AEOCheck vs. Merchynt
Which one is right for your business?
AEOCheck
- Runs eight real buyer-intent searches for your trade and city across ChatGPT/OpenAI, Perplexity, Google Gemini and Google organic
- Tells you whether you were named, who was named instead, and where you rank
- Five prioritised fixes per lens, an on-page audit, and copy-paste starter files
- No subscription. Done-for-you work is a separate, scoped engagement if you want it
Merchynt (Paige)
- Automates your Google Business Profile
- Posts, images, and review responses on autopilot
- Software subscription, $99/month per location
- Focused on Google Maps and Google AI Mode
Disclosure: AEOCheck sells a competing product. We write these pages under a published method, we say what the other tool does better than us, and every claim about them is read from their own material and dated.
The honest difference
Most businesses that can't be found by AI search have the same problem: something on their site is blocking the engines, mislabeling the business, or giving them nothing to cite. Automation doesn't fix that. It just runs faster into the same wall.
AEOCheck finds the wall. Then removes it.
Merchynt is a good tool for a business that already knows what it's doing and wants to automate the ongoing work. It publishes keyword-rich GBP posts, manages citations, and handles review responses without anyone having to log in. For a business owner who wants to set something and forget it, that's a real value.
But automation assumes the foundation is solid. If your site blocks AI crawlers, declares the wrong business type in its schema, or has no structured content for engines to cite, $99 a month of GBP posts won't change what ChatGPT says when someone asks who to hire.
That's the gap AEOCheck closes first.
What each one measures
| AEOCheck | Merchynt | |
|---|---|---|
| AI crawler access (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot) | ✓ Fetched and reported in the on-page audit; fixed in an engagement | × Not measured |
| Schema / structured data audit | ✓ Audited in the report; a FAQPage starter is included; implemented in an engagement | × Not included |
| AI answer engines measured | ✓ ChatGPT/OpenAI, Perplexity, Google Gemini — plus Google organic | – Google AI Mode focus |
| Google organic ranking | ✓ Measured per buyer query | ✓ GBP ranking focus |
| Google Business Profile | – Reviewed in the report; optimisation is an engagement add-on | ✓ Ongoing automated management |
| llms.txt | ✓ A filled starter file is in every report | × Not included |
| Expert Answer Article (HowTo content) | – Written in an engagement; the report tells you what to write | × Not included |
| FAQ schema | ✓ A skeleton keyed to your business is in every report | × Not included |
| Competitor citation analysis | ✓ Which domains AI cites instead of you | × Not included |
| Review platform setup | – A reviews quick-win in the report; platform setup in an engagement | ✓ Google Reviews automation |
| Website build / rebuild | – Available as a scoped engagement, not in the report | × Not included |
| 90-Day Visibility Review | – Included in every engagement; the report is a one-time snapshot | × Not included |
| Ongoing automation | – Optional retainer | ✓ Core product |
| Pricing | ✓ $25 one-time per report; done-for-you engagements scoped separately | ✓ $99/month per location |
Merchynt's features and pricing as published on their own site, checked 2026-09-01. Their product changes without telling us — verify anything you are deciding on.
What the numbers say
Across the 212 businesses AEOCheck has scanned so far, 192 — 91% — failed their AI visibility check. Most had the same three problems: AI crawlers blocked, no structured data, and no content for engines to cite. None of those are fixed by automating a Google Business Profile.
That number is read live from our own scan corpus when this page loads, counting the most recent scan per business — not a figure typed in once and left.
Who should use Merchynt
Merchynt is the right choice when:
- Your site foundation is already solid — crawlers allowed, schema correct, content structured
- You want ongoing GBP management without hiring someone to do it
- You operate multiple locations and need automation at scale
- Your primary goal is Google Maps visibility, not full AI citation coverage
At $99/month it is one of the more affordable ways to keep a GBP active and optimized without manual effort. Their agency program is also worth looking at if you manage multiple clients.
Who should use AEOCheck
AEOCheck is the right choice when:
- You have searched for your own business on ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI and you didn't show up
- You don't know whether AI crawlers can read your site
- Your site has no schema, no structured FAQ, and no content written the way AI engines actually cite
- You want to know specifically what is wrong before you spend money automating anything
- You want a fixed scope, a defined deliverable, and a before-and-after measurement you can verify yourself
The question to ask first
Before choosing either tool, ask one question: when someone in your city asks ChatGPT or Perplexity who to hire for what you do, does your business get named?
Run the free AEOCheck headline scan and find out in minutes. No payment required.
FAQ
Can I use both AEOCheck and Merchynt?
Yes. AEOCheck fixes the foundation — crawler access, schema, structured content, AI citation. Merchynt automates the ongoing GBP management after that. They are not mutually exclusive and the two together cover more ground than either alone.
Does Merchynt fix schema or AI crawler issues?
No. Merchynt focuses on Google Business Profile content and automation. Schema implementation, robots.txt fixes, and AI crawler access are outside its scope.
Does AEOCheck offer ongoing management like Merchynt does?
AEOCheck offers an optional ongoing retainer and a Quarterly Visibility Review at $300 per quarter. It is not a set-and-forget automation tool. It is a measurement and delivery service with human involvement on every engagement.
How long before AEOCheck results show up?
AI citation typically builds over 60 to 90 days after the foundational work is complete. Google ranking movement for specific queries can appear within 30 days. The 90-Day Visibility Review included in every engagement measures exactly what moved and what didn't.
Is the AEOCheck scan free?
The headline scan is free. It shows your single most damaging visibility finding with no payment required. The full report is $25 and delivers to your inbox, usually within the hour.
What does Merchynt cost?
Merchynt's pricing page lists Paige at $99/month per business, Citation Software at $40/month per business (discounted to $20 through their Agency Partner Program), and an Agency Program at $100/month per agency. Check their pricing page before budgeting — these change.
Where this came from
- Merchynt pricing — https://www.merchynt.com/pricing
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