AI search · · ether.
How to measure AI search visibility properly
Measure AI search visibility by asking the same buyer questions many times across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI answers, then tracking two rates: how often your business is named, and how often your pages are linked as a source. AI answers change each time a question is asked, so a single screenshot tells you very little. Read those rates monthly next to the visits AI tools send you and the enquiries those visits become.
Why one screenshot misleads
Ask ChatGPT the same question five times and you may get five different lists. Answers vary by wording, location, the tool and the day. A business named once may not appear the next four times. Treat AI answers like a poll: the useful number is how often you appear across many runs.
Named and linked are different signals
- Mentioned: the answer names your business. This builds familiarity with buyers who never click.
- Cited: the answer links to your page as a source. This sends visitors who arrive already trusting the recommendation.
- Some businesses are named without being linked, or linked without being named. Each needs a different fix.
Choose the right questions
Use the questions your buyers ask before they hire someone like you: who to choose, what it costs, how to compare options, what to watch for. Include the questions where you would expect to win and the ones where competitors appear instead. Keep the list stable so month to month changes mean something.
Tie it to visits and enquiries
- Split visits from AI assistants out in your analytics.
- Count only real enquiries: forms, bookings, calls and emails.
- Read mention and citation rates next to those numbers each month.
- Judge changes over two windows of about two weeks before calling a win or a loss.
Where to start
If you want a hand with this, see AI Visibility Audit, browse examples of our work, or get a free AI Search Check to see where your business stands today.
Questions
How many questions should I track?
Enough to cover each service and buyer type, usually a few dozen for a small business. More matters less than choosing questions your buyers actually ask.
Are AI mentions a vanity metric?
Only when they are read alone. Tied to visits and enquiries, they show whether buyers are hearing your name before they search for you.
Can you measure this for my business?
Yes. An AI Visibility Audit from ether. starts at C$300 and gives you a baseline to measure every change against.