Tracking brand mentions in AI search results requires a different approach than monitoring Google rankings. You can't just check a SERP position. AI platforms generate unique responses for every query, and your brand may appear in some contexts and not others. BrandCited automates this monitoring across 7 AI platforms, but understanding the methodology helps you interpret the data and spot opportunities.
Why AI mention tracking is different from SEO tracking#
In traditional SEO, your brand either ranks at position 3 for a keyword or it doesn't. The result is consistent across users and devices (with minor personalization). You check once, and you know your standing.
AI search works differently. The same prompt asked twice on ChatGPT can produce different responses. The response depends on the model's current state, the conversation context, whether browsing is enabled, and even time of day. A brand that appears in 40% of responses to a given prompt has strong but not guaranteed visibility.
This probabilistic nature makes single-query testing unreliable. You need to test the same prompt multiple times across multiple platforms to get a statistically meaningful picture.
What to track#
Mention rate is the percentage of responses that include your brand name for a given prompt. BrandCited tests each prompt 5 times per platform and reports the average. A mention rate above 50% for a key industry query indicates strong visibility.
Mention position captures where your brand appears in the response. First mention carries the most weight. Being mentioned first ("I'd recommend [Brand]") signals the AI considers you the top option. Being mentioned third in a list of five is less valuable.
Mention context describes how the AI frames your brand. Are you the primary recommendation, an alternative, a comparison point, or a passing reference? "I'd recommend Brand X" differs from "Some users prefer Brand X, though Brand Y is more popular."
Sentiment captures whether the AI describes you positively, neutrally, or negatively. Occasional negative mentions (especially around known issues) are normal, but a pattern of negative sentiment needs investigation.
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See how ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and 4 other AI platforms mention your brand.
Competitor presence tracks which competitors appear alongside your brand in the same responses. If a competitor consistently appears and you don't, that gap is your priority.
Setting up your monitoring#
Step 1: Define your prompt set. Create 20-50 prompts that match how your target customers would ask AI about your product category. Include:
- Direct category queries: "What's the best [product type]?"
- Comparison queries: "Compare [Brand A] vs [Brand B]"
- Problem-solving queries: "How do I solve [problem your product addresses]?"
- Recommendation queries: "I need a [product type] for [use case]"
Step 2: Choose your platforms. At minimum, track ChatGPT and Gemini (the two largest). Add Perplexity if your audience uses AI-native search. Add Claude if you target professionals. BrandCited covers all 7 major platforms.
Step 3: Establish a baseline. Run your full prompt set across all platforms before making any changes. This baseline lets you measure improvement after implementing optimizations.
Step 4: Set a monitoring cadence. Weekly tracking catches changes fast enough to respond. Monthly is acceptable if you have limited resources. BrandCited runs automated weekly scans and sends change alerts.
Step 5: Build a response library. Save actual AI responses where your brand appears (and where it doesn't). This library helps you understand what content the AI pulls from and what language it uses to describe you.
Interpreting your data#
A few patterns to watch for:
Platform divergence means your brand appears on some platforms but not others. This usually indicates platform-specific optimization gaps. For example, strong on Perplexity (good SEO) but weak on ChatGPT (low entity presence) suggests you need to build your brand's knowledge graph presence.
Prompt-type patterns reveal which query formats trigger your brand. If you appear in "best [product]" queries but not "how to solve [problem]" queries, your product-focused content is strong but your educational content needs work.
Competitor displacement happens when a competitor who previously didn't appear starts showing up in your responses. This signals the competitor has improved their AI visibility, and you need to respond.
BrandCited surfaces these patterns automatically in its weekly reports, with specific recommendations for each gap identified.
