How to Audit Your NYC Business's Google and AI Search Visibility (One Workflow)

Build one list of the queries your customers use. Test each one in Google Maps, Google Search and AI assistants. Record whether your business appears, whether the details are correct, and which sources are cited. Then compare those results with Google's own data from your Business Profile and Search Console. Where the results disagree, that's where your visibility breaks.

Audit Google and AI search together because the two are related but not the same. Google says its generative AI features rely on its core Search ranking and quality systems, so the foundations overlap. Even so, SOCi's 2026 Local Visibility Index reportedly found that strong local Google performance doesn't automatically translate into AI visibility. That is a vendor study, so treat it as a warning to check both, not a precise benchmark. googleLOCALiQ

What you need before you start

• Access to your Google Business Profile
• Access to Google Search Console for your website
• A spreadsheet
• A browser window with no logged-in personalisation (incognito or a clean profile)
• Accounts or free access for the AI assistants your customers use, such as Google's AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity

Set aside a couple of hours for the first pass. Repeat it on a schedule afterwards.

Step 1: Build a query list from real customer language

Write 15–20 queries in one column. Use the wording a customer would type or say, and cover four types:

Type	Example pattern
Service + neighborhood	"[service] in [neighborhood]"
Service + borough	"[service] [borough]"
Near me	"[service] near me"
Problem or decision	"who should I call for [problem] in NYC"

Include your own neighborhood and the ones next to it. Distance affects local results, so the same query can behave differently across a few blocks. Use only queries you'd expect real customers to use. Google's own guidance also warns against creating content for every possible query variation just to manipulate results, so this list is for testing, not for publishing a page per query.

Step 2: Check Google Maps and the local pack

Run each query in Google Search and Maps. For each one, record:

• Whether your business appears at all
• Your approximate position in the local results
• Which competitors appear
• Whether the name, address, phone and hours shown are correct

Google says local results depend mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. So when you're missing, ask which of the three is weak: is the profile a poor match for the query, are you far from the searcher, or is the business less established than the ones shown? google

Step 3: Confirm your profile is eligible and accurate

A visibility problem can start with eligibility. NYC businesses should check these points against Google's rules:

• Virtual offices: a rented mailing address where the business doesn't operate isn't eligible for a profile. google
• Co-working spaces: an office there qualifies only with clear signage, customer visits during business hours, and staff on site. google
• Service-area businesses: those that visit customers should follow the service-area rules and hide the address if they work from a residence.
• Name and category: these must reflect the real business, without extra keywords.

If the profile is suspended or restricted, fix that first. Google's suspended profile guide explains the appeal steps, and says not to create a new profile while an appeal is pending.

Step 4: Pull Google's own data

Use two sources.

Business Profile performance. Calls count clicks on the call button, and website clicks count clicks on the website link, so someone who dials the number by hand isn't counted. Note calls, directions and website clicks over the last six months. This shows what happens once people find you. Google Support

Search Console generative AI report. It reports impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, grouped by page and other dimensions. It reached all sites worldwide as of August 31, 2026, and it doesn't show click data. Use it to see which pages Google is surfacing in AI features. Don't read it as a traffic number. Google SupportSearch Engine Journal

Step 5: Test AI assistants with the same queries

Run your Step 1 queries through each assistant. For every answer, record:

• Whether you're mentioned
• Where in the answer you appear
• Whether the details are correct
• Which sources are cited, if the assistant shows them
• Which competitors are named

Three rules keep this honest:

1. Repeat each test at least three times. AI answers vary, so a single run proves little. Record how often you appear, not one result.
2. Don't call it a ranking. AI tools aren't ordered lists in the way Maps is, so track appearances.
3. Use the citations. Perplexity shows its sources in a panel beside each answer, which makes it the easiest to audit. The sources it names tell you which of your pages or listings the assistant is drawing from. LOCALiQ

Different assistants also favor different sources. A Yext analysis of millions of citations found that the engines disagree about what counts as a good source, so test more than one. Cheers

Step 6: Score each query

Put everything on one row per query:

Query	Maps/local pack	AI Mode	ChatGPT	Gemini	Perplexity	Details correct?	Sources cited
(your query)	Yes / No / position	Mentioned?	Mentioned?	Mentioned?	Mentioned?	Yes / No	List

Then read the pattern:

Pattern	Likely meaning	First fix
Visible in Maps, missing in AI	Profile is strong, but your website or third-party mentions don't answer the question clearly	Improve the service page for that query and check that listings match
Visible in AI, missing in Maps	Content is trusted, but the profile is weak, far away, or wrongly categorised	Check category, address and eligibility
Missing in both	Foundation problem	Start with Step 3
Visible, but details are wrong	Inconsistent business information across sources	Correct the profile and site, then re-test
Visible everywhere, but few calls	Visibility isn't the problem	Find where visitors drop off after they arrive

Step 7: Fix in this order, then re-run

1. Eligibility and suspension problems
2. Wrong or inconsistent business details
3. Weak or missing service pages for your key queries
4. Reviews and prominence, using genuine customer feedback only
5. Content that gives a unique, experience-based answer, since Google says non-commodity content matters most for AI features. Read Google's guidance on optimizing for generative AI features.

Re-run the full sheet every quarter, and after any change to your address, name, category or website.

What this audit can't tell you

• It can't prove AI assistants sent you customers. Search Console reports impressions, not clicks.
• Manual AI tests are a sample, not a measurement, because answers change between runs.
• Results can shift by neighborhood and device, so test from more than one location.
• No audit guarantees rankings, AI citations or traffic.

FAQ

How often should I audit?
Quarterly for most businesses, and after any change to your address, name, category or website. Volatile changes such as a suspension warrant an immediate check.

Do I need paid tools?
No. The workflow above uses free Google tools and manual tests. Paid trackers can automate repeat runs, but they aren't required for a first audit.

Is Google's AI visibility different from ChatGPT visibility?
Yes. Google's AI features draw on its own Search index, while other assistants use their own retrieval and sources, and they don't always agree.

Why does my business show in Maps but not in AI answers?
Maps ranking relies on your profile and distance signals. AI answers may draw on your website and third-party sources too. Check what the assistant cites, then strengthen the pages and listings it doesn't find.

Do I need an AI-specific file or special markup?
For Google Search, no. Google's guide says llms.txt files and similar markup aren't needed.

If you want a second pair of eyes, you can request a Google and AI visibility audit or see the SEO services overview.