An answer is only a selection
An AI answer is not a complete directory of every suitable business. Your absence from one answer does not prove that your website is blocked or that your competitor has paid to be there.
Asking “What does my business do?” is also a different test from asking “Who can help with this job?” The first gives the tool your name. The second asks it to find possible businesses.
What can I check myself?
Check whether the facts are easy to find on your own website. Is the service named? Is the area you cover clear? Can someone open the page without signing in?
If the facts are there, a website specialist can check whether search services can open the page. Ask them to explain any problem they find before changing settings you do not recognise.
Made-up example / Electrician
A service that the website never mentions
An electrician installs home car chargers in Limerick. Their website lists only “Domestic and commercial electrical work”.
A person looking for a charger installer would have to guess whether this electrician offers the job. A page explaining the service and where it is available removes that guesswork. It still cannot guarantee an AI mention.
One thing to try
Check one missing detail
- Save the exact question you asked, the tool you used and the date.
- Look for a clear answer to that question on your own website. Note anything missing or out of date.
- If the page looks complete, ask your website provider: “Can search services access this page, and are any settings stopping it from appearing?”
How to check the result
- Return to the same page or saved answer and compare it with your notes.
- Check the specific detail you changed. Keep anything you could not verify marked as unknown.
Being left out of one answer is a reason to look closer. It does not tell you what is wrong.
Words in this guide
Only if you want to look them up.
Sources and further reading
Official documentation for the general guidance. These sources are not inspection findings about your page.
Published Studio article, for further reading: Your Website Has Three Viewers Now. You Do Not Build Three Websites.
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