How do I check if my business appears in AI search results

Most UK business owners have no idea whether AI platforms mention their business, recommend their competitors or get their information wrong. Checking your AI search presence is the essential first step, yet many businesses have never done it. Conducting an AI SEO audit does not require expensive tools or technical expertise to begin with, but it does require a systematic approach to produce useful results. Unlike traditional Google search, where you can type a keyword and see where you rank, AI search results are generated dynamically in response to conversational prompts. There is no fixed ranking position. Your business might appear for one prompt and be absent for a very similar one. This variability makes structured testing essential. ## Which platforms to check Five AI platforms currently matter most for UK businesses. ChatGPT is the most widely used conversational AI and increasingly serves as a recommendation tool for consumers and business buyers. Gemini, Google's AI, powers both standalone conversations and Google AI Overviews within search results. Perplexity functions as an AI-powered search engine that cites sources directly. Claude, developed by Anthropic, is growing in usage particularly among professional and technical audiences. Google AI Overviews appear directly within Google search results and are now triggered for a significant proportion of UK queries. Each platform draws on different sources and processes information differently. Your business may appear on one platform and be completely absent from another. Testing across all five gives you an accurate picture of your overall AI visibility. ## What prompts to test The prompts you test should reflect how your actual customers would ask an AI platform for help. Think about the questions someone would ask when looking for a business like yours. For a local service business, relevant prompts might include "Can you recommend a [your service] in [your town]" or "What is the best [your servic