GEO Audit: How to Check Your AI Search Visibility (Free Tools, Checklist & Sample Report)
Want a quick GEO audit tool, or want to learn how to run a GEO audit properly? This guide covers both: the free tools worth using, a 12-point GEO audit checklist, a step-by-step method, and a sample report so you know exactly what “good” looks like.
By Pankaj Srivastava, CEO & Co-Founder, UnoSearch
Published May 7, 2026 · Updated September 23, 2026
⏱ 15 min read
📊 Sample report inside
🧰 Free tools & checklist
On this page
2. Readiness vs. visibility
3. Benefits of a GEO audit
4. 4 things we learned
5. How a GEO audit is scored
6. Sample GEO audit report
7. How to do a GEO audit
8. AI bots to let in
9. GEO audit checklist
10. Free GEO audit tools
11. GEO audit vs. SEO audit
12. What to fix first
13. GEO for US businesses
14. Is GEO replacing SEO?
15. What’s included & cost
16. How UnoSearch can help
17. Get your GEO audit
18. FAQs
It’s 9:40 on a Tuesday night in July. A homeowner in Dallas has an air conditioner that just died, a house that’s getting hotter by the minute, and no idea who to call. So they don’t open Google. They open ChatGPT.
Who’s the best emergency AC repair company in Dallas that can come tonight?
Here are three well-reviewed options that offer 24/7 emergency service in Dallas: Company A, Company B and Company C…
Three names. No page two. If you’re not one of them, you don’t get the call.
That’s the new reality for a lot of businesses. The customer never sees a list of ten blue links, never scrolls, never compares. They get a short answer, and the brands in it get the business.
If you’ve wondered “Does AI even know we exist?”, a GEO audit is how you find out. Let’s walk through it.
⚡The short version
- A GEO audit checks whether AI tools mention you, cite your website and get your facts right.
- It has two halves: readiness (can AI read your site?) and visibility (does AI actually recommend you?). Most free tools only check the first.
- The biggest gaps are usually off your website: in the reviews, directories and “best of” lists that AI relies on.
- Want to see where you stand right now? Take the 2-minute self-check, or get a full audit from us.
What is a GEO audit?
In one sentence
A GEO audit is a health check for how AI search tools see your business: whether ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot mention you, which websites they trust instead of yours, and whether what they say about you is actually true.
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. It’s the practice of helping your brand show up in answers written by AI, the same way SEO helps you show up in Google’s regular results.
A good audit gives you three things:
- A scoreboard. How often you appear, compared with your competitors.
- A diagnosis. Why you’re missing, down to specific pages, listings and technical settings.
- A to-do list. What to fix, in what order.
What is a GEO website audit?
A GEO website audit is the part of a GEO audit that looks at your own website: how well it’s set up to be discovered, understood, referenced and cited by AI-powered search engines.
A traditional website audit covers technical SEO, indexing, content and user experience. A GEO website audit adds one more layer: can AI systems understand your site and use it to answer real questions? It checks how clearly your site explains what you do, which topics you’re an authority on, which questions you answer, and what evidence backs up your claims.
A GEO website audit checks whether AI can discover, understand and cite your site.
What does a GEO audit tell you about your AI search visibility?
Instead of keyword rankings, a GEO audit (also called an AI visibility audit or AI search audit) tells you four things:
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📍 Where your brand appears The questions where AI mentions you, and the important ones where you’re missing. |
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🔗 Which sources get cited The websites, publications and directories AI uses to build its answers. |
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🥊 Which competitors show up The brands AI recommends when it doesn’t recommend you. |
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🪞 How you’re described Whether AI gets your services, expertise and locations right. |
The two halves of every GEO audit
Here’s the idea that most articles (and most tools) skip, and it’ll save you a lot of confusion.
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🔧Readiness
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📣 Visibility
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A website can be 100% “AI-ready” and
still never get recommended. Readiness
gets you into the room. It doesn’t get you picked.
Think of it like a job application. Readiness is having a clean, readable CV. Visibility is whether anyone actually hires you, and that depends heavily on your references. For AI, those “references” are review sites, directories, news articles, forums and industry lists.
What are the benefits of a GEO audit?
A GEO website audit shows you where your brand stands in AI search today and where the quickest improvements are. In practice, it helps you:
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🔍 Spot AI visibility gaps Find the questions where customers ask AI about your space and your brand isn’t in the answer. |
📍 Understand your AI competitors See who AI recommends and which sources back them up. They’re often not your Google competitors. |
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🏆 Strengthen brand authority Use the citation data to decide where to earn mentions, reviews and expert recognition. |
📝 Find content opportunities Turn unanswered customer questions into pages AI can quote. |
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📈 Set a measurable baseline Track mentions, citations and competitor visibility month over month. |
4 things we learned studying the top "GEO audit" pages
We reviewed the seven pages that rank on page one of Google in the US for “GEO audit” (September 2026). We read what each one measures, how it scores sites, and even how each website handles AI bots on its own domain. Here’s what stood out.
| 1 |
Most “GEO audit tools” never ask an AI a question Three of the five audit tools we looked at scan your website and give you a score without testing a single real AI answer in their free version. That’s a readiness check wearing a visibility badge. |
| 2 |
A “60” means completely different things One tool calls anything above 51% “good” and 60–80% “optimal”. Another calls 50–64 “needs improvement”. Same score, opposite verdict. Always ask what’s behind a GEO score. |
| 3 |
Even GEO experts disagree on the basics Only 2 of 5 sites we could check publish an llms.txt file. One GEO vendor’s own settings actually ask AI tools not to use its pages in answers. If the specialists aren’t aligned, don’t panic about every checklist item you see online. |
| 4 |
Nobody shows you the actual report None of the seven pages shows a full sample report with competitors, sources and accuracy errors side by side. Here’s one
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Free tools are great for catching technical blockers in seconds. Just don’t mistake a readiness score for proof that AI is recommending you. That takes real prompt testing.
How we score a GEO audit (the 100-point framework)
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RESULT 📣 AI visibility How often you’re mentioned, how high up, and your share compared with competitors. |
RESULT 🔗 Citations Whether AI links to your pages, and which other websites it trusts in your industry. |
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RESULT 🎯 Accuracy Whether AI gets your services, prices, locations and hours right. |
CAUSE ✍️ Content Whether your pages clearly answer the questions customers ask, with specifics AI can quote. |
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CAUSE 🌼 Technical access Whether AI bots can get in and read your key information. |
CAUSE ⭐ Reputation Reviews, directory listings, “best of” lists, press and community mentions. |
The numbers that matter (in plain English)
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Mention rate Out of every AI answer we test, how many name you? e.g. 21 out of 100 answers = 21% |
Share of AI voice Of all the times AI names a business in your space, how often is it you? Your slice of the pie |
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Citation rate How often AI links to your website as its source. The AI version of a backlink |
Average position When AI gives a list, where do you usually appear? 1st? 4th? Last? |
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Accuracy rate How many answers about you are completely correct? Wrong hours = lost customers |
Stability Do you show up every time, or only sometimes? “Sometimes” = your quickest wins |
What a GEO audit report actually looks like
Meet “Harbor Point HVAC”: a hypothetical client. A made-up, family-run heating and cooling company in Dallas–Fort Worth with 25 technicians and a solid website. It’s not a real business, and every number below is illustrative. The owner’s question is one we hear all the time: “We rank fine on Google. Why doesn’t ChatGPT ever mention us?”
Click through the tabs to explore the report 👇
GEO Audit: Harbor Point HVAC · Dallas–Fort Worth, TX
60 customer questions · 5 AI platforms · 3 runs each · 900 AI answers reviewed
Hypothetical client · sample dataThe big takeaway: Harbor Point's website is in great shape technically (82), but AI rarely recommends them (38). The problem is off-site: Competitor A appears in 4 of the 5 "best HVAC in Dallas" lists that AI quotes most. Harbor Point appears in one.
In plain English: AI knows who Harbor Point is when asked directly (88%), but it rarely brings them up on its own. Advice questions like "why is my AC freezing up?" are the biggest gap, and they're exactly what a helpful blog should be winning.
| Customer Question | ChatGPT | Google AI | Gemini | Perplexity | Copilot / Recommended First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best HVAC company in Dallas | 2/3 | 3/3 | 0/3 | 3/3 | 0/3 · Competitor A |
| 24 hour emergency AC repair Dallas | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 | 1/3 | 0/3 · Competitor B |
| How much does a new AC unit cost in Texas? | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 · No brands, just cost guides |
| HVAC companies in Plano with financing | 3/3 | 2/3 | 1/3 | 3/3 | 1/3 · Harbor Point ✓ |
| Harbor Point HVAC vs Competitor A | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 · Competitor A (more reviews) |
| Is Harbor Point HVAC legit? | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 2/3 · n/a (2 answers show old address) |
| Heat pump installer Fort Worth | 0/3 | 1/3 | 0/3 | 1/3 | 0/3 · Competitor C |
| Why is my AC blowing warm air? | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 | 0/3 · No brands, just forums & manufacturers |
| Source Type | Times Cited | Harbor Point? | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major review platform | 118 | Yes · 38 reviews | Ask for reviews (Competitor A has 410) |
| Home-services marketplace | 96 | Not listed | Create and complete a profile |
| "Best HVAC in Dallas" list (local media) | 71 | Not listed | Pitch the editor with reviews and licensing proof |
| Local Reddit threads | 52 | 2 passing mentions | Answer questions helpfully, no sales pitch |
| Business accreditation site | 40 | Listed | Update address and hours |
| What AI Said | The Truth | Why It Happened | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| "They don't offer 24/7 emergency service." | 24/7 since 2023 | Old hours on two directories; not mentioned on the homepage | High |
| Shows the old office address | Moved in 2024 | 4 directory listings never updated | High |
| "Only serves Dallas proper" | Also Plano, Frisco, Fort Worth | No service-area pages | Medium |
| Quotes a 2022 tune-up price | Price has changed | Old blog post still live | Medium |
| Check | Result |
|---|---|
| AI search bots allowed in robots.txt | Pass |
| Security settings blocking AI bots | Partial: ChatGPT is blocked from the pricing page |
| Key info visible without JavaScript | Fail: prices load in a widget AI can't read |
| Business details in structured data | Partial: service areas and social profiles missing |
| Named expert authors on guides | Fail: posts credited to "admin" |
| # | Action | Impact | Effort | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fix address, hours and "24/7" on every directory and the homepage | High | Low | Month 1 |
| 2 | Put price ranges in plain text; publish a "What AC repair really costs in Dallas" guide | High | Med | Month 1 |
| 3 | Add service areas and social profiles to structured data; unblock ChatGPT on /pricing | Med | Low | Month 1 |
| 4 | Create Plano, Frisco and Fort Worth pages with real local jobs and reviews | High | Med | Month 2 |
| 5 | Join the marketplace; start asking every happy customer for a review | High | Med | Month 2 |
| 6 | Get into the 3 most-quoted "best HVAC in Dallas" lists | High | High | Month 3 |
| 7 | Have a licensed technician write answers to the top 10 "why is my AC..." questions | Med | Med | Month 3 |
Harbor Point HVAC is a hypothetical client created for illustration. It isn’t a real business, and all figures are sample data. Competitor and source names are withheld. In your report, we name them.
How to do a GEO audit: 7 steps to audit your website for GEO
Want to try it yourself first? You can get a solid picture with a spreadsheet and an afternoon. Here’s how.
| 1 |
Write down the truth about your business
List the facts AI should know: what you do, where you work, prices, hours, key people and what makes you different. You’ll check every answer against this “fact sheet”. |
| 2 |
Collect the questions your customers really ask
Aim for 40–60. Don’t use your keyword list. Pull real questions from sales calls, support emails, reviews and Reddit, and write them the way people talk to AI: longer, specific, conversational. |
| 3 |
Ask each AI tool, three times
Use a logged-out browser or a fresh account so past chats don’t skew the answer, and set your location to your target market. Ask every question three times per platform. AI answers change from one run to the next, so one test can easily mislead you. |
| 4 | Log everything in one simple sheet
For each answer, note: were you mentioned? In what position? Who else was named? Which websites were linked? Anything wrong about you? Screenshots help too. |
| 5 |
Do the maths
Work out your mention rate, share of AI voice, citation rate and accuracy rate, then break them down by platform and question type. The breakdowns are where the “aha” moments happen. |
| 6 |
List the websites AI trusts
Group every linked source by website. The top 20 are your industry’s “AI references”. Are you on them? Are you described correctly? This becomes your outreach list. |
| 7 |
Check your own website, then prioritise Make sure AI bots can get in, your key facts are visible in plain text, and your important pages answer the question in the first paragraph. Then fix things in this order: wrong facts → technical blocks → “sometimes” questions → missing pages → reputation. |
Testing while logged into your own account. AI tools remember your past chats and often “know” your brand because you talked about it. Always test clean.
Rather skip the spreadsheet? Send us your website, competitors and customer questions, and we’ll run the full 60-question test across every major AI platform for you. Request your GEO audit →
The AI bots you should (probably) let in
This is where many businesses shoot themselves in the foot. A security setting or robots.txt file that looked sensible a year ago may be quietly blocking the bots that feed AI answers.
The key thing to know: some bots collect content to train AI models, and others fetch pages to answer a customer’s question right now. You can say no to training and still say yes to being recommended.
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Googlebot
Powers Google Search, including AI Overviews. Never block it. |
Bingbot
Microsoft Powers Bing and Copilot answers. Keep it open. |
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OAI-SearchBot
• ChatGPT-User OpenAI Let ChatGPT find and read your pages when answering. Keep open. |
PerplexityBot
• Perplexity-User Perplexity Needed to be cited by Perplexity. Keep open. |
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Claude-SearchBot
• Claude-User Anthropic Search and live page fetches for Claude. Keep open. |
GPTBot
• ClaudeBot • Google-Extended Training bots Only used for model training. Blocking these is your choice and won’t remove you from AI search. |
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MYTH
“Blocking Google-Extended affects whether I appear in AI Overviews.” |
FACT
AI Overviews run on Googlebot. Google-Extended only covers Gemini training and grounding. |
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MYTH
“I need an llms.txt file or AI won’t find me.” |
FACT
It’s optional. Google says no special AI files are needed. Focus on access and clear content. |
Services like Cloudflare can challenge or block AI bots even when robots.txt allows them. Ask your developer to check the bot settings too.
GEO audit checklist: the 2-minute self-check
This 12-point GEO audit checklist doubles as a free mini-tool. Answer honestly and you'll get a readiness score and your two weakest areas. It all runs in your browser, and nothing is sent anywhere.
Free GEO audit tools you can use today
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Choosing a third-party GEO audit tool? Ask these 5 questions
- Does it test real AI answers, or only scan your website? (Most free tools only scan.)
- How many platforms and runs? One answer from one AI tool is a coin toss.
- Does it show the sources AI cited, not just whether you were mentioned?
- Does it explain its score? Weights and bands should be published.
- Does it track competitors by name, over time?
What's the difference between a GEO audit and an SEO audit?
Does a GEO audit replace SEO?
The simple way to think about it
SEO builds your search foundation. GEO extends it into AI-generated answers. Build the foundation first, then check how it performs in generative search.
Got your results? Here's what to fix first
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Our rule of thumb
AI tools like content that’s specific and backed by evidence: real prices, real numbers, real experience, quotes from real people. “We offer great service” gets ignored. “Average emergency call-out in Dallas: $150–$350, usually within 2 hours” gets quoted.
How does a GEO audit help businesses targeting US customers?
That means testing prompts with real commercial and local intent, for example:
Is GEO replacing traditional SEO?
What should a GEO audit include, and how much does it cost?
✅ AI visibility testing across the platforms your customers use
✅ Citation and source analysis
✅ Competitor share of voice
✅ Content review of your priority pages
✅ Technical AI access review
✅ Brand and entity accuracy check
✅ A prioritised action plan
There’s no standard price, because scope varies a lot. What moves the price:
- How many questions are tested (more questions = more reliable results)
- How many AI platforms are covered
- How many competitors are tracked
- How many markets or locations you serve
- Whether fixes are included or it’s a diagnosis only
UnoSearch offers a free baseline GEO audit for qualifying businesses. If you want us to do the fixing too, our GEO program starts at $1,200/month. The Starter program is built for brands beginning their AI visibility work and includes an AI visibility audit across the major platforms, core entity and schema work, a monthly AI visibility report and a dedicated manager working US hours. See pricing.
How often? One full audit to set your baseline, a monthly re-test with the same questions (AI answers change often), and a full audit every quarter or after big changes like a rebrand, new location or website move.
How can UnoSearch help with your GEO and AI search visibility?
If you want to know where your brand appears in AI search, or why competitors appear instead, UnoSearch connects GEO with your wider search strategy.
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Technical SEO, content, authority and search optimization. |
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AI visibility, citation gaps and generative search opportunities. |
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AI search visibility connected to technical SEO, content and organic growth. |
GEO audit FAQs: your questions, answered
What is a GEO audit?
What is an AI visibility audit?
Is an AI search audit the same as a GEO audit?
What is a generative engine optimization audit?
What should a GEO audit checklist include?
What is the best free GEO audit tool?
Are free GEO audit tools accurate?
How do I do a GEO audit myself?
How many questions should a GEO audit test?
How often should I run a GEO audit?
How much does a GEO audit cost?
Does blocking Google-Extended remove me from AI Overviews?
Do I need an llms.txt file?
Does a GEO audit replace an SEO audit?
Find out with a GEO audit built on real AI answers, not a generic score.
- 60 real customer questions
- 5+ AI platforms, 3 runs each
- See who’s beating you
- 90-day action plan
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