Research · AI Visibility
How do I check whether AI recommends my page — and fix it if it doesn't?
How long it takes to check and fix one page by hand
AI answers are non-deterministic. In SparkToro's January 2026 study (12 prompts, 2,961 total runs by 600 volunteers across ChatGPT, Claude and Google AI), repeated runs of the same prompt returned an identical brand list in under 1% of cases. Measuring a page's AI visibility therefore requires repeated runs of a prompt set. At 40 prompts × 3 platforms × 3 runs, one measurement round is 360 prompt-runs; at ~45 seconds per run (open, paste, wait, read, log), execution alone is ≈4.5 hours, and the full round totals 13–19 hours.
| Step | By hand |
|---|---|
| 1. Decide which buyer questions the page competes for | 1–3 h |
| 2. Run the prompt set across platforms | 360 prompt-runs ≈ 4.5 h |
| 3. Log each answer: cited, mentioned, position, which competitor won | 1–2 h |
| 4. Diagnose the questions the page lost | 1–3 h |
| 5. Write the replacement copy | 2–4 h |
| 6. Ship it | 0.5 h |
| 7. Wait for AI answers to reflect the edit | 3–14 days |
| 8. Re-run the prompt set to see if it moved | ≈ 4.5 h |
| Human time, one page, one round | 13–19 hours |
Reference figures: consultants price a manual audit of 50 prompts across 5 models at 1–2 days; an internal audit of a 50–200 page site is estimated at 30–60 hours. At the 60–100 runs per query used in the SparkToro study, the same 40-prompt, 3-platform set is 7,200–12,000 runs, ≈90–150 hours of execution time per round.
Step 7 is independent of tooling. In Semrush's December 2025 citation-speed test (81 new pages), ChatGPT Search cited 10% of pages within 24 hours and 42% by day 30; Google AI Mode cited 36% within 24 hours. Re-measuring before 3–14 days typically returns pre-edit answers.
What the alternatives cost in 2026
Tracker subscriptions start at $29/month; agency retainers start at ≈$1,500/month. Neither performs the per-page check-and-rewrite loop in the table above: trackers monitor a fixed prompt set on a schedule, and agencies staff the manual hours.
| Route | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Manual, in the chat interfaces | No tooling. Runs cannot be repeated identically; cost is time only. | $0 plus 13–19 h per page-round |
| Tracker subscription (Otterly, Peec, Profound and similar) | Fixed prompt set monitored on a schedule; reports mention/citation rates and share-of-voice trends. No page-level diagnosis or replacement copy. | Otterly $29–$189/mo · Peec €89–€505/mo · Profound entry ~$399–$499/mo, enterprise tiers tracked at $2,000–$5,000+/mo |
| Agency retainer | Staffed execution of the manual loop plus off-site work (digital PR, listings). Longest iteration cycle of the three categories. | $1,500–$3,000/mo entry · $3,000–$12,000/mo mid-market · one-time audits $5,000–$40,000 |
| Page-level tools (Frase Content Watchdog, Goodie AEO Writer, HeyAmos) | One URL at a time. | Per run or per page; free entry points exist. |
What's the fastest way to check and fix a page?
Before rewriting, verify the page states the facts buyer questions require — price, proof (reviews, case studies), and intended audience — as machine-readable text. A page that does not state a price cannot be returned as the answer to a price question.
Then check the copy. The manual procedure is the 13–19 hour table above. With Metricus, you type a buyer's question and see the answer AI gives, with every business it names. You edit the answer into what you want AI to say about you and get new text for your website, free and with no signup.
Ship the changes. AI answers typically begin reflecting page edits in 3–14 days; 14–30 days is the evaluation window. Check the page again at that point for a before/after comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How long after publishing a page does AI start citing it?
In Semrush's December 2025 citation-speed test (81 new pages), ChatGPT Search cited 10% of pages within 24 hours and 42% by day 30; Google AI Mode cited 36% within the first 24 hours. For edits to an already-indexed page, answers typically update within 3–14 days; 14–30 days is the evaluation window.
Why does AI cite my page without ever mentioning my brand?
In the Semrush and Kevin Indig ghost-citations study (3,981 domains, 115 prompts, 14 countries, four AI engines), 62% of citations were links without a brand mention in the answer text. The same dataset found comparative content produced 2.4× more brand mentions than informational content.
Last updated: September 2026
Cite as: Metricus — How do I check whether AI recommends my page — and fix it if it doesn't? (July 2026)