Website
Closes 6 PM!Yelp
Northside Hair Studio
★★★★★
Northside Hair Studio
4.6 ★★★★★
Open
Closes 7 PMChatGPT
Northside Hair Studio closes at 5 PM on Saturdays.
Source: Yelp
First fix: make the hours match
Key takeaways
- Run the check signed out, in a private window, and write down the date.
- Look up your name first, then ask the way a customer would.
- When an answer is wrong, open its sources. That is usually where the fix is.
- Not named, named wrong and named but not picked each need a different first fix.
Chapter 01Get a clean result
How do you get a clean result?
Sign out, open a private window, start a fresh chat, and write down the date and the city.
Signed in, you are not seeing what a stranger sees. Google can show you owner tools and lean on what you have searched before, and a signed-in ChatGPT can remember your earlier chats. OpenAI also says ChatGPT may use your IP address to estimate your general location, so name the city in your question.
- 1Open a private window
Incognito in Chrome, Private Browsing in Safari or Firefox.
- 2Stay signed out
Of both Google and ChatGPT. ChatGPT answers without an account.
- 3Use a fresh chat for each question
So one answer doesn't shape the next.
- 4Write it down
The date, the city and the exact words you used. Answers change, so a note is the only way to compare later.
Chapter 02Google your name
What comes up when someone Googles your name?
Search your exact business name, then your name and city, and read what comes up the way a stranger would.
On a computer, the panel usually sits on the right of the results. On a phone, it sits at the top. It is often all someone reads before they call, so go through it one line at a time.
- 1Name and category Your real name, and the category closest to your main service.
- 2Rating and reviews Note the count, and how old the newest review is.
- 3Address or service area The one you use today, not a past location.
- 4Hours Check today's hours and the holidays.
- 5Phone Call it. Old numbers hang on for years.
- 6Website and booking Does each link open the right page? Is there a way to book?
Then look at the rest of the page.
- An AI answer at the top. If Google shows one, read it the same way. Is every fact right?
- A second profile. Old locations and duplicate listings often sit further down.
- Old directory pages. An old address on a listing site can get repeated elsewhere.
- No panel at all. That is your first finding. A Google Business Profile is the place to start.
Chapter 03Ask ChatGPT by name
What does ChatGPT say when asked about you by name?
Ask what it knows about your business in your city, check each fact, then open the sources it used.
What do you know about [business name] in [city]?I tried this on my own business on November 4, 2026, signed out. I left the city off because the studio works remotely.
- Right
- The founder, May 1999, the six services, and how we bill.
- What stands out
- It says this is "primarily based on the company's own published materials." It could read our website, but it had little from anyone else.
- What it tells me
- The website is doing its job. Reviews and mentions on other sites are what to build next.
Read your answer the same way. Mark each of these right, wrong or missing.
- Name and location. Is it you, or a similar name in another city?
- Phone, address and hours. Would a customer reach you?
- What you do. Does it list the services you want to sell, and any you stopped offering?
- Rating. It may come from Yelp and not Google, so compare it across sites.
- Sources. Open the links under the answer. A wrong fact usually traces back to an old page or listing.
Chapter 04Ask like a customer
Does it name you when a customer asks?
Ask for your service in your area, in ChatGPT and on Google, and note who gets named.
This is the question a new customer asks. They don't know your name yet, so leave it out.
What are the best [business type] in [area]?Who should I call for [main service] in [area]?Use your customers' words. A salon might ask about "balayage" and a shop about "windshield replacement". Ask each question more than once, in a fresh chat, because the answers change.
- In ChatGPT
Are you named? Where in the list? Who is named instead, and what sources does it show?
- On Google
Read the AI answer if there is one, then the map results. Are you in the top three? If not, who is?
What a good answer looks like
Real answers, captured with the date, after we fixed these clients' websites and profiles. Answers vary by person, place and day.
California RV Glass
Asked"Number one RV glass replacement shop in Carmichael"
"My first choice is California RV Glass in Carmichael, California", then listed as #1.
Captured Oct 26, 2026 on ChatGPT
Visit the live site
Salon Bravissimo
Asked"Best salon in Sacramento"
"My top salon picks in Sacramento": #1, tagged "Best full-service option".
Captured Oct 22, 2026 on ChatGPT
Visit the live site
Hair By Behnaz
Asked"Best bob haircut in Sacramento"
"My top recommendation is Hair By Behnaz", marked "Top pick".
Captured Oct 23, 2026 on ChatGPT
Visit the live site
Visible Auto Lab
Asked"Best starlight headliner in Charlotte"
Listed among the top starlight headliner installers in Charlotte, with its 5.0 rating.
Captured Oct 23, 2026 on ChatGPT
Visit the live siteChapter 05Match your profiles
Do your profiles all say the same thing?
Line up your name, phone, address, hours and website link across every profile, and circle what differs.
Google and AI tools look at all of these together. When they agree, your business is easier to trust and recommend. When they don't, customers can show up when you're closed.
Does every profile say the same thing?
| Detail | Website | Yelp | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business name | ! | ||||
| Address | ! | ! | |||
| Phone | |||||
| Hours | ! | ! | โ | ||
| Category | โ | ! | โ | ||
| Description | ! | ! | |||
| Website link | โ | ! |
Matches!Doesn't matchโMissing
Look in these places, and open each one directly. A search can miss a profile that exists.
- Your website, especially the contact page and footer.
- Google Business Profile, one for each location.
- Yelp, Facebook and Instagram, including the about section and the link in your bio.
- Apple Maps and Bing Places, which are easy to forget.
- Anything else that turns up, like old directories and trade sites.
Chapter 06What comes first
What do your results mean, and what comes first?
Not named, named wrong and named but not picked each need a different first fix.
Most guides stop at writing down the answer. Answer these questions with your results to see where to start.
When you asked ChatGPT about your business by name, what did it say?
Does a Google panel show when you search your name?
Did it name you when you asked like a customer?
Fix the source first
Open the sources under the answer and correct the old listing or page. Then state the right fact clearly on your website. Ask again in a few weeks: answers follow slowly as sources change.
Start with your Google Business Profile
Claim or finish it: name, category, hours, phone, website link, photos and services. It is the part customers see first when they search your name.
Give it more to read
Say what you do and where in plain words on your website, with one page for each main service. Add Bing Places and Apple Maps, and get your details onto the local lists for your trade.
Look at who gets named
Open the sources behind their answer and compare: reviews, service pages and mentions on other sites. That gap is your list. This guide covers each one.
Keep it that way
Keep your details current, keep asking for reviews and check again next month. See if ChatGPT is sending you customers.
| What you found | Fix first | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Facts are wrong | The source it read | Old listings and pages, then your website |
| It doesn't know you, and no panel shows | Your Google Business Profile | Claim it and fill in every field |
| It doesn't know you, but the panel shows | What there is to read | Service pages, Bing Places, Apple Maps, local lists |
| Right facts, but others get named | The gap with who gets named | Reviews, service pages, mentions on other sites |
| Right facts, and you're named | Keeping it current | Reviews, details, a check each month |
No one can promise a #1 ranking or a mention in AI answers. These steps make your business easier to find and easier to trust, and what changes depends on your competition and your area.
Chapter 07Instant tools
What do instant audit tools miss?
They are useful for technical basics, but most of the score is about the website itself.
A tool can read your code in seconds, and that part is worth having. But Orbit Media reviewed 100 AI visibility audits and found how little of the score looks past your site.
What the scores measure
- Technical setup46%
- Content and structure33%
- In-AI answers19%
- Off-website2%
The same review found one site scoring anywhere from 28 to 100, depending on the tool. A number that moves that much can't tell you what to do on Monday.
- A tool does well at
Crawling, speed, missing titles and missing search data. It reads every page quickly and doesn’t get tired.
- It takes a person to
Open each profile, read an answer, spot a mix-up with a similar name, and decide what comes first for your business.
A score tells you how a page is built. It can't tell you the hours on your Yelp page are two years old.
Chapter 08The free audit
Want the whole picture checked by hand?
That's the quick version. The free audit checks all of it by hand, and gives you the three fastest fixes in plain words.
You now know what a stranger sees for a few questions on one day. The audit goes further, and it ends with a short list instead of a pile of notes.
- Your whole website. Every page in your sitemap, not just the home page.
- Your public profiles. Google Business Profile for each location, Yelp, social pages and listings, and whether they match.
- AI answers. What ChatGPT and Google’s AI answers say about you, and who they name instead.
- The three fastest fixes. Where to make each one, and whether you can do it yourself.
- A clear estimate of the hours the fixes need, if you want help. Doing them yourself is fine too.
What you get
- Your website and every public profile, reviewed by hand
- Plain words, no jargon and no 40-page report
- The three fastest fixes, even if you do them yourself
- A clear estimate of the hours the fixes need, if you want help
What you won't get
- Logins, passwords or access to any account
- A sales call you didn't ask for
- Your email on a mailing list
- Promises of a #1 ranking or a mention in AI answers
Instant tools score a website. This is a person going through your site and profiles in public view, the same view your customers get. You get it by email within 2 business days. Because every audit is reviewed by hand, there are only a few each week.
Free SEO and AI search audit
Start with your business.
Three short steps, about two minutes to send. Public view only, no logins.
Start your free auditSend itChecked by handIn your inbox within 2 business days
Questions
Straight answers.
More of what people ask about checking their business online.
Updated
Can I register my business with ChatGPT?
Not as far as I can find. OpenAI’s help pages describe no sign-up or listing for local businesses. ChatGPT builds its answers from what it can find, so your website, profiles and reviews are what you can work on.
How do I fix something wrong in ChatGPT?
Find where the wrong fact comes from, usually an old listing or page, and correct it there. Then state the right fact clearly on your website. I know of no form for correcting business facts, so the answer changes only as its sources change.
Why does the answer change each time?
Answers are written fresh when someone asks. The wording, the sources found that day and the person’s location can all change them. That is why you write down the date and ask more than once.
Should I pay for an AI visibility tracker?
Not to start. The check in this guide is free and shows you what is wrong. A tracker can help later if you want to follow many questions over time, but a score on its own doesn’t tell you what to fix first.
How often should I check again?
About once a month is enough for most businesses, and again after you change your hours, phone, address or website. Use the same questions so you can compare.
Is the free audit really free?
Yes. There is no charge and no obligation. If you want help with the fixes, we talk about it for free and you get a clear estimate of the hours the fixes need. If not, the audit is yours to keep.
