So you checked your AI visibility, and the number wasn’t great.
Maybe you ran the 5-minute manual check and watched ChatGPT name three competitors and not you. Maybe you used an AI visibility checker and got a score that stung a little.
Either way, the good news is the same: a low score is fixable, and most of the fixes are things you can start this week.
Why Your Score Is Low (Usually)
AI tools recommend businesses they can find, understand, and trust. A low score usually comes down to one or more of these:
- AI can’t find enough about you. Few mentions outside your own website.
- AI is confused about you. Different names, addresses, phone numbers, or hours across the web.
- AI doesn’t see you as active. An outdated Google profile, old reviews, no recent updates.
- AI can’t match you to the question. Your site doesn’t clearly say what you do, where, and for whom.
It’s also worth remembering that each AI engine weighs things a little differently. You might be doing fine in Google’s AI Overviews and missing from ChatGPT. If you haven’t read it yet, AI Overviews vs. AI Mode vs. ChatGPT explains why.
Here are the seven fixes that address all four problems.
Fix #1: Make Your Google Business Profile Complete and Active
Your Google Business Profile is one of the most important sources for Google’s AI features, and other AI tools often reference the same details.
Do this:
- Choose the most accurate primary category, plus relevant secondary ones
- List every service you offer, with short descriptions
- Confirm your hours, including holiday hours
- Add real photos of your team, work, and location
- Post an update at least once a week (offers, tips, recent projects)
- Answer common questions in your profile’s Q&A, if available
Why it works: An active, complete profile tells AI you’re a real, open, current business, and gives it specific details to quote.
Fix #2: Make Your Business Info Match Everywhere
If your website says “Suite 200,” Google says “Ste 200,” and an old directory lists your previous address, AI gets less confident about who you are.
Do this:
- Write down your official name, address, phone, website, and hours exactly as they should appear
- Update your website, Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, and Facebook to match
- Search your business name plus your old address or old phone number to find outdated listings
- Claim and correct (or close) any duplicate listings
Why it works: Consistent info means AI can confidently connect every mention of you to the same business. It also stops AI from giving customers wrong hours or an old number.
Fix #3: Earn Steady, Recent Reviews (and Reply to Them)
AI tools use reviews to judge trust and quality. A burst of reviews from two years ago doesn’t help much. A steady flow does.
Do this:
- Ask every happy customer for a review, ideally by text right after the job
- Make it easy with a direct review link
- Encourage reviews on more than one platform (Google plus one or two that matter in your industry)
- Reply to every review, positive and negative, within a few days
- When customers mention specific services in their reviews, that’s even better, since it helps AI connect you to those searches
Why it works: Recent, detailed reviews give AI evidence that customers trust you right now.
Fix #4: Build Clear Service and Location Pages
Customers ask AI specific questions: “Who does tankless water heater installs in Henderson?” If your website only has a vague “Services” page, AI has nothing specific to point to.
Do this:
- Create one page for each main service you offer
- Create a page for each main city or area you serve
- On each page, say plainly what you do, where, for whom, and what makes you different
- Include pricing ranges, timelines, service areas, and what to expect, if you can
- Add a short FAQ to each page that answers real customer questions
Why it works: Clear, specific pages make it easy for AI to match you to detailed questions, especially in Google’s AI Mode, where customers ask follow-ups.
Fix #5: Get Mentioned Where AI Looks
AI doesn’t only read your website. It looks at what the rest of the web says about you. This is the biggest gap for many local businesses, and it’s often why they rank fine on Google but get skipped by AI.
Do this:
- Check which sources AI cites in your market (an AI visibility checker shows you this)
- Get listed on the directories and review sites that show up, especially ones your competitors are on and you’re not
- Join your local chamber of commerce or industry associations with member directories
- Pitch local news sites, community blogs, or “best of” lists in your area
- Sponsor local events or teams that list sponsors online
Why it works: The more trusted places that mention you, consistently and positively, the more confident AI is about recommending you.
Fix #6: Answer Real Customer Questions
AI is built to answer questions. If your content already answers the questions your customers ask, AI has something ready to use.
Do this:
- List the 10 questions customers ask you most on the phone
- Answer each one clearly on your website, in a FAQ section or a short blog post
- Use the customer’s words, not industry jargon (“Why is my water heater making noise?” not “sediment accumulation diagnostics”)
- Keep answers short, specific, and local where it makes sense
Why it works: Clear question-and-answer content matches the way people talk to AI, and gives AI an easy, trustworthy source to pull from.
Fix #7: Add Structured Data (Schema Markup) to Your Website
Schema markup is behind-the-scenes code that labels the information on your website, like your business name, address, hours, services, and reviews, in a format search engines can read easily.
Do this:
- Add LocalBusiness schema (or a more specific type, like Plumber or Dentist) with your name, address, phone, hours, and service area
- Add FAQ schema to your FAQ sections
- Add Service schema to your service pages
- Test it with Google’s Rich Results Test
Why it works: Structured data removes guesswork. It helps search engines, and the AI features built on them, understand exactly who you are and what you offer.
Not technical? Most website platforms have plugins that handle this, or your web person can add it in an afternoon.
Where to Start: A Simple 30-Day Plan
You don’t have to do all seven at once. Here’s how they stack up:
| Fix | Effort | Best for fixing |
|---|---|---|
| #2 Match your info everywhere | Low | Wrong hours, phone, or address in AI answers |
| #1 Complete your Google profile | Low | Weak results in AI Overviews and AI Mode |
| #3 Steady reviews | Ongoing | Being passed over for “top-rated” competitors |
| #6 Answer real questions | Medium | Missing from specific, detailed searches |
| #4 Service and location pages | Medium | Not matching service or area searches |
| #7 Schema markup | Low to medium | AI misreading basic business details |
| #5 Get mentioned where AI looks | Ongoing | Showing up on Google but not in ChatGPT |
A realistic first month:
- Week 1: Fix your business info everywhere (#2) and complete your Google Business Profile (#1).
- Week 2: Set up a simple review request process (#3) and start posting weekly.
- Week 3: Write your top 10 customer questions and answers (#6), and add schema markup (#7).
- Week 4: Build or improve your main service and location pages (#4), and list yourself on two or three sources AI cites in your market (#5).
Then re-check your score. AI answers take time to shift, so look for steady improvement over a few months, not overnight jumps.
Track Your Progress
Fixing your AI visibility only matters if you can see it working.
Re-Check Your Score Free with Isla
Isla’s Free AI Visibility Checker shows exactly where to focus, and whether your fixes are paying off. It checks ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode, then shows you:
- Your AI Visibility Score, engine by engine
- Which competitors AI still prefers, and for which searches
- The sources AI cites in your market (your Fix #5 to-do list)
- Whether AI has your business info right (your Fix #2 check)
- Your top fixes, in priority order
Free, no credit card, results in about 2 minutes.
Rather Not Do It All Yourself?
That’s exactly what Isla is for. Isla posts to your Google Business Profile, replies to reviews, sends review requests, writes AI-ready service and location pages, tracks your rankings, and ties it all back to the calls and bookings it brings in. You get the seven fixes without the extra hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to improve my AI visibility score?
Some fixes, like correcting wrong business info, can show up within weeks. Building reviews and outside mentions takes longer. Expect steady improvement over a few months, and re-check monthly.
What’s the fastest way to improve AI visibility?
Start with Fix #2 (matching your info everywhere) and Fix #1 (completing your Google Business Profile). They’re low effort, and they fix the problems that most often cost you calls.
Do I need to do something different for ChatGPT vs. Google?
Mostly the same work helps both, but the emphasis differs. Google’s AI leans heavily on your Google Business Profile, while ChatGPT leans more on mentions across the web.
Will regular SEO improve my AI visibility?
Often, yes, because much of the same groundwork helps both. But good rankings alone don’t guarantee AI recommendations.
How do I know which fixes I need most?
Run a free AI visibility check. It shows where you’re missing, which competitors are winning, and what sources AI trusts in your market. New to the topic? Start with What Is an AI Visibility Checker?
The Bottom Line
A low AI visibility score isn’t a verdict. It’s a to-do list. Get your info consistent, keep your Google profile active, earn steady reviews, publish clear pages that answer real questions, and get mentioned where AI looks. Then measure, and keep going.
Find out exactly what to fix first. Get your free AI Visibility Report from Isla. It covers ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode, and takes about 2 minutes.
