Named First

Guide

How to choose an AI search visibility service in Perth

More Perth agencies now offer to get your business into ChatGPT and Google's AI answers. Some do careful, measurable work. Others sell a score and a promise. These seven checks help you tell the difference before you sign anything.

By Jackson Bennett, Named First · 12 October 2026

We sell this service ourselves, so read this with that in mind. Every check here applies to us too, and you should hold us to it.

1. Ask for a baseline before you pay a retainer

A good provider starts by asking the AI assistants the questions your customers would ask, such as "who's a good electrician in Joondalup?", and recording what comes back. That gives you a starting point to measure everything against.

Ask to see the actual questions, the dates and the answers word for word. A single "visibility score" with nothing behind it tells you very little. Check that each question was asked more than once and on more than one assistant. In our Perth study, the same assistant gave the same answer to the same question as little as 7% of the time, so one screenshot proves almost nothing.

2. Find out exactly what they'll change

"We'll optimise you for AI" isn't a plan. You should get a list of specific jobs, for example:

  • Fixing wrong or old details (name, phone, address, hours) on the sites that list you.
  • Completing your Google Business Profile: category, services, hours and photos.
  • Getting you listed on the directories and review sites the assistants actually cite for your industry.
  • A simple routine for asking customers for reviews.
  • Website pages that answer the questions customers ask, naming the suburbs you cover.

Each job should be something you can see for yourself once it's done.

3. Ask how they'll show you progress

The only fair test is to ask the same questions, the same way, every month, and compare. Ask whether they keep the questions fixed, and whether they report questions that use your business name separately from everyday questions. Almost any business gets named when someone asks about it by name. What matters is whether you come up when a customer doesn't know you yet.

4. Walk away from guarantees

Nobody controls what ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity says. When we asked Perplexity how to choose a provider, its own advice was to treat promises of first place, guaranteed mentions or a set number of leads as a warning sign. A provider can promise the work, and show you honestly what changed. Be wary of anything more than that.

5. Check they know where each assistant looks

The assistants don't all read the same sources, and the work should reflect that:

  • Google's Gemini built every answer in our Perth study from Google Maps listings. Your Google Business Profile comes first. (More on how Google's AI chooses.)
  • ChatGPT and Perplexity search the web. They cited a business's own website in 81% and 82% of their answers, plus directories and review sites that differ by industry.

If a provider can't tell you which sources matter for your industry, ask how they'll decide where to spend their time.

6. Know the going rates

In October 2026 we asked Perplexity which Perth providers offer this work and what they charge. From the prices it quoted from their websites, one-off audits ran from about $495 to $1,500, monthly programs from about $590 to around $2,000 a month, and website rebuilds from about $6,500. Prices change, so check each provider's own site. You can see ours on our pricing section.

A higher price usually buys more hours, more content or a bigger team. It doesn't always buy more of the work that matters most for a local business: a complete Google profile, correct details everywhere, real reviews and a clear website.

7. Read the terms before you sign

  • Minimum term. How long are you locked in, and what happens if you stop early?
  • What stays yours. Your Google profile, listings and domain should be in your name, and stay yours if you leave.
  • Access, not passwords. A good provider asks to be added as a manager on your Google profile and Facebook page. They shouldn't need your passwords.

Questions to ask before you sign

  • Can I see the questions you'll ask, with the dates and the answers?
  • How many times do you ask each question, and on which assistants?
  • What exactly will you change in the first month?
  • How will you show me what changed, and how often?
  • Which sites do the assistants cite for my industry?
  • What do I keep if I stop?

Want a list to work from? Get the free 23-point checklist and check your own business first.

See your own baseline firstOur free check asks the assistants real customer questions about your business and shows you the answers, word for word.
Get your free check

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