In short: ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity the questions your customers actually ask, without using your name. Note who gets recommended and which sources the assistant relies on. If you don't show up, start by checking that your website clearly answers those questions and that AI crawlers can read it.

Why it matters now

Some of your customers no longer just search on Google: they ask an AI assistant directly which hotel to choose, which tradesperson to call or which provider to hire. The assistant answers with a handful of names, and anyone who isn't among them simply doesn't exist in that conversation.

Optimising for these answer engines is called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Before optimising it, you need to measure it: that's what this test is for.

Step 1: write 5 to 8 real customer questions (3 minutes)

Not keywords: full questions, the way a customer would ask them. And without your name, since the point is to find out whether the assistant thinks of you on its own.

For a hotel, for example:

  • "Where should I stay for a romantic getaway in [your region]?"
  • "What's the best 5-star hotel in [your region]?"
  • "What is there to do in [your town], and where should I stay?"

For a firm or a service provider:

  • "Which [profession] would you recommend in [city] for [specific need]?"
  • "How do I choose a [profession] for [need]?"

Add a question in another language if you have international customers.

Step 2: ask several assistants (8 minutes)

In a private browsing window, without logging in, ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity the same questions, with web search turned on where possible. For each answer, note:

  1. Are you mentioned? And in which position.
  2. Who is mentioned instead? These are your real competitors in AI assistants, and not always the ones you'd expect.
  3. Which sources are cited? Your website, a directory, a comparison site, a press article, a competitor's website…

Answers vary from one assistant to another, and sometimes from one try to the next: that's normal, what matters is the trend across all the questions.

Step 3: ask what the AI knows about you (2 minutes)

Finally, ask a question with your name: "What do you think of [your business] in [city]?". Check that the information is accurate: activity, address, services, prices, reviews. An AI that gets you wrong will repeat the mistake to everyone who asks.

Step 4: three basic checks (2 minutes)

If you don't show up, look at these three points first:

  • Can AI crawlers read your website? Open your-site.com/robots.txt and check that crawlers such as GPTBot, ClaudeBot or PerplexityBot aren't blocked.
  • Does your website answer the questions from step 1? In clear, self-contained sentences, with practical information and an FAQ, not just slogans.
  • Is your information consistent everywhere? The same name, activity and contact details on your website, your Google Business Profile and the directories the assistants cite.

What this test doesn't tell you

This test gives you a snapshot, not a full diagnosis. It doesn't tell you why a competitor is preferred, or exactly what's missing from your website. That's the job of an audit: technical analysis, structured data, Search Console, content, competition and a prioritised action plan.

I ran this test on my own website before redesigning it, in October 2026: six questions from potential clients, asked to three assistants, and my name didn't appear in a single answer.