ARO Index™  ·  TaG Makes
Case Study · Architecture · Charleston, SC

From understood
to recommended.

Myles Trudell / Architect had a strong reputation and a beautiful site. AI tools understood the feel of the firm. They just couldn't consistently say when to recommend it. That was a structure problem. Not a content one.

Client Myles Trudell Architect, LLC
Market Charleston, SC
Specialty Residential Architecture
Implementation 2 Days
Time to Surface 12-14 Days (via GBP reindex)
Before · Jan 2026 · Avg. Across 3 Audit Tools
~65
ChatGPT 54  ·  Perplexity 66  ·  Gemini 74
ARO Score™
2 Days Work
After · Current ARO Score™
94
4 of 4 models recommending
The Starting Point

The audit revealed a structure gap.

In January 2026, TaG Makes ran a full AI Recommendation Audit on mylestrudell.com across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. The scores told a consistent story: strong authority, real identity signals, and a clear structure gap. AI knew who Myles was. It couldn't consistently answer "who should I hire for a custom home on Kiawah Island?" and land on his name.

ChatGPT
54
/ 100
Strong entity signals and real contact info. No schema markup. Limited structured content for AI to extract service and geography answers from.
Perplexity
66
/ 100
Good topical authority and LEED credentials clearly indexed. Portfolio-heavy layout left key service and process questions unanswered in a format AI could cite.
Gemini
74
/ 100
Strong local signals and highest technical score. Missing FAQ structure and no clear path to engagement meant AI couldn't describe how to work with Myles.

All three tools agreed on the same core gap: strong on identity, weak on answerability. The site needed structural signals, not new content.

These scores were produced using individual AI audit tools in January 2026. The ARO Score™ methodology was developed and formalized after this engagement. The "before" reflects what the research showed at the time. The "after" reflects the current unified ARO Score™ standard.

The Work

Four areas. Two days.

This was not a rebuild. The site was already good. The work was targeted and structural, completed in two days. Results surfaced in Gemini and Perplexity within 12 to 14 days of Google Business Profile reindexing.

01 — Schema

Structured Data Implementation

02 — SEO

Squarespace SEO Alignment

03 — FAQ Layer

AI-Readable FAQ Structure

04 — GBP

Google Business Profile Sync

4 of 4 models.
Top recommendation.

Within 12 to 14 days of reindexing, Myles Trudell / Architect was appearing as the top recommended result in Perplexity for "Charleston residential architect LEED." Gemini updated simultaneously via the GBP sync.

The current ARO Score™, measured using the unified methodology built after this engagement, is 94 out of 100. All four AI platforms recommend the firm consistently.

94
ARO Score™ Current score, unified methodology
4/4
Models Recommending ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
2
Days to Implement Audit, changes, and reindex
#1
Perplexity Result "Charleston residential architect LEED"
A Note on the Methodology

This work helped build the standard.

The Myles Trudell engagement was one of the early projects that shaped what became the ARO Score™. At the time, scoring used three separate AI audit tools. Since then, TaG Makes developed a unified scoring system measuring AI recommendation probability consistently across all four major platforms. The research is still building. The methodology gets more precise with every case study added.

Jan 27, 2026
Audit Delivered
Three-tool AI Recommendation Audit across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini. Scores: 54 / 66 / 74. Structure gap identified.
Jan 29, 2026
Implementation Complete
Schema, FAQ layer, SEO alignment, and GBP sync deployed. Reindexed and submitted to Google same day.
12-14 Days Later
Surfacing in Perplexity and Gemini
Top result in Perplexity for "Charleston residential architect LEED." Gemini updated simultaneously via GBP propagation.
March 2026 onward
ARO Score™ Launched — Holding at 94
Unified methodology confirmed score of 94, 4 of 4 models recommending consistently. Score has held.
"

This is amazing! Thank you, Therese!!

Myles Trudell  ·  Myles Trudell Architect, LLC  ·  Charleston, SC

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