Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about VisRank, scoring, AEO, reports, and how to fix issues.
General
What is VisRank
VisRank is a free website audit tool that checks 49 signals across four categories: SEO, AEO (AI search readiness), Security, and Local, plus separate Trust & Entity and AI Citation scores on new scans. It audits the entered page, adds a bounded snapshot of important public pages when available, and gives a scored report with top priority issues. Daily scan limits apply: 5 scans for anonymous visitors, 10 for logged-in users, 20 for paid report users, and 30 for Monitoring users. Paid plans add detailed reports, Fix My Issues, saved AI fixes, change history, fix progress, competitor tracking, alerts, weekly briefs, and PDF reports.
Is VisRank really free
Yes. Scanning an entered public URL is free with no account required, and new scans include a bounded key-page snapshot when important public pages are discoverable. Anonymous visitors can run 5 scans per day, logged-in users get 10 per day, paid report users get 20 per day, and Monitoring users get 30 per day. Paid features are the detailed PDF report ($5 one-time per scan) with 3 saved AI fixes, and the monitoring subscription ($20/mo), which includes 3 monitored Full Reports total, 10 AI fixes per account/month, change history, fix progress, score history, competitor tracking, on-demand rescans, score-drop alerts, AI visibility alerts, and weekly briefs.
How long does a VisRank scan take
Most scans complete quickly. VisRank fetches the entered page, checks robots.txt and sitemap.xml, analyses HTTP headers, and adds a bounded snapshot of important public pages when they are discoverable. Slow websites, CDN delays, or Monitoring-level enrichment may take longer.
Scoring
How is the overall score calculated
The overall score is a weighted average of four category scores: SEO (35%), AEO (25%), Security (25%), and Local (15%). Each category score is based on the percentage of checks in that category that pass. Issues are weighted by severity within each category.
What is a good VisRank score
Scores are rated on a simple scale: Excellent (80-100), Good (60-79), Average (40-59), Poor (0-39). Most established websites without deliberate SEO work score in the 40-60 range. A score above 80 indicates strong optimisation across all four categories.
Why is my AEO score so low
AEO checks structured data, semantic headings, Q&A patterns, llms.txt, AI crawler access, author signals, freshness, content depth, and extractable answer formats. Most websites were built before AI search existed, so low AEO scores are common even on sites with good SEO. Common high-impact fixes include Organization schema, visible Q&A content, answer-first sections, llms.txt, and unblocked AI crawlers.
Why is my Security score low even though I have HTTPS
HTTPS (SSL) is just one of 10 security checks. VisRank also tests for HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy, Permissions-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, mixed content, and server header leaks. Most hosting providers only provide HTTPS - the other 6 headers must be configured separately.
AEO & AI search
What is AEO and why does it matter
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) is the practice of structuring website content so AI-powered search tools - like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search, and Perplexity - can extract and cite it in their answers. AEO uses structured data (JSON-LD), semantic headings, and direct Q&A content to make your website AI-readable.
What is AI Citation Readiness
AI Citation Readiness is a separate score that checks whether a page is easier for AI answer systems to extract, verify, and cite accurately. It looks at answer-first blocks, extractable tables or lists, buyer-intent prompt coverage, entity context, proof, machine-readable discovery, freshness, and prompt coverage. It does not guarantee inclusion in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, or Perplexity.
What is Trust & Entity Visibility
Trust & Entity Visibility is a separate score that checks whether Google and AI systems can verify the business behind a website. It reviews About, Contact, Privacy and Terms pages, business identity, email or support paths, service area, social profiles, sameAs schema, Organization schema completeness, author or founder signals, Google Business Profile consistency when relevant, and proof such as reviews or testimonials.
Reports & pricing
What is in the $5 detailed report
The detailed report is a downloadable PDF covering all 49 core checks plus Trust & Entity and AI Citation evidence on new scans. For each issue: severity, a plain-language explanation, business impact, Fix My Issues guidance, and specific fix steps including code examples where applicable. It also includes 3 saved AI fixes for eligible issues, your score breakdown, and top quick-win recommendations. A one-time paid report is a stable snapshot and is not overwritten by later homepage scans.
What does the $20/mo monitoring plan include
The monitoring plan ($20/mo) includes: 3 monitored Full Reports total, 10 saved AI fixes per account per calendar month, on-demand rescans for monitored and separately purchased Full Reports, change history, fix progress, full score history with charts, competitor score tracking (up to 3 competitors per site), score-drop alerts, AI visibility alerts, and weekly email briefs with the next best action.
Can I buy more AI fixes
Yes. Full Report includes 3 saved AI fixes for eligible issues, and Monitoring includes 10 saved AI fixes per account per calendar month. After the included allowance is used, extra AI fixes can be unlocked only for remaining eligible issues in that report at $1 each. The checkout calculates the exact number automatically.
Technical
Does VisRank work on any website platform
Yes. VisRank audits the public HTML of the entered URL - WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Webflow, custom Next.js, or anything else - and can include a bounded snapshot of important public pages. No plugin, app install, or API key is needed. Paid and Monitoring reports can add rendered checks for JavaScript-heavy pages.
Will VisRank affect my website performance or traffic
Free scans make a small number of crawler-style HTTP requests and do not load test your site. Paid and Monitoring enrichment may run background rendered checks or sitewide checks, capped to a small set of public pages.
How do I improve my score
Start with the quick wins VisRank identifies on your scan result page - these are the highest-impact fixes. Common quick wins: add Organization JSON-LD schema, configure HSTS and CSP headers, remove any noindex meta tags from production, add a canonical tag, and write unique meta descriptions. The $5 report includes step-by-step fix instructions and 3 saved AI fixes for eligible issues.
Still have questions
Check the methodology page for a full breakdown of every check, or get in touch via the contact page.