How to run it
- Open three engines: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Run each prompt in all three. They pull from different sources, and the gaps are the point.
- Use a fresh chat or an incognito window so your own history does not flatter you.
- Replace every [bracket] with your real details before you send.
- For each prompt, note one word: Named (you showed up), Wrong (thin or wrong info), or Absent (nowhere).
- Budget 12 minutes. Nine prompts, three engines, one honest tally.
Warning: prompts 1 to 3 are where most people's stomach drops. Run them anyway.
Set A · What AI says about you
01The recommendation test
I'm looking for a [your category, e.g. cosmetic dental clinic] in [your city]. Which specific companies would you recommend, and why each one?
Good: Your name appears, with a reason that matches how you actually win.
Worrying: Three competitors named and you are not. The most common result, and the most expensive.
02The knowledge test
What do you know about [Your Company]? What are they known for, who are they best for, and what would you say is their weakness?
Good: Accurate, current, and it names your real strength.
Worrying: Vague, outdated, mixed up with another business, or "I could not find much." Thin info is a visibility problem, not a privacy win.
03The trust test
Is [Your Company] reputable? What do customers and reviews say about them, and would you feel confident recommending them?
Good: It cites real signals, reviews and credible mentions, and lands positive.
Worrying: It hedges, or pulls one stray negative because nothing positive is visible to counter it.
Set B · What AI says about your competitor
04The competitor strength test
Why do people choose [Competitor] over other options for [your service]? What are they best known for?
Good for you: Their edge is narrow or dated, and it is one you can answer.
Worrying: AI recites a clear, specific strength story. Their content and citations built that.
05The alternatives test
What are the best alternatives to [Competitor] for [your service] in [region]?
Good: You are listed as a credible alternative.
Worrying: Other competitors are named and you are absent from your own competitive set.
Set C · What AI says about your category
06The real buyer question
[Paste the exact question your customer asks right before they buy, in their words. e.g. "How do I choose an SEO agency that won't waste my budget?"] What should I look for, and who does this well?
Good: The buying criteria match your strengths, and you get named as an example.
Worrying: The criteria are generic, or someone else is the example of "does this well."
07The buying-criteria test
What questions should I ask before hiring a [your category]? What separates a good one from a bad one?
Good: The criteria mirror how you already work, so a buyer using this list would pick you.
Worrying: The list rewards things you do not lead on. The standard is being set without you.
08The local test
What are the best-rated [your category] near [neighbourhood or city]? Include why each is recommended.
Good: You appear with a real reason, ideally from your Google Business Profile and reviews.
Worrying: A map pack of competitors with more complete profiles than yours.
Set D · Where to start
09The citation test
For that last answer, list the specific websites and sources you used. Rank them by how much each one influenced your recommendation.
Run it straight after any prompt where a competitor beat you.
What it gives you: the exact pages AI trusted. That list is your target. Getting cited alongside or above them is the work.
Tally your score
Count your Named results across all 9 prompts and all three engines (27 checks total).
21 to 27Strong. You are present where buyers look. Defend the position and widen the lead.
11 to 20Patchy. Strong on your own name, weak on category and competitor questions. Where most good businesses sit. Fixable.
0 to 10Invisible where it counts. Your buyers are being handed to competitors by the tools they trust most. Not because you are worse. Because AI cannot see you.
None of this is about how good your business is. It is about how visible you are to the systems doing your buyers' first research. Two different problems. This measures the second one.
What to do with what you found
- Fix the citation gap first. Use Prompt 9's source list. Those pages are the specific targets, not a vague "post more content."
- Answer the buyer question directly. Whatever you typed into Prompt 6 should have a genuinely useful page on your site that answers it better than anyone.
- Complete the profile. If Prompt 8 left you out, your Google Business Profile, review depth, and consistent business information are usually the fastest fix.
- Re-run this in 90 days. Organic visibility compounds. This tally is your baseline. Watch the Absent count fall.
Ran the 9 prompts? Let me know your score.
Share your tally in the form below, or follow along for what to fix next.