Complete Beginner’s Guide to Surmado

Quick answer: Surmado has 3 products. Signal ($25 or $50, 15 min) tests how often ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and 5 other AI platforms mention your business organically. Scan ($25 or $50, 30 min) audits your website across 9 browsers for performance, accessibility, SEO issues. Solutions ($50, 20 min) analyzes strategic decisions with 6-AI adversarial debate. Start with Signal if AI visibility is priority, Scan if website needs audit, Solutions if you have strategic decision to make. All three give you Intelligence Tokens (API access for automation).

Reading time: 8 minutes

What you’ll learn:

• Three product overview with key metrics: Signal tests AI visibility across 8 platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Meta AI, Grok, Perplexity, ChatGPT Search) delivering Presence Rate (0-100% how often mentioned), Authority Score (0-100 how strongly recommended), Ghost Influence (features discussed without credit), competitive ranking #1 vs #5 vs #20 in market, platform variance breakdown showing ChatGPT 52% vs Claude 38%, delivered in about 15 min; Scan audits website across 9 browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari iOS/macOS, Edge, Brave, Instagram/Facebook in-app) delivering Overall Score 0-100, category scores for Performance/Accessibility/SEO/Security, cross-browser results, Core Web Vitals per page, delivered in about 15-30 min; Solutions analyzes strategic decisions with 6-AI adversarial debate (CFO, COO, Market Realist, Game Theorist, Chief Strategist, Wildcard) delivering prioritized recommendations, risk assessment, scenario analysis based on your Signal/Scan tokens, delivered in about 15-20 min
• Decision framework for which product to start with: start with Signal if asking “Do AI platforms know we exist?”, “Why do competitors rank higher?”, “Should we invest in AI visibility?” (you’ll learn baseline like 28% Presence Rate = mentioned in 28% of buyer queries, competitive position #5 of 40 brands, biggest gaps low presence vs weak positioning vs attribution issues); start with Scan if asking “Is our website ready to launch?”, “Why is site slow on mobile?”, “Are we WCAG compliant for ADA lawsuit risk?”, “Does our site work in Safari and Instagram browser?” (you’ll learn overall health 55/100, high-priority issues count, cross-browser bugs like layout breaks Safari iOS); start with Solutions if asking “Should we invest in AI visibility or traditional SEO?”, “Should we hire in-house vs agency?”, “Which market should we expand to first?” (you’ll learn multi-perspective CFO says X Game Theorist says Y, risk assessment top 3 risks + mitigation, prioritized recommendation #1 option based on consensus)
• Three workflow examples showing products together: Workflow 1 AI Visibility Optimization (Signal finds 28% Presence Rate + 42% Ghost Influence gap → Scan finds schema markup incomplete → fix schema → wait 4-8 weeks → Signal again showing 28% → 38% improvement → optional Solutions for next investment decision, total cost $75-150), Workflow 2 Website Launch Audit (Scan staging finds 55/100 score with 15 high-severity issues → fix issues → Scan staging again showing 55 → 75 improvement → launch → Scan production verifying no new issues → optional Signal 4-8 weeks later measuring if improved website helped AI Presence Rate, total cost $75-200), Workflow 3 Strategic Planning (Signal finds 18% Presence Rate #12 of 40 → Scan finds 62/100 score missing schema → Solutions analyzes both tokens answering “Budget $50k: prioritize AI visibility $30k vs website rebuild $30k vs split $25k each?”, total cost $100-150)
• Pricing structure with use case guidance: pay-per-use (Signal Essential $25 8 platforms core metrics, Signal Pro $50 strategic recommendations + PowerPoint, Scan Essential $25 30 pages 9 browsers, Scan Pro $50 100 pages + content gaps + 3 competitor benchmarking, Solutions $50 flat 6-AI debate, use for occasional testing 1-2 reports/quarter); Complete Visibility Suite ($100 bundle = 6 credits flexible use on any product/tier like 2 Signal Pro + 2 Scan Pro + 2 Solutions = $200 value or 6 Signal Pro = $300 value, savings $100-200 per bundle = 17-67% discount, use for regular testing 2+ reports/month); Agency Unlimited ($1,000/month unlimited Signal/Scan/Solutions any mix + white-label + priority support, breakeven 20+ Pro reports/month or 40+ Essential reports/month, use for agencies 10+ clients high-volume testing)
• 30-minute quickstart guide step-by-step: Minutes 1-5 choose product (Signal if AI visibility priority, Scan if website audit, Solutions if strategic decision, unsure start Signal cheapest baseline), Minutes 6-10 submit order (Signal enter 3-7 personas like “Emergency AC repair Phoenix same-day”, Scan enter URL choose Essential/Pro, Solutions enter strategic question optionally provide prior Signal/Scan token), Minutes 11-25 wait for delivery (Signal about 15 min, Scan about 15-30 min, Solutions about 15-20 min, receive email from hi@surmado.com with PDF + Intelligence Token), Minutes 26-30 read report (Signal read page 1 Presence Rate + Authority Score + ranking then page 3-5 platform variance then identify biggest gap, Scan read page 1 overall score then page 2-4 high-severity issues then identify #1 priority fix, Solutions read page 2-3 prioritized recommendations then page 4-6 debate for consensus then page 6-8 risk assessment then choose Recommendation #1 or #2-3 if strong reason)

New to Surmado? Start here.

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The Three Products (5-Minute Overview)

Signal: AI Visibility Testing

What it does: Tests how often AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Meta AI, Grok, Perplexity, ChatGPT Search) mention your business when people ask buyer questions.

Example question AI users ask: “Best emergency AC repair in Phoenix with same-day service”

Signal tests: Does ChatGPT mention your business? How about Claude? Gemini?

What you get:

• Presence Rate (0-100%): How often you’re mentioned
• Authority Score (0-100): How strongly AI recommends you
• Ghost Influence (0-100%): Features discussed without crediting you
• Competitive ranking: #1 vs #5 vs #20 in your market
• Platform variance: ChatGPT 52%, Claude 38%, Gemini 41%, etc.

Delivery: about 15 minutes, PDF + Intelligence Token (API access)

Price: $25 (Essential) or $50 (Pro with strategic recommendations)

When to use: You want to know if AI platforms recommend you when buyers ask questions

Learn more: What Can Signal Tell Me

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Scan: Website Audit

What it does: Tests your website across 9 browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari iOS/macOS, Edge, Brave, Instagram in-app, Facebook in-app) for performance, accessibility, SEO, security issues.

Example issues found:

• Homepage loads in 4.2 seconds on mobile (too slow)
• Images missing alt text (WCAG violation, ADA lawsuit risk)
• Schema markup incomplete (AI can’t understand your business details)
• Layout breaks in Safari iOS (20% of users see broken design)

What you get:

• Overall Score (0-100): Aggregate website health
• Category Scores: Performance, Accessibility, SEO, Security (each 0-100)
• Issues list: All problems found, tagged by severity (high/medium/low)
• Cross-browser results: Which browsers have issues
• Core Web Vitals: LCP, CLS, INP per page

Delivery: about 15-30 minutes, PDF + Intelligence Token (API access)

Price: $25 (Essential, 30 pages) or $50 (Pro, 100 pages + content gaps + competitor benchmarking)

When to use: You want website audit with 150+ checks before launch or quarterly check-up

Learn more: What Can Scan Tell Me

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Solutions: Strategic Analysis

What it does: Analyzes strategic decisions with 6-AI adversarial debate (CFO, COO, Market Realist, Game Theorist, Chief Strategist, Wildcard perspectives).

Example question: “Should we invest $50k in AI visibility optimization or $50k in traditional SEO?”

Solutions provides:

• 6-model debate: CFO focuses on ROI, Game Theorist on competitive dynamics, Wildcard on edge cases
• Prioritized recommendations: Top 3 options ranked by consensus
• Risk assessment: Key risks + mitigation strategies
• Scenario analysis (if you provide Signal/Scan token): Recommendations based on your actual metrics

Delivery: about 15-20 minutes, PDF + Intelligence Token (API access)

Price: $50 flat (no tiers)

When to use: You have strategic decision and want unbiased multi-perspective analysis

Learn more: What Can Solutions Tell Me

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Which Product Should You Start With?

Start with Signal If…

Your goal: Understand AI visibility (are ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini recommending you?)

You’re asking yourself:

• “Do AI platforms know we exist?”
• “Why do competitors rank higher than us in AI responses?”
• “Should we invest in AI visibility optimization?”

What you’ll learn: Baseline AI visibility (Presence Rate 28% = mentioned in 28% of buyer queries), competitive position (#5 out of 40 brands), biggest gaps (low presence vs weak positioning vs attribution issues)

Next step after Signal: Run Scan (if website is the issue) or Solutions (if you need strategy for improving Presence Rate)

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Start with Scan If…

Your goal: Audit website health before launch or identify technical issues

You’re asking yourself:

• “Is our website ready to launch?”
• “Why is our site slow on mobile?”
• “Are we WCAG compliant (ADA lawsuit risk)?”
• “Does our site work in Safari and Instagram in-app browser?”

What you’ll learn: Overall website health (score 55/100 = needs work), high-priority issues (15 high-severity issues), cross-browser bugs (layout breaks in Safari iOS)

Next step after Scan: Fix high-severity issues, run Scan again to verify improvements

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Start with Solutions If…

Your goal: Get strategic guidance on specific decision

You’re asking yourself:

• “Should we invest in AI visibility or traditional SEO?”
• “Should we hire in-house vs agency?”
• “Which market should we expand to first?”

What you’ll learn: Multi-perspective analysis (CFO says X, Game Theorist says Y), risk assessment (top 3 risks + how to mitigate), prioritized recommendation (#1 option based on consensus)

Next step after Solutions: Implement recommendation, run Signal/Scan for quantitative validation, run Solutions again in 3-6 months to review results

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How the Products Work Together

Workflow 1: AI Visibility Optimization

Step 1: Run Signal ($25 or $50)

• Learn: Presence Rate 28%, Authority Score 68, Ghost Influence 42%
• Gap identified: Low Presence Rate (missing schema markup)

Step 2: Run Scan ($25 or $50)

• Learn: Schema markup incomplete, missing LocalBusiness fields
• Action: Fix schema markup (add areaServed, serviceType, reviews)

Step 3: Wait 4-8 weeks, Run Signal again ($25 or $50)

• Measure: Presence Rate improved 28% → 38% (+10% from schema fix)

Step 4 (Optional): Run Solutions ($50)

• Question: “Presence Rate improved to 38%. Should we invest $30k more in content creation or wait for organic growth?”
• Get: Strategic recommendation with ROI analysis

Total cost: $75-150 for full optimization cycle

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Workflow 2: Website Launch Audit

Step 1: Run Scan on staging site ($25 or $50)

• Learn: Overall Score 55/100, 15 high-severity issues (performance, accessibility)
• Action: Fix high-severity issues (compress images, add alt text, enable HTTPS)

Step 2: Run Scan on staging site again ($25 or $50)

• Measure: Overall Score improved 55 → 75 (+20 points)
• Verify: High-severity issues reduced to 0

Step 3: Launch site to production

Step 4: Run Scan on production site ($25 or $50)

• Verify: No new issues introduced during deployment
• Learn: Production performance matches staging (or identify production-specific issues)

Step 5 (Optional): Run Signal 4-8 weeks after launch ($25 or $50)

• Measure: Did improved website (schema markup, performance) improve AI Presence Rate?

Total cost: $75-200 for complete launch audit cycle

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Workflow 3: Strategic Planning

Step 1: Run Signal ($25 or $50)

• Learn: Presence Rate 18%, competitive ranking #12 out of 40
• Context: Weak AI visibility

Step 2: Run Scan ($25 or $50)

• Learn: Overall Score 62/100, missing schema markup
• Context: Website has technical gaps

Step 3: Run Solutions with both Intelligence Tokens ($50)

• Question: “Signal shows 18% Presence Rate, Scan shows 62/100 score. Budget is $50k for next quarter. Should we prioritize AI visibility ($30k schema + content) vs website performance ($30k rebuild) vs split budget ($25k each)?”
• Get: Recommendation based on your actual metrics (not generic advice)

Total cost: $100-150 for complete strategic planning cycle

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Pricing Overview

Pay-Per-Use

• Signal Essential: $25 (7 AI platforms, core metrics)
• Signal Pro: $50 (7 AI platforms, strategic recommendations, PowerPoint export)
• Scan Essential: $25 (30 pages, 9 browsers)
• Scan Pro: $50 (100 pages, content gaps, 3 competitor benchmarking)
• Solutions: $50 flat (6-AI debate)

When to use: Occasional testing (1-2 reports/quarter)

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Complete Visibility Suite

• $100 bundle: 6 credits (use flexibly on any product/tier)
• Example uses:
  • 2 Signal Pro + 2 Scan Pro + 2 Solutions ($200 value)
  • 6 Signal Pro ($300 value)
  • 3 Signal Essential + 3 Scan Essential (12 reports total)

When to use: Regular testing (2+ reports/month)

Savings: $100-200 per bundle (17-67% discount vs pay-per-use)

Learn more: Complete Visibility Suite

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Agency Unlimited

• $1,000/month: Unlimited Signal, Scan, Solutions (any mix)
• Includes: White-label reporting, priority support
• Breakeven: 20+ Pro reports/month or 40+ Essential reports/month

When to use: Agencies with 10+ clients, high-volume testing

Learn more: Agency Bulk Pricing

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30-Minute Quickstart

Minute 1-5: Choose Your Product

Pick one:

• Signal (if AI visibility is priority)
• Scan (if website audit is priority)
• Solutions (if strategic decision is priority)

Unsure? Start with Signal (cheapest way to assess AI visibility baseline)

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Minute 6-10: Submit Order

For Signal:

1. Go to surmado.com/signal
2. Enter 3-7 buyer personas (examples provided)
   • “Emergency AC repair Phoenix same-day service”
   • “Moving companies DFW area reliable teams”
3. Choose Essential ($25) or Pro ($50)
4. Submit order

For Scan:

1. Go to surmado.com/scan
2. Enter website URL (https://yoursite.com)
3. Choose Essential ($25, 30 pages) or Pro ($50, 100 pages)
4. Submit order

For Solutions:

1. Go to surmado.com/solutions
2. Enter strategic question
   • “Should we invest $50k in AI visibility or traditional SEO?”
3. Optionally provide Signal/Scan Intelligence Token for quantitative analysis
4. Submit order ($50)

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Minute 11-25: Wait for Delivery

Signal: about 15 minutes Scan: about 15-30 minutes Solutions: about 15-20 minutes

You’ll receive: Email from hi@surmado.com with PDF report + Intelligence Token

What if something goes wrong? We have automatic refund systems. If that doesn’t work, reach out to hi@surmado.com - we’ll make it right.

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Minute 26-30: Read Report

For Signal: Open PDF, read:

• Page 1: Presence Rate, Authority Score, competitive ranking
• Page 3-5: Platform variance (which AI platforms mention you most)
• Quick action: Identify biggest gap (low presence vs weak authority vs high ghost influence)

For Scan: Open PDF, read:

• Page 1: Overall Score + category scores
• Page 2-4: High-severity issues (red flags)
• Quick action: Identify #1 priority fix (security, performance, accessibility, or SEO)

For Solutions: Open PDF, read:

• Page 2-3: Prioritized recommendations
• Page 4-6: 6-model debate (look for consensus)
• Page 6-8: Risk assessment
• Quick action: Choose Recommendation #1 (default) or #2-3 if you have strong reason

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Common Questions

Do I need all three products?

No. Most businesses start with Signal (AI visibility baseline) or Scan (website audit). Solutions is for specific strategic decisions. Use what you need.

Can I run Signal/Scan/Solutions on competitor websites?

• Signal: No (tests your business based on personas you provide)
• Scan: Yes (enter competitor URL)
• Solutions: No (analyzes your decisions, but you can ask about competitive strategy)

How often should I run these?

Signal:

• If scores good (Presence Rate 40%+): Quarterly
• If scores rough (Presence Rate < 30%): Monthly (to track improvement)
• After major changes (new website, content push): 4-8 weeks later

Scan:

• Before launches: Immediately (staging site)
• After launches: 1-2 weeks later (production verification)
• Quarterly check-ups: Every 3 months

Solutions:

• As needed for strategic decisions (no regular cadence)
• After implementing recommendations: 3-6 months later (review results)

What if I don’t understand the report?

Read the “Now What?” guides:

• First Signal Report - Now What?
• First Scan Report - Now What?
• First Solutions Report - Now What?

Or contact hi@surmado.com with your Intelligence Token and specific questions.

Do Intelligence Tokens expire?

No. Tokens never expire. Access data anytime via API: https://api.surmado.com/intelligence/{TOKEN}

Can I automate this with Zapier/Make/n8n?

Yes. All three products give Intelligence Tokens (API access). Automate workflows:

• Signal → Google Sheets (automatic tracking)
• Scan → Slack (alert on issues)
• Solutions → Email (send to leadership team)

Learn more: API Integration Overview

What’s the refund policy?

7-day money-back guarantee. If report doesn’t meet expectations, contact hi@surmado.com within 7 days for full refund.

Can I try before buying?

Signal Essential ($25) and Scan Essential ($25) are the “try it” tiers. Low-risk way to test Surmado. If valuable, upgrade to Pro or Complete Visibility Suite.

I’m an agency with 10+ clients. What’s the best approach?

Start with Complete Visibility Suite ($100 bundle for 6 credits). Run Signal + Scan for 3 clients (2 credits each = 6 credits total). If ROI is positive, upgrade to Agency Unlimited ($1,000/month unlimited).

Learn more: Agency Bulk Pricing

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Next Steps

Today (30 minutes):

• Choose product (Signal, Scan, or Solutions)
• Submit order
• Wait for delivery (about 15-30 minutes)
• Read report + identify priority action

This week (2-8 hours):

• If Signal: Fix biggest gap (schema markup, expertise content, or brand attribution)
• If Scan: Fix high-severity issues (compress images, add alt text, enable HTTPS, fix schema)
• If Solutions: Create implementation plan (budget, timeline, team, metrics)

In 4-8 weeks (measure progress):

• Run Signal/Scan again to track improvement
• Compare: Did metrics improve? (Presence Rate up, Overall Score up?)
• Adjust strategy based on results

Need help? Contact hi@surmado.com. If you’re stuck on a report, include your Intelligence Token for faster support.

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Ready to get started?

• Run Signal ($25 or $50, test AI visibility)
• Run Scan ($25 or $50, audit website)
• Run Solutions ($50, analyze strategic decision)
• Get Complete Visibility Suite ($100 for 6 flexible credits)