What is AI reputation monitoring?

AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude now recommend specific businesses when customers ask "who should I hire?" or "best plumber near me." AI reputation monitoring tracks what these platforms say about your business — whether you're being recommended, what claims are being made, and how you compare to competitors. Most businesses have zero visibility into this new channel.

Which AI platforms does Pulse monitor?

Pulse monitors the six major AI platforms that consumers use to find businesses: ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Claude (Anthropic), Grok (xAI), Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot. Each platform has different data sources and ranking signals, so what one recommends may differ from another.

How does Pulse know what AI says about my business?

Pulse sends real customer-style queries to each AI platform — the same kinds of questions your potential customers are asking. It captures the actual responses, extracts who gets recommended, identifies citation sources, and analyzes whether the information about your business is accurate, outdated, or missing entirely.

How is this different from traditional SEO?

Traditional SEO tools monitor your Google search rankings and website traffic. Pulse monitors a completely different channel: what AI assistants say when customers ask conversational questions like "who should I hire for kitchen remodeling in Denver?" These AI recommendations are becoming a major source of leads, and the signals that influence them — citation consistency, content authority, structured data — overlap with but are distinct from traditional SEO ranking factors.

Can I see what my competitors are doing differently?

Yes. Pulse tracks which competitors get recommended alongside or instead of your business, reveals the citation sources AI platforms trust, and shows you exactly why competitors may be ranking higher. You can see their mention frequency, the authority signals they've built, and get specific recommendations to close the gap.

How quickly will I see results?

Your first scan completes in minutes, giving you an immediate snapshot of your AI visibility across all six platforms. The recommendations engine generates a prioritized action plan right away. Most businesses that follow the roadmap see measurable score improvements within 2-4 weeks, as AI platforms update their knowledge bases regularly.

Do I need technical expertise?

No. Pulse provides plain-language recommendations with specific, actionable steps anyone can follow — like "update your business name on Yelp to match your Google listing." For technical tasks like schema markup or structured data, our vetted providers can handle implementation for you.

What if AI already recommends my business?

That's great — but AI recommendations shift constantly as platforms update their models and data sources. Pulse helps you protect your position by monitoring for changes, alerting you when competitors gain ground, and identifying new opportunities to strengthen your recommendation profile. Think of it as ongoing insurance for your AI visibility.

Is there a free trial?

You can run a free scan right from our homepage to see how AI platforms currently perceive your business. Paid plans start at $29/month per location and include ongoing monitoring, the full recommendation engine, competitor tracking, and priority support.

Can I monitor multiple locations?

Yes. Pulse supports per-location scans with aggregated dashboards, so you can see how each branch or service area performs across AI platforms. Team collaboration features include role-based access (viewer, editor, manager) and invitation management, making it easy to coordinate across locations.

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Strategy7 min read

The 5 Signals AI Assistants Use to Choose Which Business to Recommend

AI recommendations aren't random. Here are the 5 concrete signals that determine whether AI assistants recommend your business — and how to strengthen each one.

January 20, 2026Pulse Team

When an AI assistant recommends a business, it's not random and it's not magic. There are specific, measurable signals that drive the decision. Understanding these signals — and knowing which ones you're strong or weak on — is the key to improving your AI visibility.

These five signals map directly to how Pulse calculates your AI Optimization Score.

Signal 1: Crawlability

What it measures: Can AI platforms find and parse your business information?

AI assistants rely on data from across the web. If your website blocks crawlers, uses heavy JavaScript rendering that AI can't parse, or lacks structured data, you're making it hard for AI to even know you exist.

How to strengthen it:

Ensure your website is crawlable (check your robots.txt)
Add LocalBusiness schema markup to your homepage
Add FAQ schema to any FAQ content
Use Service schema for each service page
Make sure your site renders content server-side, not just client-side

Pulse score dimension: Crawlability measures whether AI platforms can access and parse your business information effectively.

Signal 2: Content Authority

What it measures: Does your content demonstrate genuine expertise and specificity?

AI assistants prefer recommending businesses that clearly demonstrate expertise. Generic content like "we provide quality service" is invisible. Specific content like "we've completed 200+ tankless water heater installations in homes built between 1960-1990" is signal-rich.

How to strengthen it:

Create service-specific pages with real detail — scope, process, outcomes
Publish content that answers the exact questions customers ask AI
Include credentials, certifications, and years of experience
Add case studies or project examples with specifics

Pulse score dimension: Content Authority evaluates the depth, specificity, and relevance of your content to the queries AI is answering.

Signal 3: NAP Consistency

What it measures: Is your business name, address, and phone number identical everywhere?

This is the most common failure point we see. Even small inconsistencies — "St." vs "Street", a missing suite number, an old phone number on one directory — create doubt in AI's assessment. Consistent NAP data across many sources builds confidence.

How to strengthen it:

Audit every directory listing: Google Business Profile, Yelp, BBB, Apple Maps, industry directories
Standardize your business name format (with or without LLC, Inc., etc.) and use it everywhere
Update any outdated phone numbers or addresses
Check for duplicate listings that may have conflicting information

Pulse score dimension: NAP Consistency measures how uniform your core business information is across the citation network.

Signal 4: Review Signals

What it measures: What do customers say about you, and how recently?

AI doesn't just count stars — it reads review content. Detailed reviews that mention specific services, positive outcomes, and professional behavior carry more weight than vague praise. Recency matters too: a burst of reviews from 2023 with nothing since signals staleness.

How to strengthen it:

Implement a systematic review request process after completing work
Encourage customers to mention the specific service they received
Respond to reviews (both positive and negative) professionally
Focus on Google and industry-specific platforms that AI references most

Pulse score dimension: Review Signals evaluates the quality, recency, specificity, and volume of your customer reviews.

Signal 5: Data Freshness

What it measures: How current is the information about your business?

AI platforms regularly update their knowledge bases. If your business information hasn't changed in a year while competitors are actively updating their content, directory listings, and reviews, AI may perceive your business as less active or less relevant.

How to strengthen it:

Update your Google Business Profile at least monthly (posts, photos, offers)
Keep your website content current — update service pages, add new projects
Maintain a steady flow of reviews rather than periodic bursts
Update directory listings when anything changes

Pulse score dimension: Data Freshness measures how current and actively maintained your business information is across AI data sources.

How the Signals Work Together

No single signal determines whether AI recommends you. It's the combination that matters. A business with perfect NAP consistency but no content authority will still struggle. A business with great reviews but no structured data leaves performance on the table.

The most effective approach is to identify your weakest signals and strengthen them first. The improvement in your overall AI visibility is typically disproportionate to the effort — fixing your worst gap often has more impact than perfecting your strongest area.

Measuring Your Signals

Pulse scans all six major AI platforms, assesses your business across these five signal dimensions, and calculates an overall AI Optimization Score. Each dimension gets a sub-score so you can see exactly where you're strong and where you need work.

The recommendation engine then generates a prioritized list of specific actions — ranked by expected impact — so you know exactly what to fix first. Most businesses can improve their weakest signal significantly within 2-4 weeks of targeted effort.

See how AI perceives your business

Run a free scan and get your AI Optimization Score in minutes.

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