Pre-registration is open. The first round opens 12 November and closes 30 November 2026.
1,000 Birmingham businesses: get your £395 growth package. Free.
We checked 6,078 Birmingham business websites: 9 in 10 aren't ready for AI search. Get found on Google and ChatGPT, turn more visits into customers, and leave with your plan: what to fix first, so more customers find you and get in touch.
When Birmingham asks AI who to call, does it name you?
- A full website health check
- See who AI recommends instead of you
- A step-by-step plan to improve
- 30 minutes with a specialist: leave with your top three actions
No payment detailsNo obligation to buyYour reports to keep
We're pledging nearly £400,000 worth of services and expert consultations to help 1,000 Birmingham businesses compete online.
The first round opens 12 November and closes 30 November 2026. 1,000 places in total, offered first come, first served to eligible businesses.
Reserve your free place
Start with your website. No payment details, no obligation. What's the catch? →
The pre-registration form will appear here.
Secure form. We only email you about your place and your package.
Your next customer is asking AI.
Is your name in the answer?
Ask ChatGPT for a plumber, an accountant or a dentist in Birmingham and it names a handful of businesses. Everyone else is invisible, and even on Google, many people who find you leave without getting in touch.
Birmingham built its name on making things happen. Getting found online should be no different.
We checked 6,078 Birmingham business websites.
AI is ready to recommend six.
This is the city's starting point. We scored every website out of 100 for how ready it is to be found and recommended when someone asks AI, like ChatGPT, who to use.
The challenge
Raise these numbers across the city.
Every business that takes part gets its own score against this benchmark, and a plan to beat it. We'll measure Birmingham again and publish what has moved.
Four things, in plain English
Everything is free for eligible Birmingham businesses. Here is what each part does for you.
Find out what's holding your website back
We check more than 300 things on your website that affect how you rank on Google, whether AI assistants recommend you, and how many visitors get in touch.
Why it matters: You see exactly what is helping you and what is holding you back.
Know exactly what to fix first
A step-by-step plan, most important fix first, with how to do each one. Do it yourself or hand it straight to your web developer.
Why it matters: No guesswork about where to start or what to ask for.
See who AI recommends instead of you, and why
We ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Google's AI answers and other assistants 10 questions your customers really ask. You see who they recommend, which websites and directories they trust, where your business is missing, and how to get in.
Why it matters: You stop guessing why competitors get the recommendation, and know what to do about it.
Get expert help choosing your next steps
A working session on your results, not a sales pitch. A specialist walks you through what we found, answers your questions, and agrees with you the three actions that will bring you more customers first.
Why it matters: You leave with a clear plan you can act on yourself or hand to your own team.
What this looks like in practice
A customer asks AI: "Who's a good heating engineer in Birmingham?"
It names two of your competitors. Not you.
Your free package shows you why, and what to change so you're in the running next time.
What it would normally cost
Your cost
The Heart Shaman
Ryan Jones runs a one-person healing practice in Birmingham, with no marketing team and no agency. SearchScore built and optimised his website, and the published case study shows him becoming the first name six AI assistants give in Birmingham for his field.
That was a paid website project, not the free package, and it is one business's experience, not a promised result. AI answers and enquiries vary.
Read the case study →Built by SearchScore.
For Birmingham businesses.
I live in Birmingham, and I think it's one of the best places in the country to build a business. More customers now start by asking AI who to call, and most local businesses have no idea whether they're the name it gives. I want Birmingham's businesses to be the ones that get recommended, on the world's digital stage as well as at home. Now is the time.
Most of our team is based in Birmingham. We want to see local businesses win more customers, grow, and put Birmingham firmly on the digital map.
SearchScore brings together website auditing, AI search research and practical improvement recommendations. We're pledging £395,000 worth of these services and expert consultations (£395 for each of 1,000 businesses) to help 1,000 Birmingham businesses understand how to compete more effectively online. That is the value of the services we provide, not a cash grant.
We want to support local businesses while introducing them to SearchScore's tools. We also offer optional paid implementation and ongoing services, but buying anything is not a condition of participation.
The initiative is funded and run by SearchScore. It is not an endorsement by Birmingham City Council, the mayor's office or any media organisation.
How to take part
Pre-register your business
Share your website and business details. When the first round opens on 12 November, we'll confirm your place and email you your delivery date.
Approve your questions
We draft the 10 buyer questions your customers ask. You review and approve them, then we run your research and prepare your audit, Fix-List and Playbook.
Talk through your next steps
Book your 30-minute consultation once your reports are ready, and agree with a specialist what to do first.
When will I get my reports? Your confirmation email includes your delivery date. 30 November is when the first round closes, not the date every report will be finished.
The Birmingham Business Growth Initiative in brief
- What it is
- Free AI search visibility research for Birmingham businesses, funded and run by SearchScore.
- What you get
- The £295 AI Visibility Playbook (10 customer questions, 160 AI checks), a website audit, a prioritised Fix-List and a 30-minute consultation.
- Your cost
- £0. No payment details and no obligation to buy anything.
- Who it is for
- Businesses with a Birmingham (B) postcode and a working website. One package per business.
- Dates
- Pre-registration is open now. The first round opens on 12 November and closes on 30 November 2026.
- How to take part
- Pre-register with the form above. We confirm places and delivery dates by email.
Questions about the initiative
What's the catch?
There isn't one. Here's the honest version:
- Most of our team is based in Birmingham. We want to see our local business community thrive, and to show Birmingham businesses what SearchScore can do.
- We offer paid support, and you never have to buy it. Some businesses will want help putting the fixes in place later. That is optional and is never a condition of taking part.
- The consultation is about your results, not a sales pitch.
- No card details, no subscription, nothing to cancel.
- The reports are yours to keep. Use them yourself or hand them to your own agency or developer.
- We only email you about your package, unless you tick the box for occasional tips.
- Places are limited. 1,000 places in total, first come, first served for eligible businesses. One package per business.
Is it really free?
Yes. Businesses that take part receive the Playbook, audit, Fix-List and 30-minute consultation at no charge, with no obligation to purchase implementation services.
Who can take part?
Businesses with a Birmingham (B) postcode and a working website. One package per business, while places last. The first round opens on 12 November and closes on 30 November 2026.
What is an AI Visibility Playbook?
Personalised research into the questions customers ask AI assistants, how competitors appear, which sources influence answers and what you can do to improve visibility.
What happens in the consultation?
It's a working session about your results, not a sales pitch. We go through your findings and goals and agree three high-priority actions. You can do them yourself or with your own team. If you'd like help, ask, but we won't push it.
Can I use my existing marketing agency?
Absolutely. You can share the reports and recommendations with your existing agency or team.
Will you change my website?
Not as part of the free package. Implementation is optional and separate from the free research and consultation.
How quickly will I receive my reports?
We'll email your delivery date when we confirm your place. Your consultation is booked once your reports are ready.
Are improved rankings or sales guaranteed?
No. The reports identify opportunities and suggested actions, but search positions, AI recommendations and commercial outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Forward, Birmingham.
Let's put 1,000 local businesses in front of the customers searching for them. Reserve your place before the first round closes.
Reserve my free place →No payment required. The first round opens 12 November and closes 30 November 2026.