SEO Audit
- Crawlability
- Indexation
- Technical issues
- Page quality
- Search intent
- Rankings
- CTR
- Conversions
AI Visibility Audit: see whether AI search can access your site, cite its pages, and recommend your brand
Audit how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and Google AI access the site, cite its pages, describe the offer, and compare the brand. The findings become a prioritized SEO and AI visibility roadmap.
Start with the Free Growth Map. The full audit becomes a paid Decision Sprint when public signals and business context justify deeper access.
What is an AI Visibility Audit?
An AI Visibility Audit records brand mentions, cited pages, offer accuracy, and which competitors appear in recommendations.
It adds prompt visibility, cited URLs, source mix, entity consistency, crawler access, sentiment, and competitor displacement to a standard SEO audit.
You get a ranked fix list for access, pages, sources, prompts, and missing proof.
AI Visibility Audit
- AI mentions
- AI citations
- Prompt visibility
- Cited URLs
- Source gaps
- Entity consistency
- Competitor recommendations
- AI answer accuracy
Why AI visibility needs its own audit layer
Rankings alone do not show AI discovery. A brand can rank without being mentioned, get mentioned without a citation, or earn a citation while a competitor gets recommended. Robots.txt can also allow a crawler that the CDN or WAF still blocks.
Technical access
Prompt visibility
Source and citation readiness
Competitor displacement
Find the access, source, or citation problem before publishing more pages.
AI Visibility Audit Checklist
The checklist covers access, prompts, sources, competitors, and measurement.
Technical access
- Check robots.txt for Googlebot, OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, ChatGPT-User, PerplexityBot, Perplexity-User, and other relevant crawlers.
- Check whether CDN, WAF, bot protection, or rate limits block legitimate AI/search crawlers.
- Confirm priority pages are indexable and canonicalized correctly.
- Confirm important content is visible in textual HTML.
- Confirm internal links make source pages discoverable.
- Confirm structured data matches visible content.
- Confirm no noindex, nosnippet, data-nosnippet, or max-snippet rules accidentally limit visibility.
- Check server logs for AI crawler activity where available.
Prompt visibility
- Build a prompt basket for branded, non-branded, comparison, vendor-selection, problem, pricing, and technical prompts.
- Test the same prompt classes across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok, and Google AI surfaces where possible.
- Record whether the brand is mentioned.
- Record whether the brand is cited.
- Record which URL is cited.
- Record whether the answer describes the brand accurately.
- Record which competitors appear instead.
- Retest monthly or quarterly because AI answer sets change.
Source and citation readiness
- Identify the pages AI systems already cite.
- Identify important pages that are never cited.
- Check whether service pages, case studies, pricing pages, author pages, and methodology pages are extractable.
- Add self-contained definitions and answer blocks.
- Add proof sections with specific metrics.
- Add internal links from general pages to evidence pages.
- Clean up stale or inconsistent third-party profiles.
- Add source links only where they support real claims.
Entity consistency
- Check company name consistency.
- Check founder and team profile consistency.
- Check service names across website and third-party profiles.
- Check locations, industries, pricing language, and positioning.
- Check case-study language and claim consistency.
- Check if AI tools confuse the brand with another company.
- Check whether external directories, LinkedIn, partner pages, and review platforms match the current offer.
Competitor displacement
- Identify competitors AI systems recommend for your target prompts.
- Record the sources cited when competitors are recommended.
- Compare your proof assets against competitor proof assets.
- Compare your third-party mentions against competitor third-party mentions.
- Compare your case studies, reviews, author profiles, and pricing clarity.
- Build a source-gap roadmap.
Measurement and reporting
- AI mentions
- AI citations
- Cited URLs
- AI Share of Voice
- Source mix
- Sentiment
- Competitor inclusion
- Brand accuracy
- AI referrals where visible
- GSC and GA4 trend comparison
- Assisted conversions and lead quality
What to check by AI search platform
Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google AI visibility uses normal Search eligibility. Priority pages must be crawlable, indexed, snippet-eligible, internally linked, and readable as text. Google says no extra technical requirements apply to supporting links in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Source
- Confirm indexation in GSC.
- Confirm snippet eligibility.
- Confirm no accidental preview controls.
- Confirm important content is textual.
- Confirm structured data matches visible content.
- Track performance in GSC Web search type.
ChatGPT Search
OpenAI uses OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT search visibility. GPTBot is a separate crawler for model training. Source
- Allow OAI-SearchBot if search visibility is desired.
- Decide separately whether GPTBot should be allowed.
- Check published IP ranges.
- Check server logs where possible.
- Check whether ChatGPT cites the correct Etavrian pages for target prompts.
Perplexity
PerplexityBot surfaces and links websites in Perplexity search. Perplexity-User handles user-triggered actions. If WAF rules block legitimate traffic, use Perplexity's current official IP ranges. Source
- Allow PerplexityBot if visibility is desired.
- Check WAF and CDN rules.
- Check whether Perplexity cites owned pages or third-party pages.
- Record the URL and source context.
Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok
Use repeatable prompts to record source mix, citations, answer accuracy, and whether owned, third-party, or competitor pages shape each answer.
- Test the same prompt classes.
- Record mentions and citations.
- Check accuracy and sentiment.
- Record competitor displacement.
- Compare changes monthly or quarterly.
Prompt benchmark matrix for an AI Visibility Audit
Test the buyer questions that shape vendor, product, agency, or solution choice.
Ahrefs frames AI visibility around mentions, citations, cited pages, share of voice, source mix, sentiment, and competitor comparison. Ahrefs source
| Prompt class | Example | What to record | Audit decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand prompt | What does Etavrian do? | Mention, accuracy, cited URLs, stale facts, wrong positioning | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Category prompt | Best AI SEO agency for B2B SaaS | Whether Etavrian appears, which competitors appear, source mix | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Comparison prompt | Etavrian vs [competitor] | Whether the comparison is accurate, which sources are used, missing proof | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Problem prompt | How do I know if my website is ready for AI search? | Whether Etavrian pages are cited, which checklist sections are extracted | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Technical prompt | Should I allow OAI-SearchBot or GPTBot? | Whether answer uses official crawler guidance, whether Etavrian's crawler section is cited | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Pricing prompt | How much does an AI SEO audit cost? | Whether pricing page, audit page, or service page is cited | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Proof prompt | SEO agency with case studies for BOFU SaaS leads | Whether case studies are cited and whether metrics are summarized correctly | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
| Local or industry prompt | SEO agency for ecommerce or industrial B2B SEO | Whether industry pages and proof assets are cited | Fix the source, proof, prompt, or technical layer behind the answer. |
AI crawler access: what to check before changing robots.txt
Crawler controls differ across Search, training, user-triggered retrieval, and AI platforms.
Google controls AI features through normal Search crawling and content controls. OpenAI separates OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, and ChatGPT-User. Perplexity separates PerplexityBot from Perplexity-User and documents official IP endpoints for WAF allowlisting. Google source OpenAI source Perplexity source
| Crawler or control | Used for | Audit question | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Googlebot | Google Search, including Search systems that support AI features | Can Google crawl, index, and show the page with a snippet? | Google AI features |
| OAI-SearchBot | ChatGPT search features | Is it allowed in robots.txt and not blocked by WAF/CDN? | OpenAI crawlers |
| GPTBot | OpenAI foundation model training crawling | Should training crawling be allowed or disallowed separately from search visibility? | OpenAI crawlers |
| ChatGPT-User | User-triggered actions in ChatGPT | Can user-triggered retrieval reach key pages when needed? | OpenAI crawlers |
| PerplexityBot | Surfacing and linking websites in Perplexity search results | Is PerplexityBot allowed and are current IP ranges allowed through WAF? | Perplexity crawlers |
| Perplexity-User | User-triggered Perplexity actions | Can user-triggered retrieval access the right pages? | Perplexity crawlers |
What makes a page citation-ready for AI search?
A citation-ready page gives AI systems clear, verifiable source material.
Define the topic directly. Explain tradeoffs, support claims, and link to evidence. Keep important content in text and align structured data with what users see. Google source
Definition clarity
The page gives a short, self-contained answer to the main question.
Entity clarity
The company, service, audience, industries, founder, and offer are stated consistently.
Proof clarity
Claims are supported by case studies, metrics, reviews, examples, or official sources.
Structure
The page uses headings, tables, FAQs, summaries, and internal links.
Source support
External links are used where they support factual claims.
Conversion path
The page gives a clear next diagnostic step.
How to compare your AI visibility against competitors
Track who appears, who gets cited, and which sources support each recommendation.
Audit steps
- Select 3-5 competitors.
- Build prompt classes around categories, use cases, pricing, alternatives, and best provider prompts.
- Record whether each competitor is mentioned.
- Record which URLs are cited.
- Record which third-party sources influence the answer.
- Compare proof assets, reviews, profiles, case studies, and pricing clarity.
- Build a source-gap roadmap.
Source review
Ahrefs recommends comparing mentions, impressions, citations, and AI Share of Voice across competitors. Ahrefs source
| Dimension | Question |
|---|---|
| Brand mention | Who appears in the answer? |
| Citation | Whose URL is cited? |
| Source mix | Does the answer use owned pages, directories, reviews, media, or competitor pages? |
| Sentiment | Is the brand described positively, neutrally, or with caveats? |
| Proof | Which company has clearer evidence? |
| Conversion path | Which company gives the buyer a clearer next step? |
How to measure AI visibility after the audit
Measure AI inclusion next to search performance and commercial demand. Do not treat AI referrals as the whole picture.
| Metric | How to use it |
|---|---|
| AI mentions | Shows whether the brand appears in AI answers at all. |
| AI citations and cited URLs | Shows whether AI systems use owned or third-party pages as sources. |
| AI Share of Voice | Shows brand visibility against competitors across prompt sets and platforms. |
| Source mix | Shows whether answers rely on owned pages, directories, reviews, media, community sources, or competitor pages. |
| Sentiment and brand accuracy | Shows whether the answer is useful, stale, distorted, neutral, or commercially damaging. |
| AI referrals and assisted conversions | Shows only the visible click layer, so compare it with GSC, GA4, branded demand, and lead quality. |
Etavrian's AI Visibility Audit working score
Technical access20 points
Prompt visibility20 points
Citation readiness20 points
Entity consistency15 points
Competitor position15 points
Measurement setup10 points
0-30
High risk. AI systems likely cannot access, understand, or trust enough source material.
31-55
Weak foundation. Some pages may rank or be mentioned, but visibility is inconsistent.
56-75
Moderate readiness. The brand has useful source material, but gaps remain in citations, proof, or competitor displacement.
76-90
Strong readiness. The brand is visible, citable, and technically accessible across key prompts.
91-100
Advanced readiness. The brand has strong owned sources, external corroboration, consistent entity signals, and ongoing monitoring.
Want this scored against your site and competitors?Get My Free Growth Map
Find access, citation, or proof gaps before publishing more content
Use mentions, citations, crawler access, and source gaps to choose the scope.
Check access, offer clarity, source quality, and competitor context.
Then scope SEO cleanup, AI visibility setup, proof work, or a combined pilot.
We diagnose the current visibility problem first
- Technical access
- Prompt visibility
- Source clarity
- Entity consistency
- Competitor displacement
- Measurement gaps
- Conversion path
Proof from SEO work: visibility needs pages that can convert
One B2B SaaS engagement focused on qualified BOFU demo requests. Work covered indexation, canonicals, robots and sitemaps, de-cannibalization, landing pages, internal links, schema, CRO, and link quality. Etavrian BOFU SEO case study
Impressions grew from 132,000 to 378,000. Top-ten keyword share rose from 9.29% to 18.12%. Healthy pages grew from 167 to 580, pages with issues fell from 384 to 139, and lead-driving GA4 events increased while CTR fell from 4.5% to 1.2%.
For AI visibility, a citation is useful when it points to an accessible page with clear claims and credible proof.
GSC impressions132k to 378k
Top-ten keyword share9.29% to 18.12%
Healthy pages167 to 580
Pages with issues384 to 139
CTR4.5% to 1.2%
What you should get from an AI Visibility Audit
AI visibility baseline
Includes: Mentions, citations, cited URLs, platforms tested, prompt classes, competitor comparison
Prompt benchmark matrix
Includes: Branded, non-branded, comparison, vendor-selection, technical, pricing, and proof prompts
Crawler and access review
Includes: Robots.txt, WAF/CDN risks, indexation, snippet eligibility, textual HTML, server-log signals where available
Source-gap map
Includes: Owned pages, third-party sources, missing proof, stale profiles, competitor sources
Priority roadmap
Includes: Technical fixes, page rebuilds, proof assets, external source cleanup, measurement plan
Executive summary
Includes: What to fix first, what not to do yet, expected implementation path, and scope recommendation
The audit ends with a prioritized fix and a dated retest.
Rank the findings by implementation priority, then measure the selected fix again after delivery.
- 01
Diagnose
Name the commercial constraint.
Input: Website, account, tracking, feed, margins, demand, or buyer prompts. - 02
Validate
Check the data, economics, demand, and implementation limits.
Output: Trusted baseline, attribution, margins, lead quality, stock, and access limits. - 03
Decide
Choose one move and state the trade-offs.
Output: One priority, target metric, assumptions, exclusions, and decision date. - 04
Execute
Ship the smallest coherent change.
Output: Owner, sequence, dependencies, approvals, and validation method. - 05
Prove
Read the result against the agreed commercial metric.
Output: Metric movement, confidence, exclusions, unintended effects, and next decision.
Use the result to choose what happens next.
Verified worked example
What the loop looked like in one constrained SEO program.
- What the dashboard appeared to showA new store had 336 organic sessions and a low-authority starting point.
- What the diagnosis foundTight budget, development delays, and low authority constrained the sequence.
- What decision was madePrioritize five SEO moves around the clearest technical, content, and link constraints.
- What was implementedSequenced technical fixes, content, and links around the available implementation capacity.
- What changedOrganic sessions reached 1,262, a 276% lift, and Domain Trust moved from 12 to 25.
The Decision Sprint sets the implementation scope
The AI Visibility Snapshot is a paid Stage 2 deliverable. Account access starts only after the Free Growth Map supports a Decision Sprint.
Free Growth Map
Best for: Brands that need to confirm whether AI visibility is limiting leads or demand.
Includes: Uses public signals and business context to show whether paid investigation is warranted. No account access or full audit.
Get My Free Growth MapDecision Sprint
Best for: Brands whose Free Growth Map justifies a paid evidence phase with agreed access.
Includes: AI SEO Setup, AI Visibility Snapshot, prompt baseline, crawler and source review, prioritized decisions, owners, and an implementation plan.
Start a Decision SprintAI Visibility Execution Partnership
Best for: Teams that have made the investment decision and need an accountable implementation owner.
Includes: Technical fixes, page rebuilds, proof assets, source cleanup, prompt retesting, reporting, and ongoing prioritization.
Discuss ExecutionWhere this audit connects to the rest of the site
Use these routes when the audit points toward a narrower decision.
SEO vs AI SEO decision guide
Use this when the first question is whether SEO, AI SEO, or both deserve budget.
AI SEO and GEO services
Use this when the diagnosis already points toward AI visibility implementation.
AI Visibility Snapshot
Use this paid Stage 2 route when the Free Growth Map supports a prompt baseline, source review, and prioritized implementation plan.
traditional SEO services
Use this when technical SEO, indexation, internal links, or BOFU page quality are the clear blocker.
SEO audit pricing
Use this to compare the current audit range before implementation is scoped.
BOFU SEO case study
Use this proof when conversion quality matters more than traffic volume.
SEO and paid media case studies
Use this to compare the audit logic against public Etavrian proof.
send the site and growth goal
Use this when the problem may span SEO, AI visibility, CRO, paid media, and reporting.
Research base
The source list supports the inline claims above. Use it with the visible sections and the site-specific test results.
AI Visibility Audit questions
What to know before a Snapshot, SEO audit, or pilot.
What is an AI Visibility Audit?
It checks whether AI systems mention the brand, cite the right pages, describe the offer accurately, and recommend it over competitors.
What is the difference between an SEO audit and an AI Visibility Audit?
An SEO audit covers access, indexation, technical health, rankings, content, links, and conversion. An AI Visibility Audit adds prompts, mentions, citations, source gaps, entity consistency, crawler controls, and competitor displacement.
What platforms should an AI Visibility Audit check?
Check Google AI, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and any other system buyers use to compare providers or products.
Should I track AI mentions or citations?
Track both. A mention shows inclusion. A citation shows source use. Either can happen while a competitor still receives the recommendation.
Can an AI Visibility Audit guarantee ChatGPT or Perplexity citations?
No. AI answers change constantly. The audit identifies access problems, source gaps, weak proof, and competitor sources that reduce citation readiness.
Is AI visibility the same as AI traffic?
No. Visibility includes mentions, citations, source use, sentiment, and recommendations. Traffic covers only measurable referral visits.
Do I need llms.txt for AI visibility?
No. Treat llms.txt as optional. Google requires no special AI file or schema for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Prioritize access, indexation, visible text, internal links, useful content, and accurate structured data.
Should I allow OAI-SearchBot, GPTBot, and PerplexityBot?
Set access by purpose. OAI-SearchBot supports ChatGPT search, GPTBot supports model training, and PerplexityBot supports Perplexity search. Search, training, and user-triggered retrieval need separate decisions.
How often should we run an AI Visibility Audit?
Run a baseline before implementation, then retest monthly or quarterly. Answers, sources, competitors, and crawler rules change.
What do we need to provide for an audit?
Usually the site, competitors, priority offers, Search Console, GA4, Bing Webmaster Tools when available, case studies, markets, and technical context for robots, CDN/WAF rules, or server logs.
Find out what AI search sees before you invest in more content
Share the site, competitors, and one growth goal. The free diagnosis decides whether deeper evidence is needed. Account access begins in the paid Decision Sprint.
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