How to tell if your website is invisible to AI search

When a potential client asks ChatGPT or Perplexity, "Who does bookkeeping in Burnaby," or "Where can I get dental implants in Kelowna," your website either appears in the results or it doesn't. If it doesn't, you're losing enquiries to competitors who do.

Unlike Google, which ranks based on links and click history, AI search engines rank based on what your website actually says. They read your content, understand what you offer, and decide whether you're a good match for the question. If your website is unclear, uses industry jargon, or doesn't explicitly say what you do and where you do it, the AI will either skip you or rank you below someone clearer.

How to check if you're invisible

Start here. Open ChatGPT or Perplexity. Search for your core service plus your location. For example:

• "Bookkeeping services in Burnaby"
• "Dental implants in Kelowna"
• "Property management in Surrey"
• "Plumbing in Richmond"

Do you appear in the results. If yes, does the result link to your website. If yes, does it link to your homepage or a specific service page.

Now do the same search without your company name. Just the service and location. Do you appear.

Try a few variations. "Accountant near Burnaby." "Emergency dentist Kelowna." "Commercial plumber Richmond." Each variation is a customer who might ask that exact question.

If you don't appear, or you appear but the link is to a page that doesn't clearly explain what you do, you're invisible where it counts.

Why this happens

AI search engines need clarity. They're looking for three things:

What you do. Not "We provide solutions" or "We're a full-service firm." Say it plainly: "We do bookkeeping for small businesses," or "We fit dental implants and crowns," or "We manage residential and commercial properties."

Where you do it. Not "We serve the lower mainland." Say your city or cities by name, multiple times, on your homepage and service pages. A property manager in Surrey who mentions Surrey once will rank lower than one who mentions it five times.

How to contact you. Not buried in a footer. Your phone number, email, or contact form should be visible on every page, ideally in the top half.

Most service businesses fail on all three. They use industry language, avoid naming their location (because they think it limits them), and hide their contact details behind a form that requires a company name.

What to fix, in order

You don't need to rebuild your website. Start with these three pages.

Your homepage. The first paragraph should answer this question: "What do you do, for whom, and where." For example: "We do bookkeeping for small businesses in Burnaby and Vancouver. We file your GST, manage your invoices, and prepare your year-end taxes."

Not: "We're a full-service accounting firm with 15 years of experience."

Include your phone number in the header or footer where it's visible without scrolling.

Your service pages. If you have a page for "bookkeeping," it should start by saying what bookkeeping is, not assuming the reader knows. "Bookkeeping means recording every transaction—invoices, expenses, payroll—so you know how much money you have and where it's going."

Then explain what you specifically do. "We record your transactions in QuickBooks, file your GST returns quarterly, and send you a monthly report."

Then name your locations again. "We serve Burnaby, Vancouver, and New Westminster."

Your location pages (if you have multiple locations). A 12-person software company in Gastown might have a page for "Burnaby office" or "Vancouver office." Each page should clearly state which services you offer in that location and how to book.

What not to do

Don't rewrite everything at once. Pick one page, rewrite the first three paragraphs, and test it in ChatGPT or Perplexity again in a week. See if you move up.

Don't obsess over keywords. AI search engines are better at understanding meaning than old Google was. If you say "We fit dental implants," you don't need to repeat "dental implants" seven times.

Don't hide behind a chatbot or a form that asks for company details before showing contact information. AI search engines will see the form, not the contact details, and you'll rank lower.

Don't assume one rewrite is enough. As competitors improve their websites, you may need to revisit yours every 6 to 12 months.

The real trade-off

Getting found by AI search takes longer than Google ads. You might not see results for 4 to 8 weeks. But the enquiries you get are usually hotter—someone asked a specific question and found you in the answer—and they cost you nothing per click.

Google ads are faster and predictable. AI search is slower and organic. Most service businesses should do both, but if you have to choose one to start with, and you're not getting calls, fix your website first.

Where to start

• Open ChatGPT or Perplexity and search for your core service plus your location. Write down whether you appear, and if so, what the result says about you. Do this for three different searches (e.g., "bookkeeping Burnaby," "accountant Burnaby," "tax filing Burnaby").

• Read your homepage's first paragraph aloud to someone who doesn't know your business. Can they answer "What do you do, for whom, and where" without asking questions. If not, rewrite it in one sentence.

• Pick one service page and add your city name to the first paragraph, the middle, and the last paragraph. Then test that page in ChatGPT again in a week.