How Unveily Works – AI Visibility Testing Across 6 Platforms
Understand what Unveily tests and why these factors matter for your presence in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI & Bing Chat
Quick Overview
The Problem
Traditional SEO rankings don't guarantee AI visibility. A business ranking #1 on Google may be invisible to ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models. As millions of users shift to AI-powered search, being mentioned in AI responses is becoming as important as traditional search rankings.
What Unveily Does
Unveily tests your actual presence in AI-generated responses across 6 major platforms with queries your potential customers would ask. We simulate real user queries like "best [service] in [city]", "top [industry] tools", and problem-solution questions to see if your business is mentioned.
What You Get
- Mention Rate Percentage: How often your business appears (0-100%)
- Technical Readiness Score: 9-point assessment of factors that matter for AI visibility
- Platform-by-Platform Breakdown: See which AI systems know about you
- Prioritized Recommendations: Actionable steps based on your specific results
Timeline
Complete analysis in 3-5 minutes across all 6 platforms with real-time testing.
Understanding AI Visibility Testing
What We Test
Real-time queries across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Chat
Query types mirror real user behavior: "best [service] in [city]", "top [industry] tools", comparison queries, problem-solution queries
Platform-specific behaviors: Each AI system has unique citation preferences—some prioritize structured data, others favor recency or authority signals
Why These Platforms Matter
- →ChatGPT: 180M+ monthly users (OpenAI data)
- →Perplexity: 500M+ monthly searches
- →Google AI Overviews: 15-20% of all Google searches now show AI summaries
- →Combined impact: AI-powered search is how millions now discover businesses
What We Measure
Mention Rate
How often your business appears in AI responses (0-100%)
Position Analysis
Early mentions (stronger signal) vs. late mentions
Platform Variation
Which AI systems know about you and which don't
Technical Readiness
9 factors that research shows correlate with AI visibility
The 9 Factors AI Systems Prioritize
These aren't arbitrary—they're based on how AI platforms discover, understand, and trust content. The weight of each factor evolves as AI systems update, but these fundamentals remain critical:
1. AI Crawler Access
GPTBot (OpenAI), ClaudeBot (Anthropic), Google-Extended, and other AI crawlers need permission to access your site. If blocked in robots.txt, you have zero AI visibility—AI systems literally cannot see your content.
Industry standard: Allow AI crawlers unless you have specific privacy concerns
2. llms.txt File
Emerging standard for AI crawler communication (similar to robots.txt for search engines). Provides structured information: business summary, key pages, services, contact info.
Early research shows: Sites with llms.txt get more accurate AI representations. Reference standard: llmstxt.org
3. Structured Data (Schema.org)
Machine-readable markup helps AI reliably extract key facts: business name, services, location, hours, reviews. Critical schemas include Organization, LocalBusiness, Service, Product, Article, and FAQPage.
Why it matters: AI can parse structured data with 95%+ accuracy vs. 60-70% for unstructured content. Validate with Google Rich Results Test.
4. Content Depth & Authority
AI platforms favor comprehensive sources over thin content. Research shows pages with 1500+ words, original data, expert quotes, and case studies get cited 3-4x more often.
Structure matters: Clear headings, FAQ sections, comparison tables—formats that AI can parse and cite
5. Freshness Signals
AI systems prioritize up-to-date information. Signals include datePublished, dateModified timestamps, and "Last updated" indicators.
Impact: Stale content (>2 years without updates) rarely appears in AI responses
6. Sitemap & Discoverability
XML sitemaps help AI crawlers understand site structure and discover all pages.
Result: Well-organized information architecture = better AI comprehension
7. Mobile Optimization
Many AI crawlers use mobile user agents. Responsive design, fast mobile experience, and accessible content all impact crawlability.
8. Page Speed (Core Web Vitals)
Slow pages may be partially crawled or timed out. Target: LCP < 2.5s, FID < 100ms, CLS < 0.1.
Why it matters: Fast pages = complete crawls = better AI understanding
9. Authority Signals
Backlinks from trusted sources, brand mentions, customer reviews, press coverage. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) applies to AI too.
Long-term impact: Once AI "learns" you're authoritative in a domain, citation patterns persist
The Evolving Landscape
These factors are based on current research and testing. As AI platforms update their models and crawling behavior, priorities shift. What matters for ChatGPT may differ slightly from Claude or Perplexity. Unveily's testing reveals these platform-specific patterns without you needing to manually test each one.
Real-World Use Cases
Local Business
Restaurant checking visibility for "best Italian restaurant in Austin" to see if ChatGPT and Perplexity recommend them to locals
B2B SaaS
Software company verifying mentions in "best CRM tools" queries to ensure they appear in buyer research
Professional Services
Marketing agency testing expertise-based citations like "top SEO agencies in NYC" to track AI visibility
E-commerce
Online store tracking product recommendation visibility when users ask AI for shopping suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is AI visibility testing?
Unveily tests real-time responses from production AI platforms using their official APIs. Results reflect your actual presence at the time of testing. Accuracy depends on your website content, technical setup, and how AI platforms crawl and understand your information.
Why do results differ between platforms?
Each AI platform has unique citation behaviors. ChatGPT may prioritize different factors than Claude or Perplexity. Some platforms favor structured data, others prioritize recency or authority signals. Platform-specific differences reveal where you need to focus optimization efforts.
What if my business isn't mentioned at all?
Zero visibility is common for businesses that haven't optimized for AI. Common causes: blocking AI crawlers in robots.txt, missing structured data, thin content, or low authority signals. Unveily's recommendations provide specific steps to establish baseline AI visibility.
How often should I test my AI visibility?
Monthly testing is recommended to track progress after implementing changes. After major website updates, content additions, or technical changes, test within 4-6 weeks to see impact. AI platforms recrawl at different frequencies, so changes take time to reflect.
Can I improve my AI visibility?
Yes. AI visibility is influenced by technical factors you can control: allowing AI crawlers, implementing structured data, adding llms.txt, improving content depth, and building authority signals. Most businesses see improvement within 4-8 weeks of implementing recommendations.
How is this different from traditional SEO?
Traditional SEO optimizes for ranking in search results. AI visibility testing measures whether you're cited in AI-generated responses. You can rank #1 on Google but be invisible to ChatGPT. AI visibility requires additional optimization: structured data, llms.txt, and AI crawler access.
What is llms.txt and do I need it?
llms.txt is an emerging standard file (similar to robots.txt) that helps AI crawlers understand your website. It includes your business summary, key pages, services, and contact info. While not required, early research shows sites with llms.txt get more accurate AI representations. Learn more at llmstxt.org.
Does schema markup guarantee AI visibility?
No single factor guarantees visibility, but structured data (schema markup) significantly improves it. AI systems can parse structured data with 95%+ accuracy vs. 60-70% for unstructured content. Schema provides reliable signals about your business name, services, location, and expertise.
Why does blocking AI crawlers hurt visibility?
If you block AI-specific crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, Google-Extended) in robots.txt, AI systems cannot access your content and your business will have zero AI visibility. They literally cannot see your website to include you in responses.
Do AI platforms remember previous tests?
No. Each test is independent and simulates real user queries. AI platforms don't 'learn' from your tests. However, if you make improvements to your website, AI platforms will discover them during their normal crawling cycles (separate from Unveily's testing).
How long until improvements show results?
Typical timeline: 4-8 weeks. After implementing technical changes (schema, llms.txt, allowing crawlers), AI platforms need time to recrawl your site. Content changes may show faster results. Authority-building (backlinks, reviews) takes longer but has lasting impact.
What's the relationship between GEO score and mention rate?
GEO score measures technical readiness (0-9 scale based on factors like schema, llms.txt, crawler access). Mention rate measures actual AI visibility (0-100% based on how often you appear in responses). High GEO score creates foundation for visibility, but mention rate also depends on content quality and authority signals.
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See how your business appears across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI & Bing Chat
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