What Is AI Search Visibility — And Why Your Score Matters

When someone asks ChatGPT to recommend a dentist in your city, the AI doesn't search Google — it pulls from what it already knows, and most local businesses aren't in that picture.

This is the new search problem. Google rankings took years to matter. AI recommendations are mattering right now, and most businesses have a score of 0.

What "AI search visibility" actually means

AI visibility is the measure of how consistently AI platforms — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini — cite, mention, or recommend your business when users ask relevant questions.

It's not about SEO keywords. It's about whether AI models have enough structured, credible information about your business to feel confident recommending you.

Why it's different from Google

Google indexes pages. AI models build representations. When a model retrieves context, it's looking for signals of authority: structured schema markup, consistent entity data across the web, an llms.txt file, and clear business descriptions.

If your site has good SEO but no schema, no llms.txt, and no consistent entity profile across directories — you're invisible to AI.

What the score measures

Sourcepull runs 40 real queries across 4 platforms and classifies each result as cited, mentioned, or omitted. Your score (0–10) reflects how consistently AI platforms surface your business when someone asks a relevant question.

A score below 4 means you're effectively invisible. A score of 7+ means AI platforms are citing you regularly — you're in the conversation.

What you can do right now

The fastest wins are technical: add an llms.txt file to your domain root, implement LocalBusiness schema, and make sure your Google Business Profile is complete and verified. These signals are cheap to implement and have outsized impact on AI citations.

Run a free Signal Check at sourcepull.ca to see where you stand.