# AEO Visibility Audit (`swholmes/aeo-visibility-audit`) Actor Find out whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI recommend your business — or your competitors. Get an AI visibility score, the real Google AI Overview, the exact sources AI cites, competitor share-of-voice, and a prioritized action plan. One URL in, structured JSON out. - **URL**: https://apify.com/swholmes/aeo-visibility-audit.md - **Developed by:** [Scott Holmes](https://apify.com/swholmes) (community) - **Categories:** Agents, SEO tools, AI - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $120.00 / 1,000 llm visibility checks This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## AEO Visibility Audit — does AI actually recommend your business? **Find out whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI recommend your business — or your competitors — then get the exact sources you need to fix it.** Drop in one URL. This Actor figures out your brand and what you do, generates real buyer-intent questions for your city, asks them across the major AI answer engines, and returns a single structured JSON: your visibility score, who's getting recommended instead of you, the **real Google AI Overview**, the exact pages AI cites, and a prioritized action plan. Built for SEO/GEO agencies, local businesses, and anyone selling AEO services. --- ### Why this one is different Most "AI visibility" Actors send a prompt to a model and count mentions. This one adds the three things those tools leave out: 1. **The REAL Google AI Overview.** We pull the actual AI Overview from the live Google SERP (DataForSEO `load_async_ai_overview`) plus the local pack. Almost every competitor *fakes* this by querying the Gemini model and calling it "Google AI" — and several say so in their own docs. If the buyer's customers see a Google AI Overview, you should measure the real thing. 2. **Real AI search volume.** Each tracked prompt is enriched with DataForSEO AI Keyword Data — actual LLM prompt demand, not a made-up estimate. No data for a hyperlocal long-tail prompt? We return `null` instead of inventing a number. 3. **Brand → citation attribution.** Not just "Competitor X was mentioned" and "these domains were cited" as two separate lists — we connect them: *"Competitor X was named, and that mention was attributed to clutch.co and semrush.com."* That's the causal map that tells you exactly which placement to go earn. Plus: **location-specific prompts** (down to the city), a **ranked action plan** that names the competitor brands behind each source, and a **shared cache** that auto-refreshes on the 1st and 15th of each month so repeat lookups of the same URL are near-free. --- ### Us vs. the other guys | | **AEO Visibility Audit (this Actor)** | LLM Visibility Tracker (khadinakbar) | LLM Visibility Monitor (constructive_calm) | |---|---|---|---| | Engines | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google/Gemini | ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini | + Claude, Grok | | **Real Google AI Overview (live SERP)** | ✅ Yes — actual AI Overview + local pack | ❌ Gemini model as proxy | ❌ Gemini model as proxy | | **Real AI search volume per prompt** | ✅ Yes (DataForSEO AI Keyword Data) | ❌ | ❌ | | **Brand → source attribution** | ✅ Yes — which sources produced each competitor mention | ❌ (cited domains only) | ❌ (share-of-voice only) | | Auto-generated local buyer-intent prompts | ✅ City-level | ⚠️ Generic | ✅ Category-level | | Ranked action plan (names competitor brands) | ✅ | ❌ | ⚠️ Gaps list | | Shared cache + scheduled refresh | ✅ 1st & 15th, repeat ≈ free | ❌ | ❌ | | Output | One clean structured JSON | Per-result rows | Dataset + report files | | **Pricing (12-prompt audit)** | **$2.99 Quick · $6.99 Standard** | ~$4.32 | ~$6.90 (Quick preset $3.76) | | Per-check price (metered) | **$0.12** | $0.09 | $0.15 + $1.50 fixed fees | **Reading the price right:** competitors quote a *per-check* rate (e.g. "$150 / 1,000" = **$0.15 for one prompt to one engine**). A real audit is dozens of checks, so their full audits land at **$3.76–$13.51** (their own published presets). Our flat presets undercut that *and* include the real AI Overview, AI search volume, and attribution they don't. --- ### Two ways to pay **Mode 1 — Flat preset (one URL = one price).** Pick a preset and you know the price up front: | Preset | What runs | Typical price | |---|---|---| | **Quick** | 4 prompts × 3 engines, fast models, no AI Overview | **$2.99** | | **Standard** | 12 prompts × 3 engines + real AI Overview + AI volume + attribution | **$6.99** | | **Deep** | 20 prompts × 3 engines, premium models + AI Overview | **$14.99** | **Mode 2 — Metered (pay per check).** Set `preset: "custom"` and only pay for what you ask for — ideal for power users and big or tiny audits: | Event | Price | |---|---| | Audit started | $0.01 | | LLM visibility check (1 prompt × 1 engine) | $0.12 | | Real Google AI Overview module (per run) | $0.49 | | AI search volume + brand attribution | Included free | Cache hits only incur the $0.01 start charge — no LLM cost for a repeat lookup inside the refresh window. --- ### Input | Field | Description | |---|---| | `url` *(required)* | Homepage to audit. Brand + industry are auto-detected. | | `preset` | `standard` (default), `quick`, `deep`, or `custom` (metered). | | `city`, `province`, `country` | Localizes the generated prompts and the AI Overview SERP. | | `engines` | Any of `chat_gpt`, `perplexity`, `gemini`. | | `maxPrompts` | Prompts per engine (custom mode; presets set this). | | `includeAiOverview` / `serpMaxKeywords` | Real Google AI Overview module (custom mode). | | `includeAiSearchVolume` | Real LLM prompt-demand lookup (default on). | | `fastModels` | Custom mode: use cheaper mini models. | | `cache` / `forceRefresh` | Shared cache with 1st/15th auto-refresh. | | `dataforseoLogin` / `dataforseoPassword` | Your DataForSEO credentials (owner-configured as Actor secrets for bundled runs). | ### Output (single structured JSON) ```json { "business": { "url": "...", "brand": "Flying Pigs Marketing", "descriptor": "marketing agency", "city": "Barrie" }, "summary": { "prompts_run": 12, "engine_runs": 36, "mentioned": 3, "visibility_pct": 8, "ai_overview_appeared": 6, "ai_overview_you_cited": 0, "tracked_ai_search_volume": 1840, "dataforseo_cost_usd": 1.55 }, "by_engine": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "model": "gpt-4o", "visibility_pct": 8 } ], "you_vs_them": { "yours": 2, "others": 71, "yours_pct": 3 }, "google_ai_overview": { "source": "Google SERP ai_overview (real)", "appeared": 6, "you_cited": 0, "results": [ ] }, "prompts": [ { "text": "best marketing agency in Barrie", "ai_search_volume": 210, "visibility_pct": 0, "engines": [ { "engine": "chatgpt", "mentioned": false, "citations": ["clutch.co"], "named_brands": [ { "brand": "Tactycs", "sources": ["tactycs.io"] } ] } ] } ], "top_sources": [ { "domain": "clutch.co", "times_cited": 9 } ], "competitor_attribution": [ { "brand": "Tactycs", "times_named": 5, "attributed_sources": [ { "domain": "clutch.co", "count": 4 } ] } ], "action_plan": [ { "priority": 5, "title": "Earn placement / get cited on clutch.co", "type": "directory", "competitors_present": ["Tactycs", "Thrive"] } ] } ```` ### Methodology & honesty LLM rows come from the engine **APIs** with live web search — a repeatable, labeled proxy that differs from a logged-in consumer app and is non-deterministic between runs. The `google_ai_overview` block is the **real** Google AI Overview scraped from the SERP. Every result is labeled by engine and model so you always know what produced it. This is a directional visibility audit for benchmarking and prioritization — not a traffic-analytics measurement. *** *Built by Scott Holmes — Pinnacle Tech Projects, Barrie, ON.* # Actor input Schema ## `url` (type: `string`): Homepage to audit ## `preset` (type: `string`): Pick a fixed-price bundle, or 'custom' to bill per check (metered mode) using the fields below. ## `city` (type: `string`): City the business serves. Used to localize the generated buyer-intent prompts and the AI Overview SERP. ## `province` (type: `string`): Province or state (abbreviation is fine, e.g. ON). Used to localize prompts and SERP results. ## `country` (type: `string`): Country used for the AI search-volume lookup and SERP location. ## `brand` (type: `string`): Blank = auto-detect from og:site\_name ## `industry` (type: `string`): Optional: force the business category used to build prompts (e.g. 'AI receptionist service', 'roofing company'). Blank = auto-detect. ## `engines` (type: `array`): Which AI answer engines to query: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and/or Google (Gemini). ## `maxPrompts` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of prompts per engine (custom mode; presets set this automatically). ## `includeAiOverview` (type: `boolean`): Runs DataForSEO SERP with load\_async\_ai\_overview for the true AI Overview + local pack ## `serpMaxKeywords` (type: `integer`): How many top buyer-intent keywords to check for the real Google AI Overview. ## `serpLocation` (type: `string`): e.g. "Barrie,Ontario,Canada". Overrides city/province/country if set. ## `cache` (type: `boolean`): Reuse a stored result for the same URL; auto-refreshes after the 1st and 15th of each month ## `forceRefresh` (type: `boolean`): Ignore the cache and run a fresh audit even if a cached result exists. ## `dataforseoLogin` (type: `string`): Optional bring-your-own-key: your DataForSEO account email. Leave blank to use the Actor's bundled credentials. ## `dataforseoPassword` (type: `string`): Optional bring-your-own-key: your DataForSEO account password (or API password). ## `includeAiSearchVolume` (type: `boolean`): Look up real LLM prompt-demand volume (DataForSEO AI Keyword Data) for each tracked prompt. Adds ~$0.01 per run. Returns null for hyperlocal long-tail prompts with no data. ## `fastModels` (type: `boolean`): Custom mode only: use gpt-4o-mini etc. Presets set this automatically. ## Actor input object example ```json { "url": "https://example.com", "preset": "standard", "city": "Toronto", "province": "ON", "country": "Canada", "engines": [ "chat_gpt", "perplexity", "gemini" ], "maxPrompts": 12, "includeAiOverview": true, "serpMaxKeywords": 6, "cache": true, "forceRefresh": false, "includeAiSearchVolume": true, "fastModels": false } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `audit` (type: `string`): The full AI-visibility audit: visibility score, per-engine breakdown, you-vs-competitors, real Google AI Overview, brand detection, competitor-to-source attribution, and the ranked action plan. ## `report` (type: `string`): The same audit object stored as the OUTPUT record in the default key-value store. # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "url": "https://example.com", "city": "Toronto", "province": "ON" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("swholmes/aeo-visibility-audit").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "url": "https://example.com", "city": "Toronto", "province": "ON", } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("swholmes/aeo-visibility-audit").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "url": "https://example.com", "city": "Toronto", "province": "ON" }' | apify call swholmes/aeo-visibility-audit --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=swholmes/aeo-visibility-audit", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "AEO Visibility Audit", "description": "Find out whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI recommend your business — or your competitors. Get an AI visibility score, the real Google AI Overview, the exact sources AI cites, competitor share-of-voice, and a prioritized action plan. One URL in, structured JSON out.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "hQp0d4OE8n074L9ki" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/swholmes~aeo-visibility-audit/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-swholmes-aeo-visibility-audit", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/swholmes~aeo-visibility-audit/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-swholmes-aeo-visibility-audit", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/swholmes~aeo-visibility-audit/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-swholmes-aeo-visibility-audit", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "title": "Business URL", "type": "string", "description": "Homepage to audit" }, "preset": { "title": "Pricing preset (flat per-audit mode)", "enum": [ "custom", "quick", "standard", "deep" ], "type": "string", "description": "Pick a fixed-price bundle, or 'custom' to bill per check (metered mode) using the fields below.", "default": "standard" }, "city": { "title": "City", "type": "string", "description": "City the business serves. Used to localize the generated buyer-intent prompts and the AI Overview SERP." }, "province": { "title": "Province / State (abbrev ok)", "type": "string", "description": "Province or state (abbreviation is fine, e.g. ON). Used to localize prompts and SERP results." }, "country": { "title": "Country", "type": "string", "description": "Country used for the AI search-volume lookup and SERP location.", "default": "Canada" }, "brand": { "title": "Brand name override", "type": "string", "description": "Blank = auto-detect from og:site_name" }, "industry": { "title": "Industry / category override", "type": "string", "description": "Optional: force the business category used to build prompts (e.g. 'AI receptionist service', 'roofing company'). Blank = auto-detect." }, "engines": { "title": "LLM engines", "type": "array", "description": "Which AI answer engines to query: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and/or Google (Gemini).", "items": { "type": "string", "enum": [ "chat_gpt", "perplexity", "gemini" ] }, "default": [ "chat_gpt", "perplexity", "gemini" ] }, "maxPrompts": { "title": "Max prompts (per engine)", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 50, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of prompts per engine (custom mode; presets set this automatically).", "default": 12 }, "includeAiOverview": { "title": "Include real Google AI Overview (SERP)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Runs DataForSEO SERP with load_async_ai_overview for the true AI Overview + local pack", "default": true }, "serpMaxKeywords": { "title": "AI Overview keywords to check", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 20, "type": "integer", "description": "How many top buyer-intent keywords to check for the real Google AI Overview.", "default": 6 }, "serpLocation": { "title": "Exact DataForSEO location_name (optional)", "type": "string", "description": "e.g. \"Barrie,Ontario,Canada\". Overrides city/province/country if set." }, "cache": { "title": "Use shared cache", "type": "boolean", "description": "Reuse a stored result for the same URL; auto-refreshes after the 1st and 15th of each month", "default": true }, "forceRefresh": { "title": "Force refresh (ignore cache)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Ignore the cache and run a fresh audit even if a cached result exists.", "default": false }, "dataforseoLogin": { "title": "DataForSEO login (email)", "type": "string", "description": "Optional bring-your-own-key: your DataForSEO account email. Leave blank to use the Actor's bundled credentials." }, "dataforseoPassword": { "title": "DataForSEO password", "type": "string", "description": "Optional bring-your-own-key: your DataForSEO account password (or API password)." }, "includeAiSearchVolume": { "title": "Include AI search volume", "type": "boolean", "description": "Look up real LLM prompt-demand volume (DataForSEO AI Keyword Data) for each tracked prompt. Adds ~$0.01 per run. Returns null for hyperlocal long-tail prompts with no data.", "default": true }, "fastModels": { "title": "Use fast/cheap models (custom mode)", "type": "boolean", "description": "Custom mode only: use gpt-4o-mini etc. Presets set this automatically.", "default": false } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```