Checklist
The findability checklist
The five quiet signals AI search actually checks, as a working checklist. None of them require posting daily, performing, or showing your face.
People ask AI assistants for recommendations now, and the engines can't tell who's loudest, only who's clearest. These are the five signals they actually check. Work through them once and you're ahead of most small brands. None of them require posting daily, performing, or showing your face.
1. Your name can be told apart
If your name is shared with anyone more visible, an engine defaults to them.
- Search your own name in a private window. Note who shows up.
- Pair your name with your craft everywhere it appears: "Name, ceramicist in Austin." Every time, the same pairing.
- If your personal name is crowded, consider leading with your brand name instead.
Today: update one profile headline to the name + craft + place pairing.
2. One page plainly says who you are
Engines anchor your identity to a single authoritative page. No anchor, no answer.
- One page you own states, in plain sentences: who you are, what you make, for whom, where.
- It's your About page or homepage, not buried in a PDF or a pinned post.
- It reads like a person, not a press release.
Today: if this page doesn't exist, write the paragraph. The audit will write a draft from your answers if you're stuck.
3. The same words everywhere
Engines cross-reference your site, LinkedIn, Instagram, and directories. Different wording in each place fragments you into strangers.
- Write one bio sentence, under 25 words.
- Paste it identically into every profile you have. Identical, not just similar.
Today: fix your two most-visited profiles.
4. Somewhere answers real questions
Answer engines lift literal question-and-answer text. If nobody can quote you, nobody cites you.
- List the five questions customers actually ask you.
- Answer them, plainly, on a page you own. An FAQ block or plain posts both work.
Today: write one question and its honest answer.
5. Someone else mentions you
Engines trust third-party sources more than your own site. One citable mention outweighs a hundred of your own posts.
- You're listed in at least one directory, marketplace, or association relevant to your craft.
- Or: one article, podcast, local feature, or guest post mentions you by name.
Today: claim one free directory listing for your craft or city.
Want a score instead of a checklist? The AI Visibility Audit runs real searches on your name and grades all five signals with the receipts shown.
FAQ
How long until these fixes show up in AI answers?
Weeks to months. Engines re-crawl and re-learn slowly, so quiet consistency is exactly the game. The checklist is front-loaded work that compounds.
Do I need to post on social media for any of this?
No. All five signals are about legibility, not volume. A clear page, consistent words, and one third-party mention work whether or not you ever post.