Note: First check that your persona, prompt, and conversation counts are greater than zero. If they read zero, the audit did not run, and this article does not apply.
Seeing a 0% visibility score in your Visibility Audit (formerly known as a report) can be frustrating, but it does not mean there is no hope. It is often a sign that something in the setup needs adjustment, and there are several things to check.
A good place to start is your Competitive Leaderboard. Many 0% scores stem from your brand being split across duplicate domains or mislabeled or duplicated as multiple brands, and the leaderboard is where you can spot both.
Is my brand split across duplicate domains or labels?
Your brand might be competing with itself. If your company uses multiple domains (for example company.com, company.co, or sub.company.com), AI models might treat them as entirely separate entities. This can split your mentions across domains, lowering your total visibility score.
The same thing happens when your brand appears on the Competitive Leaderboard more than once or under the wrong or inconsistent name. Open your Competitive Leaderboard and look for:
- The same brand listed under two or more domains that should be one entry
- Your brand appearing as two separate rows that should be merged
- Your brand labeled with the wrong or an inconsistent name
You can merge duplicate brands yourself and rename a brand that is labeled incorrectly. For step-by-step help, see our article on merging a brand that appears more than once in the Competitive Leaderboard and our article on renaming or customizing a brand name in your audits. If you would rather we merge domains for you, contact Gumshoe support, and we will ensure your visibility score reflects your full AI presence.
Does my brand description and focus match what my brand does?
Sometimes the audit is technically working, but the AI does not fully understand what your brand does. This can lead to low or zero visibility, especially if the questions in your audit do not align with your brand's stated focus. If you left off a product/service focus altogether, you may also be putting your brand at a disadvantage.
For example, say your brand publishes reviews and advice about the best cooking tools. But your audit shows personas asking "What are the best cooking tools?" and all results are physical product brands, like All-Clad or OXO. Even if your site were cited as a source, you would not appear on the leaderboard, because the AI thinks you are a publication with reference materials for tools.
Update your brand description to clarify your brand's role. For example:
- Instead of: "We help people find great products."
- Try: "We offer expert reviews and buying guides for home cooks looking for the best cooking tools."
Once you have set a more precise focus, ensure the topics in your prompts are clear and specific to your brand's offerings.
Were the personas and topics aligned with my brand?
Your audit may include personas or questions that do not match what your brand actually helps with. If none of the prompts reflect the kind of searches you want to be found for, you will likely get 0% visibility.
Double-check the topics and personas in your setup. You can also start a new Visibility Audit with a more focused set of prompts.
Do the AI models know my brand yet?
If your brand is new, has been rebranded, or has not been mentioned on authoritative sites, the models may not yet be familiar with your brand. Use your audit as guidance for improving your visibility.
You can also run Visibility Audits on your brand's top competitors and design your content strategy around what you learn.
Your Brand May Just Be Invisible to AI Models
If nothing else makes sense, your brand could just be unknown to the LLMs. This means you need to spend time making your website readable and publishing content that introduces the models to who you are and what you do. Think of it like training a sales employee. Fresh content and authoritative expertise move the needle with AI, and they do it quickly. So don't lose hope! Use Gumshoe to get seen and then dominate!