“Does ChatGPT know my business exists?” It’s the first question most small business owners ask, and the good news is that you can answer it yourself in ten minutes, for free. Here’s how to run the test, how to read the answers and what to fix first.
What you need
A phone or a computer, a few minutes, and a free account on two or three assistants. The most widely used are ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Copilot. Open each in a new conversation, with no history, so your past searches don’t influence the answer.
The 6 questions to ask
Ask them as written, replacing the brackets. Record each answer in a table: one row per assistant, one column per question.
- The customer’s question: “Who’s the best [your trade] in [your city]?” This is the question that matters most, because it’s the one your customers really ask.
- The rushed variant: “I’m looking for a [your trade] near [your neighbourhood or city] who’s available quickly. Who do you recommend?”
- The comparison question: “Between [your business] and [a competitor], which should I choose?”
- The awareness question: “What do you know about [exact name of your business] in [city]?”
- The details question: “What are the hours, address and services of [your business]?”
- The trust question: “Is [your business] reliable? What do people say about it?”
How to read the answers
You’re named: a good sign, but check the details
Check whether the address, phone number, hours and services are accurate. An AI that names you with wrong information can send the customer to the wrong place. It’s often a sign that your information doesn’t match from one source to another.
You’re not named: look at who is
Note the competitors that are cited. Ask yourself an honest question: what do they have that’s clearer than what you have? A specific services page? A complete directory listing? Mentions in local media?
The AI doesn’t know you at all
This is common for small businesses, especially newer ones. It doesn’t mean all is lost. It means the public information about you is too thin or too scattered for the assistant to confirm it.
Run the test three times
An AI’s answers vary from one time to the next. A single answer tells you almost nothing. Repeat each question at three different times, ideally over three days, and see what comes back. A business named two times out of three is in a better position than one named once in ten.
What to fix first
- The accuracy of your basic information: name, address, phone number, hours, website, identical everywhere.
- A clear page for each service, with your city: “Heat pump repair in Drummondville” beats “Our solutions.”
- A frequently asked questions page: assistants love short, direct answers.
- Your listings in reputable directories: the same information as on your website.
And if you’d rather not do it yourself
Our free audit runs exactly this test, across several assistants and several phrasings, then hands you what needs fixing. You can also run the live check on the home page for a first look.
