How to Track Whether You're Showing Up in AI Overviews and ChatGPT
In short
There's no Search Console for AI search yet, so tracking your GEO visibility means manual checks done consistently: a fixed list of real customer questions, checked across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Gemini on a set schedule, with results logged in a simple spreadsheet. Watch for whether you're named at all, whether the details are correct, and which competitors keep showing up instead of you. It's not glamorous, but it's the only reliable way to know if your GEO work is actually working.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure
Everyone’s talking about getting mentioned in ChatGPT and AI Overviews right now. Fewer people are actually checking whether it’s happening. If you don’t know your starting point, you won’t know if anything you do about it is working.
The frustrating truth is there’s no proper analytics dashboard for this yet, nothing like Search Console for AI search. So tracking GEO visibility today means doing it by hand, consistently, and logging what you find.
Build a fixed list of questions
Start with 8 to 12 real questions a customer would actually ask, not generic industry terms. Think:
- “Who’s the best plumber in [your city]?”
- “Emergency electrician near me open now”
- “How much does a bathroom renovation cost in [your city]?”
- “[Your service] vs [alternative], which is better?”
Keep the list fixed once you’ve built it. The value is in comparing the same questions over time, not in chasing new ones every month.
Check across the platforms that matter
Run your list through:
- Google AI Overviews. Search each question and check what appears in the summary at the top, if anything.
- ChatGPT. Ask it directly, and ask a follow-up like “who would you recommend and why” to see how it justifies an answer.
- Gemini (and Perplexity if your customers use it). Different models pull from different signals, so results won’t match Google exactly.
For each one, log three things: were you named, was the information correct, and who else was named instead of or alongside you.
What to actually look for
A “yes, I showed up” is only half the picture. Also check:
- Accuracy. Is your address, phone number or service area right? AI tools sometimes surface outdated information, and a wrong detail is worse than no mention at all.
- Framing. Are you described positively, neutrally, or is the tone off? This matters more than a raw citation count.
- Competitor pattern. If the same one or two competitors keep appearing instead of you, that’s a direct signal about what AI tools are picking up on that you aren’t. Worth investigating their reviews, their site structure and their Google Business Profile.
Log it somewhere simple
A basic spreadsheet works fine: one row per question, one column per month, a quick note on what came back. You don’t need anything fancier than that to spot a trend.
What you’re watching for over three or four months:
- Are you starting to appear where you didn’t before?
- Are the mentions getting more accurate and more prominent?
- Is your share of the “who would you recommend” answers improving relative to competitors?
If none of that moves after genuine GEO work, something in your foundations, entity consistency, reviews, content structure, needs attention. I cover the practical side of that in how to get mentioned in ChatGPT and AI Overviews and what E-E-A-T actually is.
This is a slow burn, not a switch you flip
AI-generated answers shift as models update, as your content changes, and as your reviews and mentions accumulate elsewhere. A single check tells you almost nothing. A consistent monthly log across a fixed question set is what actually shows whether your GEO work is paying off, in the same patient way SEO results build over months rather than days.
If you’d rather have someone else running this tracking properly and reporting back on it, that’s part of what I do for clients. Get in touch if you want to know exactly where your business currently stands in AI search. If you want to know where you stand in AI search, see the fixed-price AI Visibility Audit.
Want to know whether AI tools actually name you? Our AI search visibility guide shows how to check, what helps and what doesn’t, and the Google and AI search update tracker lists the changes as they happen, with sources.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Google Search Console for AI search?
Not yet. Search Console reports on traditional Google search, not on AI Overviews, ChatGPT or Gemini answers. Some third-party tools are starting to track AI citations, but manual checking against a fixed set of real questions is still the most reliable method available.
How do I check if my business shows up in AI Overviews?
Search the exact questions a real customer would ask, on a device where AI Overviews are shown, and read the summary at the top of the results. Note whether your business is named, whether the details are accurate, and which competitors appear instead.
How often should I check my AI search visibility?
Monthly is a sensible starting point for most small businesses. AI-generated answers shift as models update and as your own content and reviews change, so a single check tells you almost nothing. A consistent monthly log is what actually shows a trend.
Why does ChatGPT mention my competitor instead of me?
Usually because their information is clearer, more consistent, or better reviewed online. AI tools favour businesses with strong entity signals: consistent name, address and details across the web, genuine reviews and specific, well-structured content. If a competitor is being named instead of you, that's exactly what to check first.
Rather have this handled for you?
That’s what I do. Tell me about your business and I’ll show you the smartest way to get more customers online, in plain English.