How do I measure my brand's share of voice in AI search?
Share of voice in AI search is the number of AI answers that name your brand divided by the number that name any of the brands you track, on a fixed set of category questions. Count each brand once per answer, leave out questions that contain your own brand name, pool a couple of weeks of answers because individual answers vary, and report it per engine and per country as well as overall.
The two numbers to track
- Visibility (mention rate): answers that name you ÷ all answers. "AI names us in 12% of answers."
- Share of voice: answers that name you ÷ answers that name any tracked brand. "Of all the brand mentions, 18% are us."
Visibility tells you how often you are in the conversation at all; share of voice tells you how you compare with competitors when brands are named.
Worked example
Illustrative numbers: you ask 20 category questions on one engine, three times each, so 60 answers. Your brand is named in 9 of them. Across all 60 answers, the brands you track are named 50 times in total, counting each brand once per answer.
| Measure | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 9 ÷ 60 | 15% |
| Share of voice | 9 ÷ 50 | 18% |
| Rank | Brands ordered by mentions | Your place in that order |
Rules that keep the number honest
- Use a fixed list of questions and a fixed list of competitors, or the number can't be compared over time.
- Leave out questions that contain your own brand name; you always "win" those.
- Count each brand at most once per answer.
- Only rank brands you actually track; ignore one-off names unless you add them to the list.
- Pool 7–14 days of answers. A single day is too noisy.
- Report per engine and per country too: a strong overall number can hide a weak engine.
Questions people also ask
Is AI share of voice the same as SEO share of voice?
No. SEO share of voice is usually based on rankings and estimated clicks; AI share of voice counts how often each brand is actually named in AI answers.
What is a good share of voice?
It depends on how many brands compete for your questions. Track your own trend and your gap to the leader rather than a fixed target.
Should I include branded questions at all?
Track them separately to check how AI describes you, but keep them out of share of voice and visibility.