The 30-Minute AISO Audit: Is Your Consulting Firm Visible to AI Search?

Your consulting website might be invisible to the tools your ideal clients are actually using to find experts.

Here's what's changed: When a business leader needs a strategy consultant, they no longer start with Google. They open ChatGPT or Claude and ask, "Who should I hire for market entry strategy in New Zealand?" The AI tool searches its training data and recent web content, then recommends firms it recognises as credible experts.

If your website isn't optimised for AI search - what we call AISO (AI Search Optimisation) - you won't show up in those recommendations. Your competitors who are optimised will.

This 30-minute audit checks whether your consulting firm is ready for AI search. You'll get a clear picture of what's working, what's broken, and where to focus. No fluff. No jargon. Just actionable checks you can run right now.

Grab a coffee. Open your website in one tab, this checklist in another. Let's see how you're doing.

Part 1: SEO Basics (The Foundation)

Before AI tools can recommend you, they need to find you. These five checks ensure your site has the basic SEO foundation in place.

☐ Check 1: Title tags include your specialty + location

What to check: Right-click on your homepage → View page source → Search for <title> tag (usually near the top).

Good example: "Strategy Consulting Auckland | [Firm Name]"

Bad example: "Home | [Firm Name]"

Why it matters: Title tags are the signal AI tools use to understand what you do and where you operate. A vague title tells AI systems nothing. A specific one tells them everything.

☐ Check 2: Every service page has a clear H1 heading

What to check: Look at the main heading on each service page (the biggest text at the top).

Good example: "Change Management Consulting for NZ Businesses"

Bad example: "Our Services" or no heading at all

Why it matters: H1 headings signal your primary expertise on each page. AI tools use them to categorise your knowledge. If your service pages don't have clear H1s, AI systems can't tell what you specialise in.

☐ Check 3: Meta descriptions exist and are specific

What to check: Right-click → View page source → Search for <meta name="description". You should see a 150-160 character description.

Good example: "Wellington-based HR consultants helping businesses manage restructures, performance issues, and employment law compliance."

Bad example: Generic boilerplate or missing entirely

Why it matters: Meta descriptions show up in search results and help AI tools summarise your offering. Vague descriptions waste this real estate.

☐ Check 4: URLs are clean and descriptive

What to check: Look at your address bar as you move through your site.

Good example:yourfirm.co.nz/strategy-consulting

Bad example:yourfirm.co.nz/page-id-47 or yourfirm.co.nz/services.php?cat=2

Why it matters: Clean URLs help both search engines and AI tools understand page content at a glance. Messy URLs signal poor site structure.

☐ Check 5: Images have descriptive alt text

What to check: Right-click on an image → Inspect element → Look for alt=""

Good example:alt="Strategy consultant facilitating workshop with Auckland executive team"

Bad example:alt="image1.jpg" or missing

Why it matters: AI tools can't see images - they rely on alt text. Descriptive alt text helps AI systems understand your work and context.

Section summary: If you're failing 3+ of these checks, your site has basic SEO gaps. Good news: these are quick fixes your web developer can handle in an afternoon.

Part 2: GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

This is where most consultants fall down. SEO gets you found by Google. GEO gets you recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude when someone asks, "Who should I hire for [your expertise]?"

These five checks reveal whether AI tools can understand and cite your expertise.

☐ Check 6: Service pages answer specific questions

What to check: Read your service page as if you know nothing about your firm. Does it answer concrete questions?

Good example: Page clearly states "What does strategy consulting cost?", "How long does an engagement take?", "What deliverables do I get?"

Bad example: Vague descriptions of your process with no concrete information

Why it matters: AI tools look for specific answers to specific questions. When someone asks Claude, "How much does change management consulting cost in Wellington?", the AI searches for pages that answer that exact question, and vague pages don't get cited.

NZ-specific angle: Include pricing in NZD, reference NZ business contexts, mention compliance with NZ regulations.

☐ Check 7: You have content about your methodology

What to check: Do you explain how you work, not just what you do?

Good example: "Our 3-Phase Change Management Framework: Discovery (weeks 1-2), Design (weeks 3-5), Delivery (weeks 6-12)" with detail on each phase

Bad example: "We use proven methodologies to deliver results"

Why it matters: AI tools prefer to recommend consultants with clear, documented approaches. Vague claims don't build credibility with AI systems.

☐ Check 8: Your expertise is demonstrated, not claimed

What to check: Look for proof of expertise - case studies, frameworks, written content, specific outcomes.

Good example: "We've guided 47 NZ businesses through restructures, with 94% reporting improved employee engagement post-engagement" + case study details

Bad example: "We're experts in organisational change"

Why it matters: AI tools prioritise cited expertise over marketing claims. Unsupported claims get ignored. Demonstrated expertise gets recommended.

☐ Check 9: Location and context are specific

What to check: Do you mention NZ-specific regulations, conditions, or examples?

Good example: "Our HR consultants specialise in NZ employment law, including compliance with the Holidays Act 2003 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015"

Bad example: Generic content that could apply anywhere

Why it matters: AI tools match local context when answering location-specific queries, so a business in Auckland searching for "HR consultant familiar with NZ employment law" needs to find content that explicitly mentions NZ regulations, not generic content.

☐ Check 10: Content is structured with clear headings

What to check: Does your page have a logical heading hierarchy (H2, H3 tags)?

Good example: Page has sections like "What is change management?", "Our approach", "Timeline and costs", "Case studies"

Bad example: Wall of text with no structure

Why it matters: AI tools extract information from well-structured content more accurately. Unstructured content is harder for AI to parse and cite.

Section summary: GEO is newer than SEO, so don't feel bad if you're scoring low here. Most consulting websites were built before AI search became mainstream. But here's the reality: your competitors who optimise for GEO will start showing up in AI recommendations while you don't. That's the gap you need to close.

Part 3: Topical Authority (Proving You Know Your Stuff)

Topical authority is about depth and breadth. Do you cover your specialty thoroughly enough that AI tools recognise you as a genuine expert? It's not about having the most content - it's about having the right content that demonstrates thorough knowledge.

☐ Check 11: You have content beyond service pages

What to check: Do you have a blog, resources section, guides, frameworks, or tools?

Good example: Library of 20+ articles addressing client questions in your specialty

Bad example: Just service pages, about page, contact page

Why it matters: AI tools rank depth of coverage when determining expertise. A firm with only service pages looks like a marketing site. A firm with resources looks like a genuine expert.

☐ Check 12: Content answers "why" and "how", not just "what"

What to check: Read 3 pieces of your content. Do they provide insight or just describe services?

Good example: "Why most change initiatives fail (and how to avoid it)" with detailed analysis of common pitfalls and solutions

Bad example: "We offer change management consulting" with no depth

Why it matters: AI tools look for educational content that demonstrates understanding. Surface-level descriptions don't signal expertise.

☐ Check 13: You cover sub-topics within your specialty

What to check: Do you have content about different aspects of your expertise?

Good example (for strategy consultants): Articles on market entry, competitive positioning, business model design, scenario planning, digital transformation strategy

Bad example: Everything is generic "strategy consulting"

Why it matters: Coverage of related sub-topics signals expertise. A strategy consultant who only writes about "strategy" looks less credible than one who covers market entry, competitive analysis, and business model innovation separately.

☐ Check 14: Content references your unique perspective or IP

What to check: Do you have frameworks, models, or approaches that are distinctly yours?

Good example: "The [Your Firm] 5-Stage Due Diligence Framework" with detailed explanation

Bad example: Generic best practices anyone could write

Why it matters: Differentiated expertise is more likely to be recommended. AI tools recognise and cite proprietary frameworks more readily than generic advice.

☐ Check 15: You regularly publish (evidence of active expertise)

What to check: When was your last blog post, case study, or resource published?

Good example: New content published in the last 3 months

Bad example: Last update was 2+ years ago

Why it matters: AI tools may interpret stale content as inactive or outdated expertise. Recent publishing signals you're actively engaged in your field.

Section summary: Building topical authority takes time - you can't fake expertise with a few blog posts. But you also don't need 500 articles. Start with depth in your core specialty. Cover the sub-topics thoroughly. Publish consistently. That's how you build authority AI tools recognise.

Part 4: Technical Foundations

Three quick technical checks that affect whether AI tools can access and understand your site.

☐ Check 16: Site loads in under 3 seconds

What to check: Use Google PageSpeed Insights (free tool - just search for it).

Target: Green score (90+)

Why it matters: Slow sites get crawled less frequently and rank lower. AI tools prioritise fast, accessible sites.

☐ Check 17: Site works on mobile

What to check: Open your site on your phone, move through key pages.

Look for: Readable text, clickable buttons, no horizontal scrolling

Why it matters: Most searches happen on mobile. If your site doesn't work on mobile, you're invisible to mobile users and the AI tools they use.

☐ Check 18: No broken links

What to check: Click through your main navigation and key pages. Use a free broken link checker tool.

Why it matters: Broken links signal poor maintenance and hurt credibility with both search engines and AI tools.

Section summary: These technical issues are usually easy fixes, but they matter. If AI tools can't access your content or it loads too slowly, you're invisible regardless of how good your expertise is.

Your AI Search Optimisation (AISO) Score: What It Means

You've just completed 18 checks. Count how many you passed.

15-18 (Strong): You're well-positioned for AI search. Your site has solid fundamentals and GEO optimisation. Focus on maintaining and expanding topical authority. You're ahead of most consulting firms.

10-14 (Moderate): You have gaps. Your SEO foundation is decent, but GEO optimisation needs work. Prioritise Part 2 (GEO checks) where the competitive advantage is right now. Most consulting firms score in this range.

5-9 (Weak): Significant work needed. Start with SEO fundamentals (Part 1), then move to GEO. Your site isn't working as hard as it could be.

0-4 (Invisible): Your website isn't working for you. This is urgent. You're losing business to competitors with better visibility. Start with Part 1 immediately.

What this means: If you scored below 10, you're likely invisible to AI search. That's not a judgment - it's a reality check. Most consulting firms haven't optimised for AI yet. But that window is closing fast.

What to Do Next

This audit shows you what needs fixing. Actually fixing it - and doing it right - takes expertise.

Here's the reality: According to RAIN Group research, 82% of buyers research consultants online before ever making contact. In 2025, that research increasingly happens in AI tools, not Google. The firms that show up in those AI recommendations win the conversation. The ones that don't become invisible.

You have three options:

Option 1: DIY. Fix these issues yourself. It's possible, but it takes time and technical knowledge. Most consulting firm owners don't have either.

Option 2: Hire a web developer. They can fix the technical issues (Parts 1 and 4). But they won't know how to optimise for GEO or build topical authority. You'll end up with a faster, prettier website that's still invisible to AI.

Option 3: Get expert help. Work with someone who understands both SEO and GEO, and who knows how to build topical authority for consulting firms. That's where real visibility comes from.

GEO Content specialises in AISO for NZ consultants. We handle the content strategy, production, and optimisation so you can focus on client work. We know what AI tools look for. We know how to structure content so it gets cited. We know how to build topical authority that actually works.

The AI search environment is evolving fast. What works today might not work in six months. Stay ahead of it.