Customers increasingly ask an AI assistant which company they should choose. They type a question such as “which agency can help me with Google Ads in Amersfoort” and get a single answer with a few names. You no longer see a list of ten blue links. That changes how people choose a business.
Whether your business appears in such an answer is not something you can see in Google Search Console. You have to track it yourself. In this article you will read how to go about it, how to interpret the results and what you can improve. To start with, you do not need an expensive tool.
Why you do not see this in your usual figures
Search Console shows how often your site appears in Google and how often people click. An AI assistant works differently. It gives an answer, often without anyone clicking a link.
A customer reads your company name in the answer. Then they look you up in Google or call you directly. In your figures, all you see is a branded search. That is a search for your own company name. The AI assistant that gave the nudge does not show up.
Some assistants do send visitors through with a link. You can sometimes see that traffic in your analytics under referral traffic. Check it now and then. It gives you part of the picture, but not the whole picture.
Draw up your own list of questions
You measure visibility by asking the same questions again and again. A question put to an AI assistant is also known as a prompt. Come up with 10 to 20 questions that a customer would genuinely ask. Use plain language, the way your customers do.
Spread the questions across a few types:
- Questions to find a provider: for example “best Google Ads agency in Amersfoort”.
- Comparison questions: for example “what should I look for when choosing an SEO agency”.
- Questions about a problem: for example “why am I getting few enquiries through my website”.
- Questions about your brand: for example “what are the experiences with” followed by your company name.
Keep the list fixed. If you change the questions every month, you can no longer compare the results with one another. Rather, add a new question now and then and leave the old ones in place.
How to measure it every month
A fixed routine keeps things manageable. A simple spreadsheet is enough.
- Choose the assistants you want to test. Think of ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot. Also look at the AI overviews in Google.
- Use a new or logged-out session. That way, earlier conversations play no part in the answer.
- Ask each question two or three times. Answers differ from one attempt to the next, so a single measurement says little.
- Note the date, the assistant and the question for each answer. Record whether you are mentioned, in which position and in what tone.
- Also note which competitors are mentioned and which sources are listed alongside.
- Compare with the previous month each month.
A simple score is enough: in how many of the answers you have collected are you mentioned? It is not about an exact figure. It is about the direction. Are you rising, falling or staying level?
A common picture: you are an installation company in the Amersfoort region. You test twelve questions across three assistants. For questions about solar panels, you are mentioned regularly. For questions about heat pump maintenance, you do not appear, while two competitors are there every time. In the sources you see a comparison site where you have no profile.
Now you know what to do. You complete a profile on that site and create a clear page about heat pump maintenance. A month later you measure again. There is no guarantee that you will be mentioned. But you are working in a targeted way on the places where you are currently missing.
Look at the sources
Many assistants show where they get their answer from. Those are the sources. They are often more useful than the answer itself, because they show which websites count.
For each question, watch for the following:
- Are there review sites or comparison sites among them? Make sure you have a complete and up-to-date profile there.
- Do industry blogs or news sites appear? See whether you can contribute there or be mentioned.
- Is your own site cited? Which page is it, and is the information still correct?
- Which competitor sites keep coming back? You can learn from those.
Also check whether the information about you is correct. Is there an old address, a service you no longer offer or a wrong company name? Then that is a quick win. Correct it at the source itself.
Improve your own pages
Your own site remains the most important source that you control yourself. An assistant can only cite you if it quickly understands who you are and what you do. This helps:
- Clear facts: what you do, for whom, in which region and since when. Set this out briefly and concretely.
- Up-to-date case studies: describe what you tackled, what the starting position was and what it delivered. Keep it factual and quote only figures that are accurate.
- Frequently asked questions: answer your customers’ questions in short, clear replies. That fits well with how people put questions to an assistant.
- Clear headings: use headings that name the question or the topic. That makes a page easier to read, for people and for systems.
- Structured data: this is extra code that tells search engines what is on a page, such as your address or your services. Have this set up properly.
- Technical foundation: make sure your site loads quickly and has not been accidentally closed off to visitors. Also check your robots.txt. That is a file that determines which parts of your site systems may view.
Do not expect miracles within a week. Assistants refresh their knowledge at different times. An improvement can take weeks to show. So keep measuring every month and adjust your approach step by step.
Good SEO remains the foundation. Many assistants use search results and web pages to build their answers. Businesses that are easy to find usually also have a better chance of being mentioned.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I measure my visibility in AI answers?
Once a month is enough for most businesses. Answers do not change so strongly from day to day that measuring more often yields anything. If you are short of time, measure at least every quarter.
Can I pay for an AI assistant to mention my business?
Generally not in the way you buy an advert. A mention in an answer is usually the result of good, findable information about your business. You can work on that, through your site and through your listings on other websites.
Do I still need SEO if people ask AI assistants their questions?
Yes. Many assistants draw information from web pages and search results. A well-built, clear and trustworthy site helps you in Google and also increases the chance that you will be used as a source.
Book a free 30-minute introductory meeting
Would you like to know how often your business is currently mentioned and where you are missing opportunities? Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort is happy to think along with you. We will look at your SEO, your tracking and your data, and discuss what is best to tackle first.
Book a free 30-minute introductory meeting. You will get an honest view of your current situation and concrete next steps, with no obligation.
