Methodology
How I measure AI visibility
AI answers change from person to person and day to day, so a single search proves nothing. This is exactly how the numbers on this site, and on every client dashboard, are produced.
The questions
Each dashboard tracks a fixed set of questions homeowners actually ask, written for the client's trade, services and service area. They fall into hiring ("who should I hire for..."), cost, trust and problem questions. A typical setup tracks up to 85 questions, chosen with the client so they match the jobs they want.
The AI engines
Each question is asked on six engines: ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Meta AI and Grok. About 500 searches run every week on a $150 a month budget, and the count can scale up.
The numbers
| Metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mention rate | The share of AI answers that name your company. |
| Rank | Where you place against tracked competitors by mention rate. |
| Named first | The share of answers that list you before any other company. |
| Average position | Where you appear in the list when you're named. |
| Citations | Which websites AI links to or draws from, and how often. |
| Leads from AI | Calls and forms where the customer says they found you through an AI tool. |
The fair test
When more questions or engines are added over time, the total numbers can rise just because there's more to measure. So every dashboard also shows a like-for-like view: only the questions and engines that were in both scans. That's the number that shows whether the work is actually moving AI. I report both, even when the like-for-like view is flat.
Outside checks
For my own results I also check against two independent tools, Promptwatch and Profound. The screenshots in the case study come from them. Company names are hidden for privacy.
Limits
- AI answers vary by user, location and time, so all numbers are samples and come with a range.
- AI tools change often. A jump or drop in one week can be the engine changing, not you.
- Leads from AI depend on customers telling you how they found you, so they undercount.
See what AI says about your company
I'll check what ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini, Perplexity, Meta AI and Grok say when homeowners in your area ask who to hire, and show you who they recommend instead of you. It's free.
Book a free AI snapshot call