Can you prove that using MAI Identity will get our business shown by AI?
No one can guarantee that Google or any AI system will show, recommend or cite your business. What MAI Identity does is give your business a verified, owner-controlled identity with accurate business information published in crawlable HTML and structured data that search engines and AI systems can access. Premium lets you build a richer source of information through unlimited Comment Threads, customer questions and answers, FAQs and website embeds. It can take 3–6 months on average to start seeing search and AI visibility, but this varies and results are never guaranteed. At least your business is ready, with accurate information available for AI systems to discover and use.
Do you guarantee leads, sales, or other business results?
No. We don't promise leads, sales, calls or any specific business outcome. Free provides a business identity with current details in crawlable HTML and structured data. Premium adds tools for using the profile with customers and building a richer record of owner-authored answers. Neither plan guarantees search or AI results.
Why does my business have wrong information online?
Business information is collected from many sources across the internet. It can be outdated, incomplete or incorrect, and often appears on websites you don't control. MAI Identity gives you an owner-controlled, verified business identity where you can publish accurate information, update it whenever things change and provide search engines and AI systems with a trusted source of business information.
Why is verified identity becoming more important now?
AI-generated content, fake businesses and deepfakes are making it harder for people to know what's real and who they can trust online. It's not just AI systems that need accurate information. Customers do too. A verified MAI Identity helps people confirm they're dealing with a genuine business and gives them confidence that they're communicating with a real person, such as the business owner or an authorised representative. It also gives search engines and AI assistants an owner-attributed source of business information that you control and keep up to date. As the online world changes, having a verified business identity is becoming an important part of building trust with both people and AI systems.
What is MAI Identity?
MAI Identity gives your business an owner-controlled identity that you can create, verify and keep up to date. Free lets you create and update your business details. Once verified, you can share your identity link or download a QR code at no cost. Premium builds on that identity with customer Comment Threads, additional owner-published answers, unlimited FAQs, shared identity management and website embeds.
How does this build trust for my business?
Your verified MAI Identity gives customers, search engines and AI assistants a reliable source of business information that you control. It helps people understand who you are, what you offer and how to contact you, using information you have provided and verified.
Who is this for?
MAI Identity is for business owners who want an accurate, owner-confirmed business identity that search engines and AI assistants can read and customers can trust. Free gives you a verified identity to share with customers through a link or QR code. Premium is for businesses that want to do more, with customer Comment Threads, additional answers and FAQs, shared identity management and website embeds.
Do I need a website?
No. MAI Identity gives your business its own online identity, publishing your business information in readable HTML and structured data that search engines and AI systems can access. You don't need a separate website. If you already have a website, your verified MAI Identity provides another source of accurate, owner-controlled information about your business. Premium website embeds let you connect the two, adding your Comment Threads, FAQs and verified business information to your website.
How is this different from Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile helps customers find your business through Google Search and Maps. MAI Identity serves a different purpose by giving your business an owner-controlled, verified identity with readable HTML and structured data that search engines and AI systems can access. MAI Identity also offers unique features like Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and businesses can publish answers, building a richer source of business information. The two services work alongside each other. You can and should use both.
What does my business identity look like?
Your MAI Identity is a public business page displaying your owner-confirmed business information in a clear, easy-to-read format. Behind the scenes, that information is also published as structured data that search engines and AI assistants can read. Premium adds customer-facing features, including Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and you can publish answers, FAQs and four website embeds to connect your identity with your own website.
Is there a cost?
Creating and maintaining your basic MAI Identity is free forever. There is no trial period or deadline. Want more features? Premium is normally US$29/month, but you can get our launch special for just US$90/year. Premium includes unlimited Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and businesses can publish answers, unlimited FAQs, AI-assisted replies, shared identity management, website embeds and more. Your launch rate is guaranteed for the first 12 months after your first paid charge. Any renewal price changes after that will be communicated in advance.
How do Comment Threads work?
Customers can ask your business questions through the Ask a Question button on your MAI Identity or through a button on your website. Questions are sent to your inbox so you can review them and choose which ones to answer. You control what gets published. Your replies are attributed to your verified business identity, helping customers know who is answering and building a richer record of useful business information. Premium includes unlimited customer questions, AI-assisted reply suggestions and ongoing Comment Threads. AI suggestions are optional and you always decide what gets published.
How is this different from the Q&A on Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile allows people to ask and answer questions about your business. MAI Identity gives you greater control over the answers published under your verified business identity. You choose which customer questions to answer and your published replies are attributed to your verified business. This helps customers know the information comes directly from the business owner or an authorised representative. Your published answers also become part of your business identity, creating a richer source of information that search engines and AI assistants can read. Premium adds unlimited customer questions and AI-assisted reply suggestions.
Do I have to answer every question myself?
No. You can write and publish your own answers or use Premium's AI-assisted replies to help. AI can suggest a draft based on your business identity, which you can review and approve before publishing. You can also enable automatic replies once your identity contains enough information to generate useful responses. You remain in control of what gets published and how your business responds to customers.
How do I share my business identity?
Once verified, your public MAI Identity and its unique link are available to share for free. Use your dashboard to copy the link or download a QR code for your website, email signature, social media or printed materials. Both take customers to the same up-to-date business identity. Premium adds ongoing customer Comment Threads, giving people a way to ask questions and get answers directly from you or an authorised representative. These conversations help build trust with customers while adding useful business information that search engines and AI assistants can read.
Can I edit my business identity after it's verified?
Yes. You can update your business details, services, opening hours, photos and other information whenever things change. Keeping your verified MAI Identity accurate and up to date is included in Free. Premium gives you more ways to expand your identity, including unlimited customer Comment Threads, additional owner-published answers and unlimited FAQs.
Does this help AI systems read my business information?
Yes. MAI Identity publishes your verified business details in readable HTML and structured data that search engines and AI assistants can access. Premium lets you build a richer source of owner-confirmed information through additional answers, customer Comment Threads and FAQs. Website embeds also let you display selected information on your own website. MAI Identity does not send your information directly to AI systems. They decide when and how to discover, read and use publicly available information.
Does AI search the live web, or is it working from old training data?
AI systems work in different ways. Some rely on information collected during earlier training, while others can search the live web for current information. Some use a combination of both. MAI Identity publishes your business details and answers directly in the page's HTML, making them available for search engines and AI systems to read when they access your identity. Premium lets you build a richer source of current, owner-confirmed information through additional answers, customer Comment Threads and FAQs.
What information is published on my business identity?
Your public MAI Identity displays the business information you choose to publish, including your business name, opening hours, contact details, location, services and owner-published answers. This information is published in readable HTML, with supported details also included in structured data that search engines and AI assistants can read. You control your information and can update it whenever things change.
Does MAI Identity help with regular Google SEO, not just AI?
Yes. MAI Identity provides a public, crawlable business page with readable HTML and structured data that Google and other search engines can access.
It supports your wider SEO efforts in several ways:
- **An additional indexed page:** Your verified business identity provides another public source of information about your business.
- **Structured business information:** Your business name, address, phone number, services and other supported details are published in structured data and readable HTML.
- **A link to your website:** Your identity connects visitors to your business website, giving them a clear path to learn more.
- **Owner-confirmed information:** Your business details and published answers come from a source you control and can keep up to date.
- **Additional content:** Premium lets you publish more owner answers and FAQs, adding useful information for customers and search engines.
Google decides whether and when to crawl, index or display your identity in search results. MAI Identity does not guarantee rankings, traffic or increased visibility.
What is structured data and why does it matter?
Websites are designed for humans, with pictures, layouts, buttons and content that people can see and interact with.
Structured data is designed for machines. It uses formats such as JSON-LD and Schema.org to describe your business information in a way search engines and AI systems can understand.
MAI Identity brings these together by publishing your business information in readable HTML and machine-readable structured data. This can include your business name, category, services, opening hours, location, contact details and published answers.
Free gives your business an owner-controlled identity that both people and machines can access. Premium lets you build on it with additional answers, customer Comment Threads, FAQs and website embeds.
What structured data tools does my business identity give me?
MAI Identity provides the underlying business identity page with crawlable HTML and structured business information. No separate website is required.
Premium, together with verification, unlocks Website Setup tools that let you reuse selected business information on a website you own.
**Four website embeds**
You can add one, combine several or use all four:
- **Comment Threads button:** A floating button that lets website visitors ask your business questions. Questions appear in your dashboard inbox, where you choose which ones to answer and publish.
- **FAQ widget:** Displays your published FAQs in an expandable format and includes supported FAQ structured data.
- **Business information markup:** Adds machine-readable LocalBusiness structured data to your website, including supported details such as opening hours, contact information and services.
- **Verified badge:** Displays a badge linking visitors to your verified MAI Identity.
**Additional Website Setup tools**
Premium also includes optional tools to help search engines and AI systems access your business information:
- **llms.txt:** A plain-text summary of your business information for AI systems that choose to read this format.
- **robots.txt:** Provides crawler instructions for systems that choose to follow them.
- **Google sitemap submission:** Provides a sitemap submission link to help Google discover your business identity. Submission does not guarantee indexing.
Does my business identity stay up to date automatically?
Your MAI Identity reflects the changes you make and save in your dashboard. You remain in control and are responsible for keeping your business information accurate and up to date. With Premium, selected information displayed through connected website embeds updates automatically when you make changes to your MAI Identity.
What are live website embeds?
Live website embeds are Premium tools that let you connect selected parts of your verified MAI Identity to your own website.
Choose from four embeds:
- **Comment Threads button:** Lets visitors ask your business questions directly from your website. Questions go to your dashboard inbox and you choose which answers to publish.
- **FAQ widget:** Displays your owner-written FAQs in an expandable format.
- **Business information markup:** Adds machine-readable LocalBusiness structured data to your website.
- **Verified badge:** Links website visitors to your verified MAI Identity.
The Comment Threads button is particularly useful because real customer questions help you understand what people want to know. Your published answers add specific, owner-attributed information to your business identity.
You can add one embed, combine several or use all four on supported websites such as Shopify, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and Webflow.
A separate Premium Shopify connection is also available.
What is llms.txt and why should I care about it?
llms.txt is an emerging format that provides a plain-text summary of a website or business for AI systems that choose to read it.
MAI Identity can provide a business summary through llms.txt alongside your regular HTML page and structured business data. This gives AI systems another way to access information about your business.
Premium Website Setup tools also let you reuse selected business information on your own website, with a separate Shopify connection available.
There is no guarantee that AI systems will read or use llms.txt. It is another way to make your business information available, not a guarantee of AI visibility.
Can I connect my Shopify store?
Yes. Premium gives you access to the Shopify connection and Website Setup tools for your verified MAI Identity.
You can also add four optional website embeds to your Shopify store or another supported website:
- **Comment Threads button:** Lets customers ask questions directly from your website. Questions go to your dashboard inbox and you choose which answers to publish.
- **FAQ widget:** Displays your owner-written FAQs.
- **Business information markup:** Adds machine-readable LocalBusiness structured data to your website.
- **Verified badge:** Links visitors to your verified MAI Identity.
Customer questions and your published answers help build a richer business identity with useful information that comes directly from your business.
Who can access the structured data tools?
Every MAI Identity includes an AI-readable business identity with published business details, readable HTML and supported structured data. These features are included in Free.
Premium, together with verification, unlocks the additional Website Setup tools:
- Four website embeds: Comment Threads button, FAQ widget, LocalBusiness structured data and verified badge.
- Shopify integration.
- Tools to reuse selected business information on your own website.
Verification is required to access these Premium features, but verification alone does not unlock them. An active Premium subscription is also required.
Won't having the same business data on my identity and website cause a duplicate content penalty with Google?
No. Publishing the same accurate business information across your MAI Identity and your own website does not automatically result in a Google penalty.
Structured data such as JSON-LD describes your business in a machine-readable format. It's perfectly reasonable for your verified business details, such as your name, address, contact details and opening hours, to appear on multiple pages you control.
The important thing is that your structured data accurately reflects the visible information on each page and remains consistent.
Having the same accurate business information in multiple places also gives search engines and AI systems more opportunities to access it.
MAI Identity's live website embeds help keep selected business details aligned between your identity and your website.
You're not creating harmful duplication. You're maintaining consistent business information across the pages you control.
What is AI Signal Strength?
AI Signal Strength is a 100-point measure in your MAI Identity dashboard that shows how complete your business information is.
Your score increases as you add business details, publish customer answers through Comment Threads and build out your FAQs.
It helps you see where your business identity could be expanded with more useful, owner-confirmed information.
AI Signal Strength is not a customer rating, reputation score or prediction of AI visibility. A higher score does not guarantee that search engines or AI assistants will find, recommend or display your business.
Free and Premium identities can both build their score. Premium allows you to publish more Comment Threads and FAQs, giving you more room to expand your business information.
How do I improve AI Signal Strength?
You can improve your AI Signal Strength by building a more complete business identity.
- **Complete your business details:** Make sure your business information, services, opening hours, location and contact details are accurate.
- **Publish useful answers:** Use Comment Threads to answer customer questions and add helpful information about your business.
- **Add FAQs:** Write clear answers to common questions customers might have about your business.
Premium gives you more room to expand your identity with additional Comment Threads and FAQs. Only the first five published FAQs contribute to your AI Signal Strength score.
Remember, AI Signal Strength measures business information completeness. It is not a reputation score or a prediction of search rankings or AI visibility.
Can I add photos to my business identity?
Yes. You can upload photos through your dashboard, including examples of your work, your team, your premises or anything that helps customers get to know your business.
Your photos appear in a gallery on your public MAI Identity page. You can drag and drop them to change their order.
Your first photo is used as the social sharing preview when someone shares your identity link.
If your website has a social sharing image (OG image), MAI Identity can also import it and display it alongside your uploaded photos.
Do photos help with AI visibility?
Photos help customers get a better understanding of your business by showing your work, team, premises or location.
They make your MAI Identity more useful and engaging for people visiting your page. However, photos alone do not guarantee better search or AI visibility. Accurate business details and useful written information remain important for search engines and AI systems.
Why do I need to verify my business?
Verification confirms that you're the actual business owner or an authorised representative, helping prevent someone else from claiming or managing your business identity without permission.
Your MAI Identity remains private until verification is approved. Once approved, your verified business identity is published and available to share with customers, search engines and AI systems.
Verification gives people confidence that the business information comes from someone authorised to represent the business.
How does verification work?
Choose whichever verification method is easiest for you. We offer six options:
**1. Business email**
Enter an email address connected to your business. We'll send you a one-time code to confirm you can access it. A personal Gmail or Hotmail address is fine if that's what you use for your business.
**2. Mobile SMS**
If a mobile number is listed on your business identity, request a six-digit verification code by text. Enter the code to confirm you control the number.
**3. Phone call**
If your business identity lists a New Zealand landline, enter the name of the person we should ask for. We'll call to confirm you have access to the phone line.
**4. Website verification**
Add the verification code provided by MAI Identity to your business website to confirm you have access to manage it.
**5. Document upload**
Upload one of the following:
- A power bill, phone bill or account invoice showing your business name and address.
- A screenshot of your Google Business Profile showing you're signed in as the owner.
**6. LinkedIn**
Provide your LinkedIn company or personal profile URL and upload a screenshot showing you're signed in as the owner or an administrator.
**What happens next?**
Email and SMS verification are confirmed using the code you receive. Phone calls, website verification, documents and LinkedIn submissions may require review.
For methods requiring manual review, tick the ownership declaration and select Request Verification.
Our team usually responds within 48 hours.
Once approved, your MAI Identity becomes public and ready to share.
What if I don't have a Google Business Profile?
That's no problem. You don't need a Google Business Profile to verify your business.
You can choose another method, including:
- **Business documents:** Upload a power bill, phone bill or account invoice showing your business name and address.
- **Business email:** Confirm access using a one-time code sent to your email.
- **Mobile SMS:** Confirm control of a mobile number listed on your business identity.
- **Phone call:** Receive a verification call if your identity lists a New Zealand landline.
- **Website verification:** Add a verification code to your business website.
- **LinkedIn:** Provide your LinkedIn company or personal profile URL and evidence that you're the owner or administrator.
If you do have a Google Business Profile, you can also upload a screenshot from business.google.com showing you're signed in as the owner.
Choose whichever method works best for you.
How long does verification take?
Mobile SMS and business email verification are confirmed as soon as you successfully enter the code.
Other methods may require manual review. We aim to process submitted verification requests within 48 hours.
You'll receive a notification when your verification is approved or if we need any further information.
What happens if my verification is rejected?
You'll see the reason for rejection and any feedback from our team in your dashboard.
You can correct the issue and submit your verification again:
- Your phone number and contact name remain saved.
- Your email address has a Change button if you need to use a different address.
- Update any information or documents that were flagged and resubmit your request.
Your new submission goes straight back into the review queue.
If you believe your verification was rejected by mistake, use the Contact Support link in the top-right menu and our team can look into it.
How do I contact support?
You can contact the MAI Identity support team in either of two ways:
- **When signed in:** Click your avatar in the top-right corner and select Contact Support.
- **Online:** Visit [maiidentity.com/contact](https://maiidentity.com/contact).
Can I manage more than one business on the same account?
Yes. Premium includes shared identity management, allowing one login to manage multiple businesses through an accepted account invitation.
Each business keeps its original owner, verification status and billing arrangements.
To share access, invite the other login from the Account section. Once accepted, you can select any business you have access to under See All Identities.
Each business retains its own Premium or Free plan. Your access to its features follows that business's subscription.
How do I give someone access to manage my business identity?
With Premium, open **Account**, select **Profile Manager Access**, enter the other person's sign-in email and send an invitation.
They can accept using an existing MAI Identity account or create a new account with that email address.
They don't need a separate Premium subscription to manage a business owned by someone with Premium. Access to features follows the original owner's plan.
Either person can remove the shared access at any time. Business ownership, verification and billing always remain separate.
What is the free identity for?
Free gives your business an owner-controlled identity that search engines and AI assistants can read and understand. Once verified, your identity is published and ready to share with customers using your free identity link and downloadable QR code. Free means free forever. There is no trial period or deadline. Want more features? Premium removes visitor-question limits and includes unlimited Comment Threads. Customers can ask questions and businesses can publish answers. Businesses can also use AI to generate suggested questions and answers based on their business identity, adding useful content to their Comment Threads. Premium also includes unlimited FAQs, AI-assisted replies, shared identity management, website embeds and more. Your public identity link remains available to people, search engines and AI systems on both Free and Premium plans.
What does Premium add?
Premium gives you more ways to interact with customers and build a richer business identity. It removes the Free visitor-question limit and includes unlimited Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and businesses can publish answers. You can also use AI to generate suggested questions and answers based on your business identity, create unlimited FAQs and use AI-assisted replies. Premium also includes shared identity management, website embeds, expanded content, more QR-code downloads and additional features as they become available. Premium is normally US$29/month, but you can grab our launch special for just US$90/year.
Are there limits on Premium Q&A and FAQs?
Premium has no numerical cap on saved or published Q&A and owner FAQs. Verified profiles have five AI Suggest requests per feature per rolling 24-hour period; this limits AI generation, not how much content you can write or publish. Only the first five published FAQs count toward AI Signal Strength points, which is a score cap rather than a content limit.
Is AI really making up answers about my business?
Yes. AI systems can sometimes generate information about your business that is incorrect, outdated or simply made up. This is often called an AI hallucination. MAI Identity gives you an owner-controlled, verified source of business information that AI systems can read and reference, helping provide more accurate information about your business.
What if I already have a website or Shopify store?
Your MAI Identity is Free whether you have a website or not. It gives your business a verified, AI-readable identity that you control. If you have a website or Shopify store, Premium lets you connect the two. This includes the Shopify connection and four website embeds, Comment Threads button, Lets customers ask questions directly from your website. You can respond and publish answers through your MAI dashboard. FAQ widget, Displays your published FAQs on your website. LocalBusiness structured data, Adds machine-readable business information to your website. Verified badge, Shows visitors that your business identity has been verified. Comment Threads are a great way to answer real customer questions and build a richer, owner-controlled record of information about your business.
How long does setup take?
You can create your starting business identity in under 10 seconds by entering your business name and location. You'll then need to claim and verify your identity to make it official.
What do I do with my identity once it's set up?
Share your MAI Identity link with customers through your website, email signature, social media or downloadable QR code. Keep your business information up to date so customers and AI systems have accurate information about your business. Want to get more from your identity? Upgrade to Premium to unlock unlimited Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and you can publish answers. You can also use AI to generate suggested questions and answers based on your business identity, add unlimited FAQs and invite customers to interact with your business. Premium also includes shared identity management, website embeds, expanded content and more. Get the annual Premium plan for our launch special of just US$90/year.
Do I have to interact with customers on it?
No. Customer interaction is optional. Premium includes the Comment Thread for ongoing customer Q&A, plus unlimited saved owner Q&A and FAQs. Verified Free profiles can receive up to two visitor questions for manual replies, but you do not have to respond. AI-assisted drafts and automatic replies are optional too.
Will this actually make a difference?
MAI Identity gives your business an owner-controlled, verified identity with current business information published in crawlable HTML and structured data that search engines and AI systems can read. Premium lets you build a richer source of business information through expanded content, FAQs and Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and you can publish answers. You can also use AI to generate suggested questions and answers based on your business identity. Search engines and AI assistants may use this information when they discover it, but visibility takes time and results are not guaranteed. At least your business has an accurate, verified identity ready for them to find and use.
Is this built for businesses worldwide?
Absolutely! MAI Identity was created to help businesses anywhere in the world establish a verified identity for the AI era. Whether you're a local business or a global company, you can create and maintain your business identity for free. Once verified, your identity link and downloadable QR code are free to share with customers. Want more? Premium unlocks unlimited Comment Threads, where customers can ask questions and businesses can publish answers, unlimited FAQs, AI-assisted replies, shared identity management, website embeds and more.