How do I check what ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity say about my business?
You can check it yourself, for free. The catch: the answer often changes between runs, so one test tells you very little. Here is a fairer way to run it.
A customer asks ChatGPT for the best plumber in your town. Does it name you? Does it get your hours and service area right?
This guide walks through the test step by step, and what to do with what you find. It is one part of the bigger picture in AI Visibility for Local Businesses.
TL;DR
- Ask the questions customers type, not your business name.
- Use a private window and run each question three times on each tool.
- Count how often you appear across runs instead of reading one answer.
What should I ask the AI?
Ask the questions a customer would type, such as "best plumber near [your town]," not your business name. Searching your own name only tests whether the AI knows you exist. Start with three to five real customer questions and use the same list each time.
Good questions sound like a customer in a hurry:
- Best [your trade] near [your town]
- Who can fix [common problem] in [your town] this week?
- [Your trade] in [your town] with good reviews
Then add one question with your business name. It tells you whether the AI has your details right.
How do I run the test so the results are fair?
Use a private or logged-out window where the tool allows it, include your town in the question, and run each question three times on each tool. AI answers change from run to run, and your own chat history and location can skew a single result. Record each run in a simple grid.
Start with ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. Three questions on three tools, three runs each, is 27 runs, and every extra question adds nine. Then run a regular Google search and note Google's AI Overview if one appears. Add Claude and Copilot if you want a wider view.
- Write three to five customer questions.
- Open a private window on each tool.
- Ask each question three times on each tool.
- Log every run in the grid below.
- Count how often you were named.
Make one row per run. Here is the grid, with made-up example rows:
| Question | Tool | Run | Named? | Anything wrong? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best plumber near [your town] | ChatGPT | 1 | No | None |
| Best plumber near [your town] | ChatGPT | 2 | Yes | Wrong hours |
A notes app or a spreadsheet is enough.
Why do I get a different answer every time?
Because these tools do not return fixed lists. In a SparkToro study, volunteers ran 12 questions a combined 2,961 times across ChatGPT, Claude and Google's AI, and the same brand list in the same order came back about once in 1,000 runs. Some brands still showed up repeatedly, so look for patterns across runs, not a single result.
Two honest limits on that study. It was run with volunteers and was not peer reviewed, and its questions mixed product and local searches. Treat it as a strong warning, not a law.
What to do with it: count how often you appear across all your runs, for example 13 of 27 runs (a made-up example), instead of reading one answer. Then run the same list again next month and compare.
Want it done and written up for you?
Get the audit$25, credited toward your build if you buy within 14 days of delivery. Nothing on your site or profile is changed.
What if the AI skips me or gets my details wrong?
Start with the places a 2025 BrightLocal test found AI tools citing: your website, your Google Business Profile and directories such as Yelp. Fix wrong hours, services or address there, then re-test in a few weeks. Nobody can honestly promise you a mention.
That test covered 20 searches across Google's AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity and ChatGPT search. Business websites, Google Business Profile listings and directories such as Yelp all appeared as sources. It is a small and older test, so use it as a hint about where to look, not as a rule. Your profile matters here too: do Google Business Profiles still matter for AI search?
Google's own guidance on its AI features says the basics matter: let crawlers in and keep your business information current and accurate. If the AI skips you entirely, why doesn't my business show up on ChatGPT? covers the common causes. And if you are weighing a pitch that promises a guaranteed mention, read can you pay to get recommended by ChatGPT? first.
Can someone run this check for me?
The $25 audit reviews your website and Google Business Profile, scores five readiness signals, and runs live questions on ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Copilot, recorded in a PDF with a prioritized fix list in two days. It changes nothing on your site. The $25 is credited toward your build if you buy within 14 days of delivery.
The free checker on the homepage is a different tool. It scans your website and does not ask any AI anything. The audit is the version where I ask the AI tools and record what they say.
Quick answers on frequency, cost and results
How often should I re-check?
Once a month is a reasonable habit. That is my suggestion, not tested guidance. Use the same questions and tools each time.
Does the check cost anything?
No. Running it yourself is free. The optional $25 audit is a separate purchase, credited toward your build if you buy within 14 days of delivery.
Will fixing my website make the AI name me?
Not on its own. Nobody can honestly promise a mention. Fixing wrong details gives the AI better information, so re-test after a few weeks and compare.
Read next: Why doesn't my business show up on ChatGPT?
About the author: Jeff Anderson runs MapRankd, a one-person service that builds a one-page website and a Google Business Profile for local businesses. Questions: jeff@getmaprankd.com.