AI search visibility checklist

Access

AI search tools can only use pages they are allowed to reach and can read.

robots.txt does not block the crawlers you wantWhy it matters: A single Disallow rule can hide your whole site from a search engine or an AI search feature.How to check: Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt. Confirm Googlebot, Bingbot and any AI search crawlers you want (each provider documents its user agents) are not disallowed.
Important pages are indexableWhy it matters: Pages marked noindex are excluded from search indexes that many AI answers draw on.How to check: Use URL Inspection in Google Search Console on your homepage and main service pages. Check there is no noindex tag left from development.
Key content is in the HTML, not only loaded by scriptsWhy it matters: Some crawlers do not run JavaScript the way a browser does, so script-only content may be invisible to them.How to check: View the page source (not the inspector) and search for your services, prices and contact details. They should appear in the raw HTML.
An XML sitemap is submitted to Google and BingWhy it matters: A sitemap helps search engines discover every page you want indexed. Microsoft Copilot draws on Bing's index.How to check: Check that yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml exists, then submit it in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Business facts

Consistent, verifiable facts make it easier for any system to describe you correctly.

Your name, location and contact details match everywhereWhy it matters: Conflicting details across your site and profiles are a common cause of inaccurate AI answers.How to check: Compare your website, Google Business Profile, LinkedIn page and directory listings. Fix any differences in name, address, phone or services.
An About page states who you are, where you work and what you doWhy it matters: Plain statements of fact are easy to quote. Vague slogans are not.How to check: Read your About page as a stranger. Can you tell what the business does, for whom and where, within ten seconds?
Contact details and prices are text, not imagesWhy it matters: Text inside images is hard for crawlers to read reliably.How to check: Try to select your phone number, address and prices with the cursor. If you cannot, they are probably images.

Structured information

Clear structure helps machines interpret what each page is about.

Organization structured data is present and accurateWhy it matters: Schema.org markup labels facts such as your name, logo and profiles in a machine-readable way.How to check: Test your homepage with the Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org) and check the details are correct.
Markup only describes content visible on the pageWhy it matters: Marking up reviews, services or FAQs that are not on the page breaks search engine guidelines.How to check: For each schema type on a page, confirm a visitor can see the same information.
Headings describe content and follow a logical orderWhy it matters: Descriptive headings help both people and machines find the answer to a specific question.How to check: Scan a service page using only its headings. They should outline the page without reading the paragraphs.

Answer-ready content

Useful, specific pages are what search engines and AI tools choose to cite.

Service pages answer what, who, how long and what affects priceWhy it matters: These are the questions buyers ask before they enquire, including when they ask an AI assistant.How to check: Check each service page for scope, suitable clients, typical timeline and the main cost drivers.
FAQs answer real customer questions in plain languageWhy it matters: Direct, well-written answers are easy to understand and reuse accurately.How to check: List the questions your team hears most often. Each should have a clear answer on the site.
Claims are backed by specificsWhy it matters: Case studies, named processes and concrete details are more credible than adjectives.How to check: Replace phrases like 'industry-leading' with facts a reader could check.
Articles show an author and a published or updated dateWhy it matters: Dates and authorship help readers and systems judge whether information is current.How to check: Open your latest articles and check the byline and date are visible.

Technical health

The same foundations that help traditional SEO help here too.

Pages load quickly on a mid-range phoneWhy it matters: Slow, unstable pages hurt users first, and crawl efficiency second.How to check: Run PageSpeed Insights on your homepage and a service page, and check the mobile Core Web Vitals.
HTTPS everywhere, with one canonical URL per pageWhy it matters: Duplicate versions of a page split signals and can cause the wrong version to be shown.How to check: Check that http:// and www variants redirect to one address, and that each page's canonical tag points to itself.
No broken internal links or missing pagesWhy it matters: Dead ends waste crawl time and frustrate visitors.How to check: Review the Pages report in Search Console for 404 errors, and fix or redirect them.

Monitoring

Measurement is still imperfect, so combine a few simple signals.

Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are set upWhy it matters: They show which queries and pages bring visitors, and report indexing problems.How to check: Verify your domain in both tools and check them monthly.
Analytics shows referrals from AI tools where they are passedWhy it matters: Some AI products send visitors with a recognisable referrer, which shows real traffic from them.How to check: In your analytics, look at referral sources for AI assistants and answer engines.
You periodically ask AI assistants about your businessWhy it matters: It reveals what these tools currently say, including mistakes you can correct at the source.How to check: Every few months, ask the main assistants what they know about your business and note anything inaccurate.
You ask new customers how they found youWhy it matters: It is low-tech and still the most reliable signal of what is working.How to check: Add a 'How did you hear about us?' question to your enquiry process.

Want a second opinion?

Our AI search readiness review covers these areas in depth, fixes what we find and sets up a way to measure change. No guaranteed citations, just honest work on what you can control.

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