]?" / "How does [process] work?"
3. Structured formatting — numbered steps, bullet lists, tables rank well
4. Unique data/insights — AI cites specific facts, statistics, and expert opinions
5. E-E-A-T signals — Strong author credentials, institutional trust
6. Comprehensive coverage — Answer main query + related sub-questions
7. Page authority — Higher authority pages cited more often

Section 2: Google AI Mode Audit

Google AI Mode (launched 2024, expanding 2025) enables fully conversational search.

Test AI Mode Queries

• Enable AI Mode (Google account > Experiments or rolled-out region)
• Test conversational queries:
• "What's the best [service] in [city] and why?"
• "Compare [client] vs. [competitor 1] for [service]"
• "I need [service] near [neighborhood] — any recommendations?"
• Follow-up: "What makes them stand out?"

Document Findings

| Query | Client Mentioned? | Accuracy | Competitor Priority | Source | |-------|-----------------|---------|-------------------|--------|

Section 3: LLM Visibility Audit (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, Claude)

Test Matrix

For each platform × query type:

Platforms to test:

• ChatGPT (GPT-4o with Search)
• Perplexity
• Google Gemini
• Microsoft Copilot
• Claude.ai (Anthropic)

Query types to test:

1. Best [service] in [city]
2. [Service] near [neighborhood/landmark]
3. [Business Name] — accuracy check
4. [Business Name] reviews — reputation
5. How to find a good [service type] in [city]
6. [Specific service] cost in [city]

For each result document:

• Business mentioned? (Yes/No)
• Accuracy of info (address, phone, hours, services)?
• Positive/negative framing?
• Competitors mentioned instead?
• Source URLs cited?
• Position (1st mention / 2nd / not mentioned)?

LLM Visibility Score (per platform)

• Mentioned accurately in top 3 answers: 5/5
• Mentioned but with errors: 3/5
• Mentioned peripherally: 1/5
• Not mentioned: 0/5

Section 4: AEO — Answer Engine Optimization Assessment

AEO focuses on structuring content so AI can extract and use it as answers.

Content Assessment

For each key service page and FAQ page:

• [ ] Does each section start with a direct, standalone answer?
• [ ] Are definitions provided for key service terms?
• [ ] Are process steps numbered and clearly labeled?
• [ ] Are comparisons structured in tables?
• [ ] Are FAQs in explicit question + answer format (not buried)?
• [ ] Are specific figures, statistics, and data points included?
• [ ] Can the answer be extracted and read without surrounding context?

FAQ Content Audit

• FAQ page exists?
• FAQs based on real customer questions (not generic)?
• FAQPage schema implemented?
• PAA (People Also Ask) boxes captured with existing content?
• Test: do current FAQs appear in PAA for target queries?

Featured Snippet Optimization

Since AI Overviews pull from featured snippets:

• Which target queries have featured snippets?
• Does the client own any?
• What format does the winning snippet use?
• What page structure modifications are needed to win it?

Section 5: GEO — Generative Engine Optimization Assessment

GEO focuses on making content easily citable by AI systems.

Citeability Checklist

• [ ] Specific, quotable statements with data?

Good: "Chicago homeowners saved an average of $2,400/year after our insulation upgrade" Bad: "We help homeowners save money on energy bills"

• [ ] Original research, surveys, or case studies?
• [ ] Named expert quotes with credentials?
• [ ] Step-by-step instructions with clear numbered format?
• [ ] Comparison tables with specific data?
• [ ] Local statistics about the service area?
• [ ] Industry benchmarks stated clearly?

Source Authority Assessment

AI systems cite authoritative sources. Check:

• Domain authority and trust indicators
• E-E-A-T signals present (author, expertise, experience demonstrated)
• Linked to from other authoritative sources in the niche?
• Consistently mentioned on industry resource pages?

Entity Optimization for AI

AI systems understand entities better than raw keywor