How to find out whether ChatGPT names your online store

Almost everyone reacts the same way at first: open ChatGPT and ask 'which online store sells X'. That is a logical first step, but the result is worth less than it seems.

Why your own test misleads you

Three things get in the way. First, an assistant remembers what you discussed before, so if you ever talked about your own store, it is quite likely to name it to please you. Second, answers differ from day to day and from user to user. And third, without realising it you ask the question you hope to score on.

The result is that your own test almost always comes out too positive. You ask once, you are in the answer, and you conclude that all is well.

How to do it properly

Three rules make the difference. Ask several different questions, not one. Ask them without earlier conversations, in a fresh window or through the API. And write the questions the way a buyer would ask them, not the way you would.

A buyer does not ask 'is store X any good'. They ask something like 'waar koop ik een goede regenjas voor op de fiets' (where do I buy a good rain jacket for cycling) and do not mention your name at all. That is exactly where you want to know whether you are in the answer.

Count per question, not per answer

Here is another way to fool yourself. If you ask the same question to two assistants and you are in both answers, that is one question where you are named, not two. If you count per answer, your result looks twice as good as it is.

Named is not recommended

Finally, watch the difference between appearing and being recommended. 'You could also take a look at X' is not the same as 'the rain jackets from X are the best choice'. Only the second one brings in customers.

Do not want to do this by hand? That is what the Krillo Index does. Every month, per category and country, we put around 30 buying questions to ChatGPT and Gemini, with no chat history, and rank stores by how often AI names and recommends them. You see your rank, the questions you lose and who was named instead. On krilloai.com you can also run a free check of 13 technical points.