How AI sees your brand: a 15-question test and what to do when it gets you wrong

ChatGPT doesn’t know you, confuses you with a competitor or quotes old prices? I’ll show you a simple 15-question test, how to evaluate the results and how to fix the sources AI takes wrong information from.

Checking classic SEO is easy: you type a keyword into Google and see where you rank. With AI it’s not that simple – everyone gets a slightly different answer. Still, you can reliably find out whether AI knows you, recommends you and tells the truth about you. All you need is a systematic test.

The 15-question test

Prepare a table and ask the same questions in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot. Ideally in a logged-out window or a temporary chat, so your history doesn’t influence the answers.

A. Does it know you? (branded questions)

1. What is [company name]?
2. What services does [company name] offer and how much do they cost?
3. Where is [company name] based and how can I contact them?
4. What are the reviews of [company name]?
5. Is [company name] a good choice for [your service]?

B. Does it recommend you? (unbranded questions – the most important ones)

1. Who does [service] in [city]?
2. Recommend a [service] for a small business in [region].
3. What are the best [service] companies in [country]?
4. How much does [service] cost in [city] and who should I contact?
5. I need [customer problem]. Who should I turn to?

C. How does it compare you?

1. Compare [company name] and [competitor].
2. What are the disadvantages of [company name]?
3. What alternatives to [competitor] are there?
4. Why choose [company name]?
5. What’s new at [company name]?

How to evaluate the results

Give each answer a simple score:

• 2 points: mentions you correctly and recommends you
• 1 point: mentions you, but with a mistake or at the end of the list
• 0 points: doesn’t mention you at all
• -1 point: says something untrue about you (wrong prices, another address, a service you don’t offer)

Also note the sources the AI cites (Perplexity and ChatGPT with search show them). They tell you where the AI gets its information – and where you need to step in. Repeat the test once a month with the same questions, otherwise you can’t compare the results.

When AI doesn’t know you at all

The most common situation for small businesses. AI has nothing to draw on, or it can’t read your website.

• Make sure you aren’t blocking AI bots – AI bots in robots.txt, firewalls and Cloudflare.
• Add your website to Bing Webmaster Tools – guide here.
• Write a clear About page: who you are, since when, what you do, for whom and where.
• Get your first mentions outside your website: a Google Business Profile with reviews, industry directories, local media, partners.

When AI says untrue things about you

AI doesn’t make up mistakes completely at random – it usually finds them in some source. How to fix it:

1. Find the source of the error. Look at the sources in the answer or ask the AI directly: “Where did you get this information?”
2. Fix what you control: your website, Google Business Profile, Facebook, business directories, LinkedIn. The same name, address and phone number everywhere.
3. Remove old pages. An old price list or a closed branch on your website are frequent sources of errors. Redirect or update the page.
4. State the correct information clearly and prominently. If AI claims you don’t build online stores and you do, have a dedicated page with a clear heading about it.
5. Report the error directly in the tool. ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot have a feedback button on each answer. It won’t help immediately, but it costs nothing.

You won’t see results overnight. Answers that use search usually improve within a few weeks of fixing the sources; the model’s “learned” knowledge only with its next update.

When AI recommends your competitors

Find out why they win: more reviews, specific prices on their website, articles, media mentions? It’s usually not about company size but about how much clear, verifiable information about the business exists online. That’s good news – you can catch up.

Want me to run the test for you and prepare a plan to get into AI answers? Get in touch via the free audit.