What AI visibility is
On a search engine, visibility is a ranking: you’re third for “plumber in Tampa”. An AI answer has no ranking in that sense. The assistant writes an answer, names a few businesses in it and explains its choice, a little differently every time.
So AI visibility is a share: in what share of answers your business is named when customers ask for your kind of service in your area. Visibility in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are three separate figures, because the assistants recommend different businesses.
Why one question tells you nothing
Ask ChatGPT once and you see one answer. Ask again and some of the names may change, and Claude or Gemini may name different businesses altogether. The wording matters too: “best”, “affordable”, “reviews” and “near me” each give their own list.
How AI visibility is measured
Questions in the customer’s words
Ten or so questions your customers actually ask: best, affordable, reliable, reviews, near me. Not a single keyword.
Several assistants
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini separately, because they read different sources and recommend different businesses.
Several times
The same question twice or more. Where the answers vary, more are asked until the share settles.
Every business named
Competitors are counted the same way you are, so you can see who is ahead of you and by how much.
What the figures tell you
- Share of answers. In how many answers out of a hundred your business is named. The figure that matters most.
- Position in the answer. The business named first gets the most attention, the one named fifth the least.
- Citations of your own site. When an assistant uses your site as a source, it relies on what you say about yourself.
- Sources. The sites the assistants read before answering show where you need to appear.
Askray combines the first three into one score from 0 to 100: share of answers weighs 60%, position in the answer 25% and citations of your own site 15%. The parts are always shown next to the score.
How to check your AI visibility
Start by asking. Open ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini and ask what your customer would ask, in three or four different ways. Note who each one names. Remember that answers vary, and that when you’re signed in, the assistant may tailor its answers to your past conversations.
By hand this is slow, and the random variation stays hidden. An AI visibility checker such as Askray does the same automatically: it asks the assistants through their official APIs, counts the shares and shows the sources. API answers can differ from what the apps show, so the figures are an estimate.
Frequently asked questions
What is AI visibility?
How often, and how prominently, AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini mention your business when they’re asked for your kind of service.
Is there a free AI visibility checker?
Yes. Askray’s free scan asks ChatGPT five questions in your customers’ words and shows whether it names your business and who it recommends instead.
Why does AI recommend my competitor?
Usually because the competitor appears in more of the sources the assistant reads, such as directories, comparison sites, reviews and discussions, or because its site answers the customer’s question more directly.
How often should I measure AI visibility?
Every few weeks or months, and always with the same questions, so the figures can be compared.