Short answer
Pick 10 to 15 prompts your customers would ask, run each one several times a month in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini and Perplexity, and log whether your business is named and which sources are cited. AI answers change between runs, so track how often you appear over time, not a single result.
Key takeaways
- AI answers change from run to run, so measure how often you are named, not a rank.
- A SparkToro study found less than a 1 in 100 chance that ChatGPT or Google AI gives the same brand list twice.
- Use a fixed set of prompts and run each one three times per tool every month.
- Log the sources each answer cites. They show you where to improve.
- Check Google Search Console and your analytics for AI referral traffic as a second signal.
Can you check if ChatGPT recommends your business?
Yes. You ask the same questions your customers ask, in each AI tool, and record whether your business appears. Done monthly, this gives you a clear trend.
You do not need special software to start. A spreadsheet and 30 to 60 minutes a month are enough for most contractors. The key is to run the same prompts the same way each time, so the results are comparable from month to month.
Why do AI answers change every time you ask?
AI tools generate each answer fresh, and they often search the web again before replying. Small changes in timing, wording and sources lead to different lists.
SparkToro and Gumshoe.ai ran 2,961 prompts across ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI in late 2025, reported by Search Engine Journal in January 2026. They found less than a 1 in 100 chance that ChatGPT or Google's AI returned the same brand list across repeated runs, and the same list in the same order less than 0.1% of the time. Gumshoe.ai sells tracking tools, and the study was not peer reviewed.
Local results move too. In the 8ight.AI study reported by PPC Land in October 2026, the same question sent to ChatGPT twice, about 39 minutes apart, shared a median of 29% of the businesses named. That is why one test proves little. Repeated tests show a pattern.
Which prompts should you test?
Test the questions a real customer would type, using your trade and the cities you serve. Mix broad questions, specific jobs and questions about your company by name.
Aim for 10 to 15 prompts in four groups:
- Best of: "Who is the best plumber in Chula Vista?"
- Specific job: "Who can fix a slab leak in Otay Ranch this week?"
- Problem first: "My AC is blowing warm air. Who should I call in San Diego?"
- Brand check: "What do you know about [your business name]?" and "Is [your business name] licensed?"
How do you run a fair test?
Use clean sessions and the same settings each time. Personal history and location can tilt results, so control what you can.
Follow these rules each month:
- Use a private or logged out browser window where the tool allows it, or a fresh chat with memory turned off.
- Copy prompts from your sheet word for word. Do not improvise.
- Run each prompt three times per tool and record every run.
- Test on the same days each month, for example the first Monday.
- Note whether web search was on and which model or mode you used.
- Screenshot any answer that names you or a close competitor.
Sample monthly AI visibility log
| Date | Tool | Prompt | Named? | Position | Competitors named | Sources cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2 | ChatGPT | Who is the best plumber in Chula Vista? | Yes | 3 of 5 | Business A, Business B | BBB, Yelp, company sites |
| Nov 2 | ChatGPT | Who is the best plumber in Chula Vista? | No | Business A, Business C | BBB, CSLB | |
| Nov 2 | Google AI Mode | Who can fix a slab leak in Otay Ranch? | No | Business B | Google Business Profiles | |
| Nov 2 | Perplexity | Is [your business] licensed? | Yes | Only result | None | CSLB, your website |
| Nov 2 | Gemini | My water heater is leaking. Who should I call in San Diego? | Yes | 2 of 4 | Business A | Your website, Yelp |
How should you log the results?
Use one row per prompt per run, with columns for the date, tool, prompt, whether you were named, your position in the list, competitors named and sources cited. This turns scattered answers into data.
The most useful number is your mention rate. Divide the runs that named you by the total runs. If you were named in 9 of 45 runs this month, your mention rate is 20%. The SparkToro researchers found that this kind of visibility percentage across many runs is more consistent than any single position.
The sources column matters just as much. If answers keep citing the BBB, Yelp, a local news story or a competitor's blog, those are the places to strengthen your presence. See the sample log below.
What signs show real progress?
Progress shows up as a rising mention rate over several months, more correct facts about your business, and your own site or profiles appearing among the cited sources.
Look for these signs:
- You appear in more runs for the same prompts than three months ago.
- Brand check prompts describe your services, area and license correctly.
- Your website, Google Business Profile or BBB page shows up as a cited source.
- You start appearing for specific job prompts, not just broad ones.
- Sessions with utm_source=chatgpt.com show up in your analytics. OpenAI says ChatGPT adds this tag to referral links.
What tools can help you track AI visibility?
Free tools cover a lot. Paid tools save time once you track many prompts, but none can promise placement.
Google says traffic from AI Overviews and AI Mode is reported inside the Search Console Performance report under the Web search type. It is not split out, but it counts. Your website analytics can show referrals from chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai and similar sites.
Beyond that, several types of paid tools exist:
- AI visibility trackers that run your prompts on a schedule across several AI tools.
- SEO suites that have added AI citation or brand mention reports.
- Local rank trackers that now include AI Overview checks for map style searches.
- Brand monitoring tools that watch for new mentions of your business across the web.
What should you do when you are not mentioned?
Look at who is named and what sources the AI cites, then close the gaps one at a time. Being absent is common and fixable over time.
Compare yourself with the businesses that do show up. In the 8ight.AI study, ChatGPT named 3.4% of businesses with under 25 Google reviews and 22.2% of those with 1,000 or more. Review volume is one gap you can close with a steady request habit. Others include missing listings, a thin service page or no mentions in local sources. A contractor in Chula Vista or anywhere in San Diego County can start with the profile checklist and the clear answer format in our other AI Search guides.
If you would rather have a starting point, the free audit from WebSEO.pro reviews your listings, reviews and service pages against what AI tools tend to cite, and shows you the gaps worth fixing first.
Monthly AI visibility routine
- 1Open your prompt sheet with 10 to 15 fixed prompts
- 2Run each prompt three times in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini and Perplexity
- 3Log named or not, position, competitors and cited sources for every run
- 4Calculate your mention rate for the month
- 5Check Search Console and analytics for AI referral traffic
- 6Pick one gap to fix before next month
Sources
- Search Engine Journal, AI Recommendations Change With Nearly Every Query: SparkToro, 2026-01-30
- PPC Land, ChatGPT names 3.4% of tested local firms with under 25 reviews, 8ight finds, 2026-10-06
- OpenAI Help Center, Publishers and Developers FAQ, 2026-10-23
- Google Search Central, AI features and your website, 2025-12-10