An AI visibility audit gives a structured method for search and model groups to evaluate how their model exhibits up on platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
It measures the place the model is talked about in AI search platforms, how typically, how precisely, and primarily based on which sources.
Right here’s a step-by-step course of for a way you audit your model’s AI visibility at the moment.
Wish to flip your AI visibility audit right into a report for stakeholders?
Obtain the AI Visibility Audit Report Template, a free useful resource to share visibility gaps, AI mentions, and alternatives for development with stakeholders.
It contains:
- An govt abstract format for management reporting
- Scoring tables for AI + search visibility
- Competitor insights stakeholders could also be taken with
- An motion plan and notes part to doc subsequent steps
Observe the method under that will help you fill out every part with helpful insights.
Earlier than benchmarking your AI visibility, begin by defining precisely what you’re auditing and the place.
This scope determines how constant and comparable your information will probably be throughout platforms and time durations.
Right here’s what to make clear:
- AI platforms: Which platforms will you embody within the audit? (e.g., Google AI Overviews, Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot)
- Entities: Checklist all of the model entities and sub-entities to research, akin to your organization, merchandise, authors, thought leaders, or executives.
- Areas and languages: Outline geographic or linguistic scopes, particularly in case your model operates internationally.
Itemizing this data upfront avoids inconsistent baselines when evaluating visibility throughout completely different AI fashions or reporting cycles.
For instance, there’s a distinction between solely monitoring mentions of your principal model and monitoring all linked sub-brands or entities as nicely. For Ahrefs, it might embody:
| Entity Kind | Instance |
|---|---|
| Predominant model | Ahrefs |
| Product manufacturers | Website Explorer, Model Radar, AI Content material Helper |
| Proprietary options | Patches, Key phrase Intents, AI Key phrase Translator |
| Proprietary metrics | Area Ranking, Visitors Potential |
| Private manufacturers | Tim Soulo, Patrick Stox, Ryan Legislation, Glen Allsopp |
| Sub-brands | Yep, Detailed website positioning |
As soon as your scope is outlined, you’ll have a transparent basis for benchmarking and a repeatable construction you should use for future audits.
The subsequent step is to evaluate your present model visibility in search.
You may manually verify your model’s search visibility without cost by:
- Asking related questions as your prospects on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google.
- Evaluating whether or not your model seems within the AI responses, what’s cited, and the way outcomes differ.
- Checking month-to-month or quarterly to trace visibility adjustments.
Nonetheless, guide checks can’t scale and are simply skewed by mannequin updates or personalised responses.
For constant, comparable information, you should use a device like Ahrefs’ Model Radar to trace visibility throughout a number of AI platforms in a single go. Enter your model and choose the area you’d wish to obtain information for:
Pay attention to how metrics like your model’s mentions, citations, impressions, and Share of Voice change throughout varied AI search platforms:
- Mentions: The variety of instances your model is talked about in AI responses.
- Citations: The variety of instances your model’s web site is cited as a supply in AI responses.
- Impressions: An estimation of publicity primarily based on how typically responses containing your model are proven in search outcomes.
- AI Share of Voice: How typically your model is talked about in AI responses in comparison with rivals.
You may as well benchmark whether or not individuals are looking for your model within the Search demand tab:
This graph exhibits how branded search curiosity adjustments over time. An increase in search quantity means extra individuals are actively searching for your model, whereas development in search question rely signifies customers are asking a wider vary of questions on you (from brand-level queries to particular product or function searches).
Try these metrics periodically to see how your model’s visibility adjustments over time and to report the outcomes of your optimization efforts.
When you’ve gathered your benchmarks, it’s time to go deeper. Begin by taking a look at all the AI responses that point out your model within the platforms you care about.
Navigate to the AI responses report, deciding on the AI index you care most about to start your evaluation:
The responses will seem like this within the dashboard, with bolded mentions of your model:
Strive utilizing these filters to assist make the evaluation simpler:
| Use Case | Filter Settings |
|---|---|
| See what AI says about you for branded searches | Question accommodates {your model} |
| See how AI talks about your model normally | Response accommodates {your model} |
| Analyze when AI makes use of your content material as a supply | Quotation accommodates {your area} |
You may combine and match filters to deepen your evaluation. Right here’s a useful information with extra filter mixtures and ideas price making an attempt out.
As you undergo the responses, you’ll begin to discover patterns about how AI mentions your model.
For instance, you would possibly discover that your model seems in a whole lot of comparative searches, however your content material isn’t cited. Because of this the AI platform sources details about your model from rivals or third-party, impartial websites which have in contrast you to rivals.
Different patterns price being attentive to embody:
- Accuracy: Is your model data within the response correct?
- Sentiment and framing: Is your model introduced in a optimistic, impartial, or destructive gentle?
- Differentiation: Are any distinctive attributes and positioning of your model current within the response, or is it generic data?
- Authority: Is your model introduced because the lead point out with probably the most authority in comparison with others?
- Name-to-action: Does the response make you the advisable supply to information the consumer on the following step of their journey?
In the event you discover incorrect, outdated, or probably dangerous details about your model, make a listing of the queries, responses, and cited sources so you possibly can overcome misinformation and model inconsistencies.
Repeat this course of for each AI search platform you need to analyze. Chances are you’ll discover that completely different patterns emerge for every platform.
There are two varieties of evaluation you are able to do right here. The primary is to seek for your model and filter out queries that don’t include your model title. Within the filter settings, set it to “Question doesn’t include {your model}”:
Then, analyze the Subjects report back to see what your model is usually related to. You may see the precise responses concerning the subject that additionally point out your model:
For instance, Ahrefs is carefully related to website positioning subjects akin to key phrase analysis, backlinks, and web site visitors. Typically, if you happen to’re seen in AI responses, the core subjects you need to be aligned with will probably be mirrored right here.
However it’s also possible to comply with by way of with the following step that will help you establish subjects you may be lacking. As a substitute of doing a model search, this time, solely embody the principle subjects you need to be discovered for:
It may possibly assist to research one subject at a time if there are a couple of you need to take a look at. Then use the filters to take away any outcomes that point out your model within the question, response, and citations.
Try the Subjects report once more to search out sub-themes chances are you’ll need to connect with your model. Search for gaps you’d like to shut, like the place your model is:
- Not talked about, however a competitor is
- Not strongly related to necessary sub-topics in AI responses
- Lacking content material codecs AI ceaselessly cites (like guides, movies, critiques)
Then, you possibly can shut the gaps in your web site by both publishing new pages or enhancing the subject protection of present ones.
You should use AI Content material Helper for this. It analyzes your content material and helps you establish important subjects to cowl on every web page.
Analyzing your model’s top-cited pages reveals which content material AI programs think about most authoritative, serving to you perceive, replicate, and develop the alerts driving your visibility in AI search.
There are two methods to search out your hottest pages which can be cited in AI responses.
The primary is to make use of a device like Model Radar, which exhibits you the precise queries and responses you’re cited for. The second is to research your page-level visitors from AI by utilizing a device like Ahrefs’ Net Analytics or GA4.
Verify your top-cited pages in Ahrefs’ Model Radar
Begin typing your model in Model Radar and choose the choice so as to add variations:
This can let you add your web site as a part of your model entity:
You may solely see information about citations if you happen to add a site to trace, so at all times double-check this setting if you happen to can’t see any quotation information within the dashboard.
Then, navigate to the Citations tab within the dashboard and take a look at what number of citations your model has earned throughout completely different platforms:
Clicking these values will take you to the responses that embody citations. Nonetheless, it’s also possible to take a look at the Cited Pages report if you happen to simply need to see the checklist of top-cited pages.
In some instances, you’ll see a listing of pages out of your website and others which can be cited in the identical responses the place your model is talked about. Use the filter to indicate solely your area:
You’ll find yourself with a listing of top-cited pages in descending order primarily based on what number of responses used the web page as a supply: 
Cross-check the highest pages incomes AI visitors in your analytics information
The second technique you possibly can attempt is to take a look at your net analytics platform and analyze which pages are getting probably the most visitors from AI.
Though you gained’t have the ability to see the precise queries and responses driving these clicks to your web site, you possibly can nonetheless get an concept of which pages truly earn clicks. Simply because a web page is well-cited amongst AI responses doesn’t imply folks will click on on it.
You’ll have to have AI monitoring in your analytics device already set as much as get this information. In the event you use Ahrefs’ Net Analytics, that is arrange for you routinely:
Search for a listing of the highest pages visited most from AI platforms:
Cross-check these pages towards these in Model Radar. For every one, verify the responses the web page is cited in:
This helps you notice which queries and responses drive probably the most clicks from AI search outcomes to your website.
Repeat the method throughout completely different AI platforms (e.g., AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity) to check click-through patterns.
A significant side of incomes model visibility in AI is how others discuss your model on-line. You may run a full audit to research your model mentions all over the place folks discuss you.
Doing this provides you with a holistic concept of the language patterns and data about your model that AI is prone to embody in responses about you.
In the event you’re working agency-side or simply don’t have time to do the complete course of, check out this shortcut that can allow you to prioritize which on-line mentions to research first.
Run an empty search in Model Radar and use the filters to solely embody the AI responses that point out your model:
Then, take a look at the Cited pages report. You’re going to get a listing of all pages that AI cites for responses that point out your model. As an example, Zapier and Reddit are ceaselessly cited in responses that point out Ahrefs:
You may take a look at the responses themselves for an concept of how your model was talked about.
Then take a look at the content material cited on these web sites to see precisely if (and the way) they point out your model.
This evaluation is beneficial for:
- Recognizing your greatest net mentions and the way they affect the way in which AI additionally talks about you
- Figuring out misinformation in AI responses and monitoring down the precise supply
- Seeing what content material codecs are ceaselessly cited in your business (and publishing related posts)
- Partnering with web sites that ceaselessly get cited and infrequently point out you favorably
- Studying how folks (and AI) place you towards your rivals
This gives a prioritized checklist of net mentions that considerably affect how AI describes your model. Replicate the perfect ones for quick-win visibility beneficial properties whereas additionally reaching out to those who may have updating.
When you’ve recognized these influential mentions, the following step is to search out gaps you possibly can shut or alternatives your rivals have but to faucet into.
To benchmark your model’s AI visibility towards rivals, search your model after which add a number of rivals like so:
You may as well check out the AI solutions to auto-populate your prime rivals in AI search.
Within the Overview tab, you’ll have the ability to evaluate your AI visibility instantly to every competitor you entered. You may see every model’s visibility metrics like mentions, impressions, citations, and AI Share of Voice for every AI search platform.
Hover over the platforms you care most about till you see this window pop up:
Every choice will take you to a pre-filtered view of the AI responses report.
- Solely model: This report will present you queries and AI solutions the place the one model talked about is the one you’ve chosen. It’s nice for assessing brand-specific queries and responses.
- With others: This report exhibits queries and/or responses that include all of the manufacturers you’re evaluating. It’s nice for assessing subjects which can be prone to point out you alongside rivals.
- Others solely: This report exhibits queries that solely point out the opposite manufacturers you’re evaluating towards. It’s nice for locating subjects that point out your rivals however not you.
Try these reviews periodically for insights into which rivals may be rising their AI visibility rapidly.
In the event you add a subject as a part of the principle search, it’s also possible to hone in on any particular subjects the place rivals are talked about however your model isn’t.
Take note of the AI Share of Voice metrics to see who has the very best visibility share in responses about that subject.
It’s additionally price testing the Cited domains and Cited pages reviews to establish the highest sources mentioning every model.
Search for web sites that point out rivals greater than you and see how one can improve your mentions inside them, too.
There are quite a few potentialities right here, relying on which aggressive insights matter most to your stakeholders.
By this level, you’ll have a transparent image of how your model seems in AI search: what’s working, the place you’re absent, and the way you evaluate to rivals. The ultimate step is popping these insights into motion.
Use your findings to prioritize subsequent steps primarily based on affect and energy:
- Repair: Right misinformation or outdated model descriptions
- Construct: Broaden content material protection for lacking subjects and codecs that AI cites most
- Affect: Strengthen relationships with authoritative websites that AI depends on for citations
Relying on the duty, chances are you’ll have to collaborate with different groups that will help you implement these actions. For instance, when you’ve got a PR group, they are able to attain out to publications and proper misinformation concerning the model in different folks’s content material.
If you might want to search approval earlier than you can begin implementing these actions, take the time to create a report to your stakeholders.
Obtain our free AI Visibility Audit Report Template if you happen to don’t have already got one. Exchange all of the pink sections and summarize your key findings in scorecards and fast snapshots of key factors.
Lastly, flip your audit into an ongoing cycle, ideally month-to-month when you’ve got the bandwidth. In any other case, quarterly will do.
With AI search platforms altering as rapidly as they’re, and rivals scrambling to win the most important share of voice, it’s price checking your visibility ceaselessly.
Report the identical metrics as you probably did in step two so you possibly can see how your visibility shifts over time.
Remaining ideas
An AI visibility audit tracks how your model is introduced in AI search over time. It measures the quantity of responses that point out your model title or cite your web site as a supply. Nonetheless, it additionally assesses qualitative alerts like how your model is represented.
To enhance your visibility in AI search, take a look at the next guides:
