About Advancing Websites

What we believe

• No mystery scores. We publish every check our scanner runs (below) and show you exactly what is costing you customers.
• You own your site. Your domain and your content stay in your name.
• Proof before you pay. We rescan your site after the work so you see the score go up.
• Month-to-month. Monthly plans can be cancelled anytime.
• Only what we deliver today. Everything on our services list is work we deliver in-house now.
• No promises we cannot keep. No one can promise a spot in ChatGPT or Google's answers. We build everything they look for.

Where do you host sites?

On Cloudflare's global network: fast everywhere, free SSL, and protection from attacks built in.

How does the free scan score my site?

The scanner reads your home page, robots.txt, llms.txt, sitemap and up to four key inner pages, the same public files AI crawlers read. It scores six areas, each out of 100, and your overall score is their weighted average. These are the exact checks, with the points each is worth inside its area:

1. Entity Understanding

   Does AI know who you are?

   • Business identity markup (schema.org) (30 points): AI assistants read structured "business card" data to know exactly what you are.
   • Name, address, phone, hours in that markup (20 points): Missing fields make AI guess, and guesses are often wrong or out of date.
   • Linked profiles (sameAs) tying you to Google, Yelp, social (20 points): sameAs links prove your site, Google profile and socials are the same business.
   • Title says who + what + where (15 points): The page title is the first line AI and Google use to describe you.
   • Social profiles linked from the site (15 points): Linked profiles give AI more trusted places to confirm who you are.

2. Content & Answerability

   Can AI answer customer questions from your site?

   • FAQ section with FAQ markup (25 points): When someone asks ChatGPT a question, it quotes sites that answer that question directly.
   • Headings phrased as real customer questions (15 points): Question-style headings line up with how people talk to AI ("Do you take walk-ins?").
   • Enough real text for AI to learn from (20 points): Thin sites give AI nothing to quote, so it recommends a competitor instead.
   • Services, menu or products clearly listed (15 points): AI needs to know what you sell to recommend you for it.
   • Hours stated in plain text (10 points): "Are they open now?" is one of the most common local questions asked of AI.
   • Pricing or price range shown (15 points): AI answers "how much" questions; with no price info it skips you.

3. Technical AI Access

   Can AI crawlers read your site?

   • AI crawlers allowed (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) (35 points): Every major AI crawler can read your site.
   • Secure site (HTTPS) (15 points): Insecure sites are ranked lower and flagged as "Not secure" to visitors.
   • Content readable without running JavaScript (20 points): Most AI crawlers do not run JavaScript; a JS-only site looks blank to them.
   • Fast first response (15 points): Your homepage answered in 0.0s. Slow sites get crawled less.
   • Not hidden from search (no noindex) (15 points): A noindex tag tells every search engine and AI to ignore the page.

4. Local Relevance

   Does AI know where you serve?

   • Street address (or service area) on the site (25 points): AI matches "near me" questions to businesses with a clear address or service area.
   • Tap-to-call phone number (20 points): Phone numbers are how local customers act on an AI answer.
   • Map coordinates or service area in markup (20 points): Coordinates and service areas tell AI exactly which towns you cover.
   • Map or directions on the site (15 points): A map link connects your site to your Google Business Profile.
   • Your city named in titles and headings (20 points): People ask "best plumber in Boise." Your city must appear where AI looks first.

5. Authority & Trust

   Would AI trust recommending you?

   • Reviews or ratings shown (with markup) (30 points): AI favors businesses it can see real customers praising.
   • About page with your story and people (20 points): Who is behind a business is a key trust signal for AI and for customers.
   • Contact page or email (15 points): Real contact details separate real businesses from spam sites.
   • Linked to Google / Yelp / BBB profiles (20 points): Third-party review profiles are where AI checks your reputation.
   • Site looks maintained (current copyright) (15 points): No copyright year found.

6. Site Structure & Freshness

   Is your site organized and current?

   • Sitemap with recent update dates (20 points): A sitemap is the table of contents AI crawlers follow.
   • llms.txt guide for AI (10 points): llms.txt is a new plain-language summary file written for AI assistants.
   • Meta description (15 points): This short summary is often what AI and Google show about you.
   • One clear main heading (15 points): A single main heading tells AI what the page is about.
   • Mobile-ready (15 points): Most local searches happen on phones.
   • Link previews (Open Graph) (10 points): Controls how your link looks when shared in texts, social and AI chats.
   • Images described (alt text) (15 points): AI cannot see photos; alt text tells it what they show.

Online-only businesses (no storefront) are not marked down for having no street address, phone or map. When a site's business markup says it is an online business, or it is a plain Organization with no address anywhere, the Local area is scored as "Reach & Policies" instead: who you serve, a contact in your markup, an email link or contact page, and linked privacy, terms and refund policies.

Want to talk?

Start with the free scan, or send us a message.