AI visibility readiness checklist
MentionBench Consulting LLC sells one offer—AEO/GEO Engagement. This page is a static self-check so you can see which Diagnosis signals you already have—and which gaps a consultant should prioritize first.
It is not a monitoring product, not a free score or grade, and not a Checker / Free Audit wall. Checking boxes here does not change your site. When you want priorities, a competitor gap table, and a locked prompt panel with baseline, Book Diagnosis.
How to use this page
Answer each question Yes or No for your own site (honest beats optimistic). There is no total score. Every path ends at the same next step: a bounded Diagnosis consult.
The five questions
1. Existence — answer blocks for buying questions
Question: For the category buying questions your buyers actually ask, do you already publish extractable answer blocks on your site (clear lead answer + supporting facts—not only marketing slogans)?
- Yes — Coverage exists for the prompts that matter.
- No — Existence/coverage is likely blocking AI candidates.
Hint: If a stranger cannot copy a one-paragraph answer from your pages for a core hire/recommend question, mark No.
2. Structure — readable entities and FAQ-style answers
Question: Can people and machines parse your key pages—named entities, FAQ-style clarity, and answer-ready structure—without guessing from decorative layout alone?
- Yes — Structure/readability is in place for priority URLs.
- No — Structure work should be high on the fix list.
Hint: Look for consistent entity naming, scannable Q&A, and pages that still make sense with JavaScript off.
3. Consistency — same facts across surfaces you control
Question: Do your key facts and wording match across surfaces you control (site, about/facts page, directories, major third-party profiles you own)?
- Yes — Cross-surface consistency is intentional.
- No — Conflicting claims will dilute trust signals.
Hint: Pick three facts (legal name, offer name, what you do not sell) and check they do not contradict each other.
4. Competitor contrast — one relevant prompt pass
Question: Have you (or a consultant) run a one-time mention-style contrast on relevant prompts against a named peer set—so gaps are ordered, not guessed?
- Yes — You have a dated, one-time contrast for prioritization.
- No — You still need a competitor gap pass (Diagnosis includes this once; it is not always-on monitoring).
Hint: A screenshot from a monitoring SaaS dashboard is not the same as a written gap table with “what to change first.”
5. Locked panel — frozen prompts and baseline
Question: Have you frozen a written prompt panel for your scope and recorded baseline mention rate and citation rate—before claiming before/after?
- Yes — Panel locked + baseline recorded.
- No — Baseline is missing; before/after claims are not accountable yet.
Hint: For the shape of a public sample panel, see MentionBench’s locked English buying-prompt panel v1 (N=100 · Frozen 2026-07-26 · Before Pending). Client panels are locked in writing for that engagement and need not match v1.
What your answers mean
| Pattern | Plain reading |
|---|---|
| Mostly Yes | You may already have strong on-site signals; Diagnosis still helps order remaining gaps and lock a panel if missing. |
| Mixed | Prioritize the No rows—usually existence or structure first, then consistency and one contrast pass. |
| Mostly No | You are early in the readiness stack; Diagnosis is the bounded first step inside one Engagement. |
There is still no grade. The table above is orientation only.
What this is not
- Monitoring SaaS or an always-on dashboard
- A free Checker, scorecard, or one-click Audit
- A separately sold “Assess tier,” or Sprint / Monitor / Defend as public products
- A promise of rank position, SOV #1, every AI answer, or permanent occupancy
Book Diagnosis — every checkbox path
Whatever you marked, the next useful step is the same: Book Diagnosis / consult—readiness conclusion, competitor gap table, prioritized fix list, plus a locked prompt panel with baseline.