Method · repeatable

How to know whether AI engines recommend your business

Typing your company name into ChatGPT measures nothing: the AI confirms what you suggest. Here is the method we apply to every measurement. You can follow it yourself, for free.

By Maxime Pilloud, Up2FrontUpdated 27 October 2026

In short

Ask the question a client would ask, without ever naming yourself, in a fresh session, to several engines (Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini). Do it again a few hours later, note the time to the minute and keep every answer word for word. One answer proves nothing: the same question gives different rankings within the same hour.

Seven rules for a reliable measurement

A client's question, not your name. “Who is the best heat pump installer in Carouge?”, never “What do you think of Dupont Heating?”.
A fresh session. Private browsing, no signed-in account, no history: otherwise the engine answers from what it already knows about you.
Several engines. Google AI Mode, ChatGPT and Gemini do not read the same sources. Being cited by one says nothing about the others.
At least two runs, a few hours apart. According to the University of St. Gallen (April 2026), about 65% of cited sources change from one day to the next, even for an identical question.
The time to the minute. An undated answer is not a measurement.
The full answer, word for word. Not a summary: the exact sentence where you are cited, or not.
Three things to note. Are you named? Is your website cited as a source? Who is named instead of you?

Proof that two runs are essential

In our heat pump study (27 October 2026), for 16 of 90 installer-and-engine pairs, the same engine named the installer in one run and left it out in the other, a few hours apart. In our architects study (15 September 2026), Google AI Mode answered the same question three different ways within one hour.

Limits, in black and white

Two runs show a trend, not a statistical frequency. The St. Gallen researchers recommend several runs a day over several weeks for a scientific measurement.
Engines change models without notice. A measurement is valid for its date.
A measurement says what the AI answers. It does not say how many clients ask the question.

Frequently asked questions

Can I measure my own visibility in ChatGPT?

Yes. Ask the question a client would ask, without naming your business, in a fresh session, to several engines, twice a few hours apart, and keep every answer word for word with its time.

Why is one answer not enough?

Because answers change: about 65% of cited sources change from one day to the next according to the University of St. Gallen (2026), and in Up2Front's heat pump study one installer in five appeared in one run and not in the other.

Should I test with my company name?

No. With your name, the AI confirms what you suggest. Ask the question of a client who does not know you yet.