How the free GEO visibility checker works
Methodology
The free checker builds one general recommendation question from the submitted category and sends it to the configured Azure OpenAI or OpenAI model. The system instruction asks for a neutral shortlist from existing model knowledge, forbids forcing the target brand into the answer and explicitly disables any claim of live web search. The backend then searches the returned answer for the normalized brand name and sets the cited result from that text match.
This method avoids asking a model to grade its own visibility. It also keeps the free result easy to inspect: one prompt, one answer excerpt and one cited or not-cited outcome. The provider name and disclosure remain attached to the result.
What the full report adds
A single prompt is useful as a quick check but too narrow for a visibility percentage. The gated report runs five different prompts for general recommendations, beginners, small businesses, comparisons and trusted choices. It calculates the percentage from those five recorded outcomes and counts other brands named in the answers.
Recommendations in the report are deterministic actions based on whether the brand appeared, such as clarifying category pages, publishing factual comparisons and earning independent mentions. The tool does not invent a causal explanation for why a model included or omitted a brand.
How to improve AI discoverability
Make the relationship between the brand and category explicit on public pages. State what the product does, who it serves, how it differs and where factual claims come from. Keep product names, descriptions and documentation consistent. Publish useful comparison and alternative pages that acknowledge tradeoffs instead of declaring unsupported superiority.
Independent evidence matters. Reviews, industry coverage, community discussions, integrations and credible customer stories can give both people and models more context than self-published claims alone. Recheck with a stable set of prompts over time, but judge progress alongside branded search, referral traffic, customer interviews and mentions from sources you can inspect directly.
Limitations
This checker covers one configured model and no live web search. Results can change without notice and do not represent ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity or every model version. Brand matching can miss aliases or create ambiguity for generic names. The free result is limited to one point-in-time prompt and should not be presented as market share, reach or a guarantee of future citations.
Frequently asked questions
What is GEO visibility?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. Visibility usually means whether a brand, product or source appears in answers generated by AI systems for relevant prompts. One answer is a sample, not a universal score.
How does the free GEO visibility checker work?
It asks the configured OpenAI model one neutral category recommendation question, then checks whether the returned answer actually contains the submitted brand name. The model does not decide its own cited status.
Does this tool search the live web?
No. The probe uses the model existing knowledge without web search. The result labels the provider, method and this limitation so it is not confused with current coverage across search engines or AI products.
Why is the free GEO check limited to one probe per day?
Each probe uses a paid model call. The public endpoint limits the free tier to one request per IP every 24 hours so it remains useful and financially sustainable.
What is included in the full GEO report?
The emailed report runs five distinct category prompts. It shows citation count, visibility percentage, each answer, other named brands and deterministic recommendations based on the probe results.
Does a cited result prove strong AI visibility?
No. Results vary by model, prompt, date, account context and product updates. A cited result proves only that the submitted brand appeared in this recorded probe. A not-cited result also does not prove the brand never appears elsewhere.