What should an AI visibility audit include?
Real buyer prompts, run on several engines
Questions your buyers actually ask ("best X for Y", "X vs Y", "how do I..."), run on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews , with answers saved as evidence.
Share of voice against named competitors
How often you are mentioned, in what position, and how you are described, compared with the competitors buyers are weighing you against.
The sources AI cites
The review sites, lists, articles and forums the engines lean on for your category. These are usually the fastest wins.
Technical access checks
Whether AI crawlers are allowed in robots.txt, whether key pages are readable without JavaScript, and whether public identity, schema markup and a sitemap are consistent. An llms.txt file can describe the site, but is not required by Google and does not guarantee indexing or citations.
A ranked fix list
What to change first, on your site and off it, so the audit leads to action rather than a slide deck.
How much does an AI visibility audit cost?
| Source | Standalone audit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pierview pricing guide | $1,500 to $5,000 | Suggests $2,500 to $3,500 as an anchor for most mid-market clients |
| Alejandro Rioja | $500 to $1,500+ | Flat fee scaled by site size; $500 to $750 for a single site under about 50 pages |
| Shuttlewright Signal Audit | $490 (founding price) | 30 buyer prompts, 3 competitors, 3 engines, technical check on up to 10 pages, 5 business days |
How do I pick an AI visibility audit provider?
Ask to see the actual prompts and saved answers, not just a score. Ask which engines are covered and whether results are checked on more than one day, since AI answers vary. Ask what the fix list covers off your site, because third-party sources often matter more than your own pages. And ask whether monitoring is included or sold separately.
Can I check my AI visibility myself?
Yes. Pick ten questions your buyers would ask, run them in ChatGPT and Perplexity, note who gets named and which sources are cited, and check that your robots.txt does not block AI crawlers such as OAI-SearchBot and PerplexityBot. An audit adds scale, competitor comparison and a prioritized plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is a GEO audit?
A GEO (generative engine optimization) audit measures how AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews describe and recommend your company for your buyers' questions, and lists what to fix.
How much does an AI visibility audit cost?
Published 2026 rates for a standalone audit range from about $500 to $5,000 depending on depth and site size. Shuttlewright's Signal Audit is $490 at its founding price.
How is an AI visibility audit different from an SEO audit?
An SEO audit looks at search rankings. An AI visibility audit looks at whether AI answers name you, how they describe you, and which sources they cite, which often differ from the top search results.
How long does an AI visibility audit take?
Shuttlewright delivers in 5 business days. Scope, the number of prompts and the number of engines drive the timeline.
Sources
- Pierview, How to price AEO/GEO services: https://www.pierview.ai/guides/how-to-price-aeo-geo-services
- Alejandro Rioja, GEO audit pricing: https://alejandrorioja.com/geo-audit-pricing-what-to-charge-clients/