How to Audit Your AI Visibility with Claude and MCP

An AI visibility audit reveals how AI platforms perceive and present your business. Using Claude connected to Local SEO Data’s MCP server, you can check visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google—identifying gaps and opportunities competitors might miss.

What is an AI Visibility Audit?

An AI visibility audit checks whether AI assistants mention your business, what they say about you, and how you compare to competitors. It’s the AI equivalent of checking your search rankings—but for conversational search.

The audit answers:

• Does ChatGPT mention my business when asked about local services?
• Does Perplexity cite my business or competitors?
• What sentiment do AI platforms express about my business?
• How does my AI visibility compare to competitors?
• Which platforms mention me and which don’t?

Traditional rank tracking doesn’t capture this. A business might rank well in Google but be invisible to ChatGPT. AI visibility audits reveal this hidden dimension of search presence.

What You Need

Claude Desktop

MCP connections require Claude Desktop, Anthropic’s standalone application. Download from Anthropic’s website if you haven’t already.

Local SEO Data MCP Configured

Local SEO Data’s MCP server must be connected to Claude. This requires:

1. Local SEO Data account with API key
2. MCP configuration added to Claude Desktop

See the Connect Claude to Local SEO Tools guide for setup instructions.

Your Business Details

Know your:

• Business name (exact)
• Location/service area
• Primary services
• Main competitors

Competitor List

Identify 3-5 competitors to compare against. You’ll want to know if they’re visible while you’re not—and why.

AI Visibility Metrics That Matter

Mention Rate

Is your business mentioned at all? For which queries?

A business might be mentioned for “best plumber in Buffalo” but not for “emergency plumber Buffalo.” Query-specific visibility matters.

Sentiment

What does AI say about you? Positive recommendations? Neutral mentions? Warnings or negative information?

AI might say “Buffalo Plumbing Pros is highly rated” (positive) or “Buffalo Plumbing Pros has mixed reviews” (concerning). Knowing the sentiment helps you address issues.

Competitive Position

When AI lists multiple businesses, where do you appear? First, last, or not at all?

If AI recommends your competitor first and mentions you second, you’re visible but not dominant. If AI recommends competitors without mentioning you, you have a visibility gap.

Platform Coverage

Different AI platforms may treat you differently:

• ChatGPT might not mention you (training data gap)
• Perplexity might cite you (real-time search finds you)
• Google AI Overview might feature you (strong local presence)

Understanding platform-by-platform visibility reveals where to focus optimization.

Citation Quality

For platforms like Perplexity that cite sources, what sources mention you? If AI cites your website, that’s direct visibility. If AI cites a directory listing or review site, that’s indirect but still valuable.

Step-by-Step AI Visibility Audit

Step 1: Check Overall AI Visibility Score

Start with a broad visibility assessment.

Prompt:

“Check the AI visibility for Buffalo Plumbing Pros in Buffalo, NY”

What Claude Does: Claude calls Local SEO Data’s ai_visibility tool, which queries multiple AI platforms and returns an overall visibility score with platform breakdown.

Example Output:

AI Visibility Score: 45/100

Platform Breakdown:
- ChatGPT: Low visibility (mentioned in 1 of 5 test queries)
- Perplexity: Medium visibility (mentioned in 3 of 5 test queries)
- Google AI: High visibility (featured in local results)
- Gemini: Low visibility (not mentioned in test queries)

Primary Gap: ChatGPT visibility
Strongest Platform: Google AI Overview

This baseline tells you where you stand before diving deeper.

Step 2: Query Specific AI Platforms

Check what each platform actually says.

Prompt:

“What does ChatGPT say when asked about the best plumbers in Buffalo?”

What Claude Does: Claude calls ai_llm_response with platform=chat_gpt, sending the query and returning the actual response.

Example Output:

ChatGPT Response:
"When looking for plumbers in Buffalo, NY, some well-regarded options include
Roto-Rooter for emergency services and local companies like Roy's Plumbing
that have been serving the area for years. It's best to check recent reviews
on Google or Yelp for current recommendations."

Your Business: Not mentioned
Competitors Mentioned: Roto-Rooter, Roy's Plumbing

Repeat for Perplexity:

Prompt:

“What does Perplexity say about plumbers in Buffalo? Does it mention Buffalo Plumbing Pros?”

Example Output:

Perplexity Response:
"Based on current reviews and ratings, top plumbers in Buffalo include:
1. Buffalo Plumbing Pros (4.8 stars, 234 reviews)
2. Roto-Rooter (4.2 stars, 456 reviews)
3. Roy's Plumbing (4.5 stars, 189 reviews)

[Sources: Google Reviews, Yelp, Yellow Pages]"

Your Business: Mentioned (#1 position)
Sources Cited: Google Reviews, Yelp, Yellow Pages

This reveals platform-specific patterns. You’re visible on Perplexity (real-time search) but not ChatGPT (training data).

Step 3: Test Local Queries

Check visibility for specific local service queries.

Prompt:

“Check AI visibility for these queries:

• ‘emergency plumber Buffalo NY’
• ‘best plumber near downtown Buffalo’
• ‘24 hour plumbing service Buffalo’”

Example Output:

Query Analysis:

"emergency plumber Buffalo NY"
- ChatGPT: Mentions Roto-Rooter
- Perplexity: Mentions Buffalo Plumbing Pros, Roto-Rooter
- Google AI: Shows local pack with Buffalo Plumbing Pros

"best plumber near downtown Buffalo"
- ChatGPT: Generic response, no specific businesses
- Perplexity: Mentions Buffalo Plumbing Pros
- Google AI: Shows local pack

"24 hour plumbing service Buffalo"
- ChatGPT: Mentions Roto-Rooter
- Perplexity: Not specific to Buffalo
- Google AI: Shows local pack with Buffalo Plumbing Pros

Summary: Strong on Google AI, moderate on Perplexity, weak on ChatGPT

Step 4: Compare to Competitors

Benchmark against specific competitors.

Prompt:

“Compare my AI visibility to Roto-Rooter and Roy’s Plumbing in Buffalo”

What Claude Does: Claude calls ai_compare, checking visibility for all three businesses across platforms.

Example Output:

AI Visibility Comparison:

| Metric | Buffalo Plumbing Pros | Roto-Rooter | Roy's Plumbing |
|--------|----------------------|-------------|----------------|
| Overall Score | 45/100 | 72/100 | 38/100 |
| ChatGPT | Low | High | Low |
| Perplexity | Medium | High | Medium |
| Google AI | High | Medium | Medium |
| Sentiment | Positive | Neutral | Positive |

Key Finding: Roto-Rooter dominates ChatGPT mentions (national brand presence).
You outperform on Google AI (strong local signals).
Roy's Plumbing has similar visibility challenges.

Opportunity: Focus on factors that improve ChatGPT visibility (authoritative
mentions, review volume) to close gap with Roto-Rooter.

Step 5: Identify Gaps

Synthesize findings into actionable gaps.

Prompt:

“Based on this audit, what are the specific gaps in my AI visibility and what should I prioritize?”

Example Output:

AI Visibility Gap Analysis:

Gap 1: ChatGPT Visibility (Priority: High)
- You're not mentioned while national competitor (Roto-Rooter) is
- Likely cause: Lower presence in ChatGPT's training data
- Action: Build authoritative mentions (local news, industry publications)

Gap 2: Perplexity Citation Sources (Priority: Medium)
- You're cited from Google Reviews and Yelp
- Missing: News mentions, industry directory presence
- Action: Pursue local PR, ensure industry directory listings

Gap 3: Emergency Service Queries (Priority: High)
- Competitors mentioned for "emergency plumber" more than you
- Your emergency services may not be prominently featured
- Action: Optimize website content for emergency services, request
  reviews mentioning emergency work

Recommended Priority Order:
1. Emergency service content optimization
2. Review strategy focusing on service-specific mentions
3. Local PR for authoritative mentions
4. Industry directory audit

Example AI Visibility Audit Conversation

Here’s a complete audit flow:

You: “Run a full AI visibility audit for Buffalo Plumbing Pros at 123 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14201. Compare against Roto-Rooter and Roy’s Plumbing.”

Claude: “I’ll run a comprehensive AI visibility audit checking multiple platforms and comparing against your competitors.

AI Visibility Audit: Buffalo Plumbing Pros

Overall Visibility Score: 48/100

Platform-by-Platform Results:

Platform	Visibility	Details
ChatGPT	25/100	Mentioned in 1 of 6 test queries
Perplexity	65/100	Mentioned in 4 of 6 queries, cited with sources
Google AI	70/100	Appears in local pack for most queries
Gemini	35/100	Occasional mentions, inconsistent

Competitor Comparison:

Business	Overall	ChatGPT	Perplexity	Google AI
Buffalo Plumbing Pros	48	25	65	70
Roto-Rooter	71	85	70	58
Roy’s Plumbing	42	20	55	60

Key Findings:

1. ChatGPT Gap: Roto-Rooter dominates ChatGPT (national brand, extensive web presence). You and Roy’s both struggle here.

2. Perplexity Strength: You perform well on Perplexity, suggesting strong current search signals (reviews, GBP, website).

3. Google AI Advantage: You outperform competitors on Google AI, indicating strong local SEO fundamentals.

Sentiment Analysis:

• Your mentions are positive (4.8 rating cited)
• No negative information found
• Emergency service capability not prominently mentioned

Recommended Actions (Priority Order):

1. Optimize for emergency queries: Your competitors are mentioned for emergency services; you’re not. Update website and GBP to emphasize 24/7 availability.

2. Build authoritative mentions: Local news coverage or industry features would improve ChatGPT visibility. Roto-Rooter’s national presence is hard to match, but local authority helps.

3. Encourage specific reviews: Reviews mentioning ‘emergency’, ‘fast’, and ‘24/7’ would strengthen AI signals for these queries.

4. Maintain current strengths: Your Google AI visibility is strong—keep local SEO fundamentals solid.

Would you like me to check visibility for specific queries or dive deeper into any area?”

Interpreting Audit Results

High Visibility (Score 70+)

You’re well-represented across AI platforms. Focus on:

• Maintaining current signals
• Monitoring for changes
• Expanding to new query types
• Watching competitors

Medium Visibility (Score 40-70)

You’re visible on some platforms but not others, or for some queries but not others. Focus on:

• Identifying specific platform gaps
• Understanding why some platforms see you and others don’t
• Targeted optimization for weak areas

Low Visibility (Score <40)

Significant work needed. You’re largely invisible to AI. Focus on:

• Foundational local SEO (citations, reviews, GBP)
• Building web presence AI can learn from
• Starting with achievable wins (Perplexity first, then ChatGPT)

Zero Visibility

Starting from scratch. AI doesn’t know you exist. This requires:

• Complete local SEO foundation build
• Review acquisition strategy
• Citation building
• Content creation
• Patience (training data updates aren’t instant)

From Audit to Action

If AI Gets Facts Wrong

AI might have outdated or incorrect information about your business. Fix sources:

• Update Google Business Profile
• Correct citation inconsistencies
• Add/update schema markup
• Request review platforms update your listing

If AI Doesn’t Mention You

You need more signals for AI to learn about you:

• Increase review volume
• Build authoritative mentions
• Ensure strong search rankings (for real-time retrieval platforms)
• Create clear, factual website content

If Competitors Outrank You in AI

Analyze what they have that you don’t:

• More reviews?
• Longer establishment?
• More authoritative mentions?
• Better brand recognition?

Prioritize closing the most actionable gaps.

If Only Some Platforms Show You

Different platforms work differently:

• Visible on Perplexity but not ChatGPT: Your current search presence is good, but training data presence is weak. Build authoritative mentions.
• Visible on Google AI but not others: Strong local signals, but broader web presence is limited. Expand beyond GBP optimization.
• Visible on ChatGPT but not Perplexity: Unusual, but might indicate historical presence without current search strength.

Ongoing AI Visibility Monitoring

One audit isn’t enough. AI visibility changes as:

• AI platforms update their systems
• Your business accumulates new signals
• Competitors improve their visibility
• New AI platforms emerge

Establish regular monitoring:

Weekly: Quick check of key queries on primary platforms Monthly: Full visibility score comparison, competitive tracking Quarterly: Comprehensive audit with action item review

Local SEO Data’s MCP tools enable conversational monitoring. Ask Claude regularly:

• “How has my AI visibility changed this month?”
• “Are any competitors gaining on me?”
• “Check if my recent optimizations improved ChatGPT mentions”

Local SEO Data AI Visibility Tools

Local SEO Data’s MCP server provides specialized AI visibility tools:

ai_visibility

Overall visibility scoring across platforms. Returns composite score and platform breakdown.

ai_mentions

Tracks where and how your business is mentioned across AI platforms. Shows query patterns and mention contexts.

ai_llm_response

Queries specific AI platforms directly. Returns actual responses so you see exactly what users see.

ai_compare

Head-to-head competitor comparison. Shows visibility gaps and relative positioning.

ai_top_sources

Identifies which sources AI cites when mentioning your business. Reveals where your authority comes from.

ai_top_pages

Shows which of your pages AI references. Informs content optimization priorities.

These tools make AI visibility auditing conversational—ask Claude questions, get analyzed answers.

Getting Started

1. Connect Local SEO Data MCP to Claude Desktop
2. Run initial audit: “Run a full AI visibility audit for [your business] in [your city]”
3. Identify top competitors and compare
4. Document baseline scores and gaps
5. Create action plan based on findings
6. Establish monitoring schedule

AI visibility is becoming as important as search rankings. Auditing reveals where you stand, where competitors are, and what to prioritize. With Claude and Local SEO Data MCP, these audits become conversations—not complex technical processes.