This post is part 2 of our two-part series on AI search for logistics companies, written for 3PLs, freight brokers, carriers, and warehousing companies. Part 1 explained how AI search differs from traditional SEO and where to focus first. Part 2 shows you how to measure whether your company is showing up in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and other AI tools, and how to connect that visibility to your pipeline.
Here’s a question we hear from almost every logistics client right now: “Are we showing up in ChatGPT?”
It’s a fair question, and it’s harder to answer than it should be. With traditional SEO, you can check rankings, impressions, and clicks. AI search doesn’t come with a neat dashboard. A shipper can ask Perplexity for the best freight brokers in the Midwest, get a list that leaves you out, and move on. You’ll never see it in your analytics.
Here’s how to tell whether your AI search work is paying off.
What should you track in AI search?
Track three things:
- Mentions: Does the AI tool name your company in its answer?
- Citations: Does it link to your website as a source?
- Traffic: Are shippers clicking through from AI tools to your site, and what do they do once they get there?
A company can be mentioned without being cited, or cited without getting much traffic. You want a view of all three.
Step 1: Build a list of shipper questions
Start with 20 to 30 questions a real shipper would ask an AI tool on the way to choosing a provider like you. Mix a few types:
- Category questions: “Best freight brokers for temperature-controlled shipping”
- Location questions: “3PL warehouses near Dallas with cross-docking”
- Problem questions: “How do I lower my LTL freight costs?”
- Comparison questions: “[Your company] vs. [competitor]”
- Brand questions: “What does [your company] do?” and “Is [your company] a good fit for mid-size shippers?”
Brand questions matter more than people expect. If an AI tool describes your services, lanes, or service area incorrectly, that’s a content problem you can fix.
Step 2: Test your questions every month
Run your list through the tools shippers use: ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Mode and AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Gemini. For each question, record:
- Whether you were mentioned
- Where you appeared in the answer (first, middle, or a passing mention)
- Which competitors were named
- Which sources were cited
AI answers change from one run to the next, so don’t overreact to a single result. Look for patterns over a few months. A spreadsheet works fine to start. If you’re tracking many questions, dedicated AI visibility tools can automate the process.
Step 3: Calculate your AI share of voice
Out of all the questions you track, what percentage mention your company? Do the same for your top three competitors. That’s your AI share of voice, and it’s the most useful single number for showing progress over time.
Step 4: Track ChatGPT and AI traffic in GA4
Traffic from AI tools often shows up as referral traffic from domains like chatgpt.com, perplexity.ai, gemini.google.com, and copilot.microsoft.com. In GA4, create a custom channel group or exploration that groups these sources so you can see:
- How many sessions come from AI tools
- Which pages they land on
- Whether they convert (quote requests, contact forms, shipper onboarding)
One caveat: some AI traffic is recorded as direct, and clicks from Google AI Overviews mostly count as organic search. Treat this number as a minimum, not the full picture.
Step 5: Find out which sources AI tools trust
When AI tools cite sources for logistics questions, notice which sites come up. Trade publications like FreightWaves or Supply Chain Dive? Directories? Competitor blogs? Reddit threads? That tells you where you need to be present. If one publication gets cited again and again, a guest article or press mention there could do more for you than another post on your own blog.
Step 6: Connect AI visibility to your pipeline
Visibility is nice. Freight under contract is better. Add a “How did you hear about us?” field to your quote and contact forms with AI tools as an option. Ask your sales team to note when a shipper mentions ChatGPT or another AI tool. In HubSpot or your CRM, tag those contacts so you can follow them through to closed business.
What to do with your results
Here’s how your results map back to the priorities from part 1:
- Not mentioned at all: Build out your service and location pages, and earn more third-party mentions.
- Mentioned but described wrong: Update your About page, service pages, and directory listings so they say the same clear thing about your modes, lanes, and industries.
- Competitors cited instead of you: Study the content being cited, then create something more useful, more specific, and better structured.
- Mentioned but no traffic: Make sure the pages AI tools cite have a clear next step, like a quote form.
The bottom line
You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and right now most logistics companies have no idea how AI tools talk about them. A monthly check of shipper questions, a GA4 setup, and a couple of CRM fields will put you ahead of most of your competitors.
New to AI search? Start with part 1: SEO vs. AI search: what logistics companies need to know.
Want help finding out where your company stands? Talk to us about an AI visibility audit.
FAQ
How do I know if my company shows up in ChatGPT and other AI tools?
Make a list of questions shippers would ask, then run them every month through ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Google AI Overviews. Record whether your company is mentioned or cited each time.
Which AI tools should logistics companies track?
Start with ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. These cover most of the AI search activity your buyers are likely to see. Copilot matters in particular for corporate buyers who work in Microsoft tools every day.
How do I know if my company appears in Google AI Overviews?
Search your target questions in Google and check whether an AI Overview appears, whether your company is named, and whether your site is linked. Google Search Console counts AI Overview and AI Mode clicks together with regular search results, so you can’t separate them there. Manual checks or an AI visibility tool will give you the clearest view.
Can I see AI search traffic in Google Analytics?
Partly. Clicks from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot often show up in GA4 as referral traffic from their domains. Some AI traffic is recorded as direct, and Google AI Overviews clicks count as organic search, so GA4 will likely undercount the real total.
Why do different AI tools give different answers?
Each tool relies on different sources and models, and answers can change from one run to the next. That’s why it’s best to track several tools and look for trends over time instead of reacting to a single result.
How often should logistics companies check AI search visibility?
Monthly works for most. Trends over several months are more reliable than any single check.
What’s a good AI share of voice?
It depends on your market and competition. The best benchmark is how your share compares with your top competitors, and whether it’s going up over time.