geo-visibility-audit

# GEO Visibility Audit

Perform comprehensive AI search visibility analysis by directly testing AI search engines. This skill provides a systematic approach to auditing without requiring external API tools.

## Why Visibility Audits Matter

Only 16% of brands systematically track AI search performance, creating a significant opportunity gap. Understanding your current visibility baseline is essential for improvement.

**Key statistics:**

- AI-sourced visitors convert at 27% vs 2.1% from traditional search (12x improvement)
- Web mentions correlate 3x more strongly with AI visibility than backlinks
- 40-60% of domains cited in AI answers change within one month
- 26% of brands have zero mentions in AI Overviews

## Visibility Audit Framework

### Step 1: Define Audit Scope

Before testing, define these parameters:

**Brand Information:**

- Primary brand name
- Alternative names/spellings
- Key products/services
- Target markets/regions

**Competitor Set:**

- 3-5 direct competitors
- 2-3 indirect competitors (optional)

**Topic Clusters to Test:**

- Primary category queries ("best [your category]")
- Product-specific queries ("[your product type] features")
- Comparison queries ("[competitor A] vs [competitor B]")
- How-to/educational queries ("how to [your use case]")

### Step 2: Test Across AI Platforms

Test your defined queries across these platforms:

| Platform       | Access               | Citation Style      | Notes                      |
| -------------- | -------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------- |
| ChatGPT        | chat.openai.com      | 3-4 citations avg   | Highest search volume      |
| Perplexity     | perplexity.ai        | 13 citations avg    | Shows sources prominently  |
| Google AI Mode | google.com (AI Mode) | Integrated results  | Affects traditional search |
| Claude         | claude.ai            | Conversational      | Growing user base          |
| Bing Copilot   | bing.com             | Microsoft ecosystem | Enterprise users           |

**For each query, document:**

1. Is your brand mentioned?
2. How is your brand described (accurate/inaccurate)?
3. Which competitors are mentioned?
4. What sources are cited?
5. What position does your brand appear (if mentioned)?

### Step 3: Query Testing Template

Use these query patterns for comprehensive coverage:

**Category Queries:**

```
"What are the best [your category]?"
"Top [your category] in 2026"
"[Your category] comparison"
```

**Product Queries:**

```
"What is [your product]?"
"How does [your product] work?"
"[Your product] features"
"[Your product] pricing"
```

**Comparison Queries:**

```
"[Your brand] vs [competitor]"
"[Competitor A] vs [Competitor B] vs [Competitor C]"
"Best [your category] comparison"
```

**How-To Queries:**

```
"How to [your use case]"
"[Your category] tutorial"
"[Your category] getting started"
```

### Step 4: Record Visibility Data

Create a tracking spreadsheet with these columns:

| Query   | Platform | Brand Mentioned | Position    | Description Accurate | Competitors Mentioned | Sources Cited |
| ------- | -------- | --------------- | ----------- | -------------------- | --------------------- | ------------- |
| [query] | ChatGPT  | Yes/No          | 1st/2nd/etc | Yes/No/Partial       | [list]                | [list]        |

### Step 5: Analyze Key Metrics

Calculate these metrics from your testing:

#### Brand Visibility Rate

```
Visibility % = (Queries where brand mentioned / Total queries tested) × 100
```

**Benchmarks:**
| Visibility | Rating | Interpretation |
|------------|--------|----------------|
| > 30% | Excellent | Strong AI presence |
| 20-30% | Good | Solid foundation |
| 10-20% | Fair | Room for improvement |
| < 10% | Poor | Significant gap |

#### Context Accuracy Rate

```
Accuracy % = (Accurate descriptions / Total mentions) × 100
```

Target: 95%+ accuracy

**Check for:**

- Correct product descriptions
- Accurate pricing information
- Current feature lists
- Proper brand positioning
- No outdated information

#### Competitive Share of Voice

```
SOV % = (Your mentions / Total competitor mentions) × 100
```

**Benchmarks:**
| Share of Voice | Position |
|----------------|----------|
| > 25% | Category leader |
| 15-25% | Major player |
| 5-15% | Competitive |
| < 5% | Visibility gap |

### Step 6: Gap Analysis

Identify where competitors appear but you don't:

**Create a gap matrix:**

| Query Topic | Your Visibility | Competitor A | Competitor B | Gap Severity |
| ----------- | --------------- | ------------ | ------------ | ------------ |
| [topic]     | 0%              | 40%          | 30%          | Critical     |
| [topic]     | 20%             | 50%          | 40%          | High         |
| [topic]     | 40%             | 45%          | 35%          | Moderate     |

**Gap categories:**

1. **Complete absence** - You never appear (critical priority)
2. **Weak presence** - You appear < 10% vs competitor > 30% (high priority)
3. **Competitive** - Similar visibility (maintain/optimize)
4. **Leadership** - You dominate (protect and expand)

### Step 7: Citation Source Analysis

Document which sources AI systems cite:

**Common citation sources:**

- Wikipedia/Wikidata
- Industry publications
- Review sites (G2, Capterra, Trustpilot)
- Reddit discussions
- YouTube videos
- LinkedIn articles
- Official documentation

**Identify gaps:**

- Sources citing competitors but not you
- Sources you could target for mentions
- Missing presence on key platforms

### Step 8: Engine-by-Engine Comparison

Compare your performance across platforms:

| Engine     | Your Visibility | Top Competitor | Gap | Priority     |
| ---------- | --------------- | -------------- | --- | ------------ |
| ChatGPT    | \_%             | \_%            | \_% | High/Med/Low |
| Perplexity | \_%             | \_%            | \_% | High/Med/Low |
| Google AI  | \_%             | \_%            | \_% | High/Med/Low |
| Claude     | \_%             | \_%            | \_% | High/Med/Low |

## Audit Report Template

```markdown
# AI Search Visibility Audit Report

**Brand:** [Brand Name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Queries Tested:** [Number]
**Platforms Tested:** [List]

## Executive Summary

[2-3 paragraph summary of key findings]

## Key Metrics

| Metric           | Current | Target | Status |
| ---------------- | ------- | ------ | ------ |
| Brand Visibility | X%      | 30%+   | ✓/✗    |
| Context Accuracy | X%      | 95%+   | ✓/✗    |
| Share of Voice   | X%      | 15%+   | ✓/✗    |

## Visibility by Platform

| Platform   | Visibility | Accuracy | Notes   |
| ---------- | ---------- | -------- | ------- |
| ChatGPT    | X%         | X%       | [notes] |
| Perplexity | X%         | X%       | [notes] |
| Google AI  | X%         | X%       | [notes] |

## Competitor Comparison

| Competitor     | Visibility | SOV    | Key Advantages  |
| -------------- | ---------- | ------ | --------------- |
| Competitor A   | X%         | X%     | [advantages]    |
| Competitor B   | X%         | X%     | [advantages]    |
| **Your Brand** | **X%**     | **X%** | [current state] |

## Top Visibility Gaps

1. **[Query/Topic]**

   - Your visibility: X%
   - Top competitor: X% (Competitor A)
   - Opportunity: [Description]
   - Priority: Critical/High/Medium

2. **[Query/Topic]**
   - Your visibility: X%
   - Top competitor: X%
   - Opportunity: [Description]
   - Priority: Critical/High/Medium

## Context Accuracy Issues

- [ ] [Issue 1: e.g., "Outdated pricing mentioned"]
- [ ] [Issue 2: e.g., "Missing key product feature"]
- [ ] [Issue 3: e.g., "Incorrect company description"]

## Citation Source Gaps

**Currently citing your brand:**

- [Source 1]
- [Source 2]

**Citing competitors but not you:**

- [Source 1] - Cites: [Competitor A, B]
- [Source 2] - Cites: [Competitor A]

## Recommendations

### Immediate Actions (This Week)

1. [Specific action with expected impact]
2. [Specific action with expected impact]

### Short-Term (This Month)

1. [Specific action with expected impact]
2. [Specific action with expected impact]

### Medium-Term (This Quarter)

1. [Specific action with expected impact]
2. [Specific action with expected impact]

## Next Audit Date

[Schedule: Monthly recommended]
```

## Action Planning Based on Findings

### Quick Wins (1-2 weeks)

- Update outdated content on high-visibility pages
- Fix context accuracy issues
- Add missing schema markup
- Refresh dates on cornerstone content

### Medium Priority (1-3 months)

- Create content for visibility gap topics
- Build presence on citation source sites
- Develop comparison content
- Expand FAQ coverage

### Strategic Initiatives (3-6 months)

- Build third-party authority (PR, partnerships)
- Develop original research/data
- Create comprehensive resource hubs
- Establish thought leadership content

## Ongoing Monitoring Cadence

| Check                  | Frequency | Purpose                    |
| ---------------------- | --------- | -------------------------- |
| Quick visibility check | Weekly    | Spot major changes         |
| Full query testing     | Bi-weekly | Track trends               |
| Competitor review      | Monthly   | Monitor competitive shifts |
| Full audit             | Quarterly | Comprehensive assessment   |

## Tips for Effective Testing

1. **Use incognito/private browsing** to avoid personalized results
2. **Test at different times** to account for variation
3. **Document exact query phrasing** for consistent retesting
4. **Screenshot responses** for evidence and comparison
5. **Note response dates** to track freshness of AI answers
6. **Test on mobile and desktop** for different experiences