AI search engines: the ones that matter for your business
AI search engines are tools that answer questions in full sentences and often cite sources, instead of just listing links. The ones that matter for your business are the ones your customers actually use, and you can check what they say about you.
What counts as an AI search engine
An AI search engine is a product that answers a question in sentences and often cites sources, instead of only listing links. It might be a standalone assistant or a feature inside a search engine you already know.
This matters because when someone asks an AI engine for a recommendation, the answer is a short list of names. If your business is not in that answer, you are invisible to that customer at that moment.
For example, a dentist in Leeds might ask an AI engine: "Who is a good emergency dentist in Leeds?" The engine replies with a few names and links to their websites. If the dentist is not named, they miss that enquiry.
The main ones
Here are the main AI search engines and assistants, with what they are and where they are used.
- ChatGPT search: made by OpenAI, searches the web and cites pages.
- Perplexity: answers with numbered sources.
- Gemini: Google's assistant.
- Google AI Mode: conversational search inside Google.
- Google AI Overviews: the AI summary above Google results.
- Microsoft Copilot: in Windows, Edge and Bing.
- Claude: Anthropic's assistant, with web search.
- DeepSeek: answers mostly from its own model.
- Meta AI: in WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
- Sarvam: India's own AI.
Each one reaches people in different places. ChatGPT and Perplexity are used directly by people who want an answer. Gemini and Google's AI features appear inside Google search, which many people use every day. Copilot is built into Windows and Edge, so it is close to hand for many computer users. Claude is used by people who want a careful assistant. DeepSeek answers mostly from its own model, so it may not reflect recent changes on your site. Meta AI is inside WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, where many small businesses already talk to customers. Sarvam is India's own AI, useful if your customers are in India.
For example, a bakery in Mumbai might find that customers ask Meta AI on WhatsApp for cake recommendations, while a software consultant in London might be asked about by people using ChatGPT. The engine that matters depends on where your customers are and what they use.
Live web or model memory
Some AI engines search the live web when they answer. That means they can pick up a change on your site within weeks. Others answer mostly from model memory, which is the information the AI learned during training. Those answers change slowly.
This matters because if you update your website with new services or opening hours, live-web engines are more likely to reflect that soon. Engines that rely on model memory may keep giving older information for longer.
For example, a plumber in Manchester might add "emergency call-outs" to their site. A live-web engine could mention that in a few weeks. A model-memory engine might not mention it for months, if at all.
So when you check what AI says about you, note which engine you are checking. If it searches the live web, your updates can show up sooner. If it uses model memory, you may need to wait or find other ways to be visible.
Which ones matter for you
It depends on your customers' country and habits. The best AI search engine for your business is the one your customers already use. There is no single best for everyone.
Start by thinking about where your customers are and how they ask for recommendations. If they are in India, Sarvam and Meta AI may be important. If they are in the US or UK, ChatGPT and Google's AI features are widely used. If they use Windows or Edge, Copilot might be in front of them.
For example, a tour guide in Jaipur might find that customers ask Sarvam or Meta AI on WhatsApp. A lawyer in Toronto might find that clients ask ChatGPT or Google. Checking the ones your customers use saves time and tells you where to focus.
You can also ask a few customers which AI tools they use, or look at where your website traffic comes from. That gives you a clue about which engines to check first.
Checking all of them
Checking every AI engine by hand is slow. You would need to ask each one the questions your customers ask, in their language, and read the full answers. Vasukai does this for you.
Vasukai checks 9 assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Perplexity, Claude, DeepSeek, Meta AI, Sarvam) in 24 languages from the customer's country. It shows where a business is named, who is named instead and which websites the answers cite. It also writes the fixes, with a ranked list of actions and a "Write it for me" button that drafts page copy, FAQs and business descriptions.
For example, a hotel in Goa might use Vasukai to see that ChatGPT names three competitors but not them, and that Perplexity cites a travel blog instead of their site. Vasukai then suggests what to change and drafts the text.
You can start with a free AI check that needs no card. It shows what ChatGPT says about your business. Go to /sign-in?scan=1 to try it.
Questions
What is the best AI search engine?
For finding businesses, the best ones are those your customers already use. ChatGPT and Google's AI features are the most widely used, but it depends on your country and audience.
Do AI search engines use Google?
Some use their own index or Bing, while Google's AI uses Google's index. Each engine has its own way of finding and citing sources.
How do I see what they say about me?
Run the free AI check at /sign-in?scan=1. It shows what ChatGPT says about your business, with no card needed.
