AI Visibility Tracking Basics
How Scans Work
Scan Schedule:
Citation scans run automatically every other day
Sentiment tracking runs 3 times daily
You don't need to do anything — scans are automatic
What happens during a citation scan:
Every active prompt in your account is queried 3x
Each enabled AI model (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini) receives the prompt 3x
The full AI response is captured and analyzed
Your brand domain is searched for in the response
Any competitor domains mentioned are also recorded
Results are stored for historical tracking
Scan Timing: The countdown badge in the dashboard shows when the next scan is scheduled. After a scan completes, data typically appears within minutes.
Understanding Citations vs. Mentions
Citation — When an AI system directly recommends or references your brand/domain in response to a prompt. This is the key metric for AI visibility.
Mention — Another term for citation. In the dashboard, "mentions" and "citations" are used interchangeably.
Competitor Citation — When an AI mentions a competitor's domain instead of (or in addition to) yours. These are tracked to help you understand your competitive position.
The Three AI Models Explained
Perplexity
AI search engine that cites sources
Most likely to cite specific websites
ChatGPT
OpenAI's conversational AI
Most widely used consumer AI
Gemini
Google's AI assistant
Integrated with Google ecosystem
Why track multiple models? Different AI systems have different training data and behaviors. A user might ask the same question on ChatGPT vs. Perplexity and get completely different recommendations. Tracking all three gives you the complete picture.
Default setting: Perplexity is enabled by default because it's most likely to cite specific sources.
Prompt Best Practices
Good prompts
"What is the best B2B lead generation software?"
"Top alternatives to HubSpot for small businesses"
"Which CRM is best for real estate agents?"
"How do I find B2B leads for my agency?"
Avoid
Single words: "marketing" ❌
Too broad: "best software" ❌
Internal jargon: "enterprise MQL solution" ❌
Questions that don't seek recommendations: "What is CRM?" ❌
Think like your customer: What would they type into ChatGPT to find a solution like yours?
Using Categories Effectively
Categories help you segment your prompts for better analysis.
Example category structures:
By Funnel Stage:
Awareness: "What is lead generation?"
Consideration: "Best lead generation tools 2024"
Decision: "HubSpot vs Salesforce comparison"
By Product/Service:
Lead Gen: "B2B lead generation tools"
Email: "Best cold email platforms"
CRM: "Top CRMs for agencies"
By Competitor:
vs HubSpot: "HubSpot alternatives"
vs Salesforce: "Salesforce competitors"
Creating a category:
Click Categories button in the Tracked Prompts section
Click Add Category
Enter a name and choose a color
Click Create
Assigning prompts to categories:
Click the colored dot next to any prompt
Select a category from the dropdown
Or use the list icon on a category to bulk-assign prompts
Understanding Share of Voice
Share of Voice (SOV) measures your visibility compared to competitors within your tracked prompts.
How it's calculated: Your Citations ÷ (Your Citations + Top 10 Competitor Citations) × 100
Example:
You: 15 citations
Top 10 competitors combined: 85 citations
Total: 100 citations
Your SOV: 15%
What's a good SOV? This depends on your industry and number of prompts. Focus on the trend — are you growing your share over time?
Why Your Rank Matters
Your rank shows where you stand among all domains cited in your tracked prompts.
Rank #1 = You're cited more than any competitor
Rank #5 = Four competitors are cited more often than you
Rank #15 = You're in the middle of the pack
Improving your rank:
Create content that directly answers prompts where you're not being cited
Ensure your website has clear, authoritative information on your core topics
Build backlinks and mentions on sites AI systems trust
Track your progress over time — rank improvements often take weeks to manifest
Sentiment Tracking Explained
While citations track if you're mentioned, sentiment tracks how you're talked about.
Score Range:
+50 to +100 = Very positive perception
+20 to +50 = Moderately positive
-20 to +20 = Neutral
-20 to -50 = Moderately negative
-50 to -100 = Very negative
What affects sentiment:
Reviews and testimonials AI has learned from
News articles and press coverage
Social media conversations
Your website content and messaging
Improving sentiment:
Generate positive press and reviews
Address negative feedback publicly
Create content that highlights your strengths
Monitor for sudden drops — they may indicate a PR issue
Reading the Prompt Tracking Chart
The two lines:
Gray dashed line = Total prompts tracked (your monitoring scope)
Green solid line = Prompts where you got cited (your wins)
Interpreting patterns:
Lines close together = High citation rate. AI systems frequently recommend you.
Lines far apart = Low citation rate. Opportunity to improve content for uncited prompts.
Green line trending up = You're getting cited more over time. Your content strategy is working.
Green line trending down = You're losing citations. Competitors may be improving or AI models may have updated.
Real-Time Updates
The dashboard updates in real-time when new scan data arrives. You don't need to refresh the page.
Visual indicators:
The countdown badge shows live time until next scan
"Scanning now..." appears during active scans
New citations appear automatically in the Mentions table
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