Business owners are getting hammered about AI search every day. If you own a business, someone is probably pitching you an AI search audit right now. Before you say yes to anyone, run them through the two rules I use to vet them. This page shows both.
How do I know if an AI search audit offer is worth taking?
Hold it up to two rules. First, don't pay for the audit. If someone offers you an AI search audit as a paid service, don't accept it. Second, make them show you exactly what they use to evaluate your business and which platforms they check. If they won't be transparent about that, don't hire them.
An AI search audit means a review someone offers to run on how your business shows up in AI search.
Should I pay for an AI search audit?
No. That's rule one. If someone offers you an AI search audit as a paid service, don't accept it. When the offer comes in, say no to the paid audit and move straight to rule two.
What should an AI search audit actually show me?
Exactly how they evaluate your business and which platforms they check. That's rule two. Ask for both before you agree to anything. Here's how I'd put it to them:
- What exactly do you use to evaluate my business?
- Which platforms do you check?
- Can you show me that before I agree to anything?
You don't need to know the answers yourself. You need them to give you straight ones.
What if they won't tell me how they evaluate my business?
Don't hire them. If someone won't be transparent about what they use to evaluate you and which platforms they check, you have no way to know what you'd be getting. Walk away.
Why do I need rules for this at all?
Because the pressure doesn't let up. Owners are getting hammered about AI search every day, and every pitch sounds urgent. Two rules give you a fast way to sort the offers. Paid audit? No. Won't show their method and platforms? No.
What does this not solve?
These two rules screen who you talk to. They don't tell you how your business shows up in AI search, and they don't fix anything. A provider who passes both rules still has to earn the work. You still decide who to hire.
What should you do today?
The next time an AI search audit offer lands, hold it up to the two rules. Is it a paid audit? Pass. Will they show you exactly how they evaluate your business and which platforms they check? If not, don't hire them. If you run a business in Las Vegas, Henderson or Summerlin and want help getting found in AI search, talk with me.
Who is Jeff Fargo?
I'm Jeff Fargo, founder of Fargo Factor in Henderson, Nevada. I help business owners in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and across southern Nevada, and clients nationwide, streamline and scale with AI and get found in AI search. Fargo Walks is where I show how to put AI to work in a real business, one problem at a time.
Sources
- Fargo Walks: Owners Getting Hammered About AI Search. Published November 8, 2026. Every point on this page comes from what I say in the clip. No transcript was available when this page was published, so it is built from the clip's title and description.