Metric Tracking for AI: Share of Voice
If You Can't Measure It, You Can't Improve It. Why 'Rankings' Are Dead and 'Share of Voice' is the New KPI.
Answer Nugget: The AI Share of Voice Definition
AI Share of Voice is a Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) metric that measures the percentage of times a brand is cited as the authoritative source in AI-generated answers for a defined set of high-value queries. It replaces traditional keyword ranking as the primary indicator of visibility in an "Answer Engine" ecosystem.
The Failure of Old Metrics
In a world where users get direct answers from AI, traditional SEO metrics are misleading. A #1 ranking on Google is worthless if the AI scrapes your content, doesn't cite you, and the user never clicks.
| Old Metric | Why It Fails for AI |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ranking | AI doesn't "rank" pages; it synthesizes information. You can rank #1 and still be ignored by the LLM. |
| Organic Traffic | In "zero-click" AI conversations, the user gets their answer without ever visiting your site, making traffic a vanity metric. |
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | There are no "links" to click in many AI-generated answers, making CTR irrelevant. |
How to Measure AI Share of Voice
- Define High-Value Queries: Identify the 20-50 critical questions your ideal customers ask (e.g., "best financial advisor for doctors in Columbus").
- Automated Querying: Use scripts to programmatically ask these questions to major LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity) on a daily or weekly basis.
- Citation Analysis: Parse the AI's response to see if your brand was mentioned, if your content was cited, or if a competitor was recommended.
- Calculate Share: Your Share of Voice is the percentage of queries for which you are the primary cited authority. (e.g., 10 citations out of 50 queries = 20% Share of Voice).
This data-driven approach provides a clear, actionable KPI for your GEO efforts. The goal is simple: increase your Share of Voice over time.
