What is an AI visibility score?
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Founder, ProveWorth
An AI visibility score is a number a software vendor calculates to describe how often AI assistants mention your business. It is a vendor metric, not a Google number, and no Google report I read shows one. If someone sells it to you, you are buying that vendor's own measurement.
Whatever the formula, a score comes from a sample: some prompts, some places, some dates. Google's Search Console AI report shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and it can be missing when a site has few.
The catch is that the score isn't your Maps rank, and a higher one doesn't prove more customers. Ask the seller what is counted, and how, before you pay anything.
Who calculates an AI visibility score?
The company selling the tool does, using its own definition. No Google page I read defines a score.
Bing's Citation Share is another vendor example. Microsoft calls it an observational metric that assigns no quality scores to content.
What should a vendor show me before I pay?
Ask five things in writing: what is counted, which prompts, which places, which dates, and how many times each prompt was run.
A score built on a handful of prompts for one city on one day can't be repeated. If the seller can't answer, treat the number as decoration. Also ask what the tool costs per month and whether you can cancel.
Is an AI visibility score the same as my Maps rank?
No. A Maps result depends on the search and the searcher's location, while an AI answer may combine several sources and name more than one option.
Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. A higher score in one place doesn't prove you improved in the other.
What can I check for free?
Ask ChatGPT, Google and Perplexity the question your customer types, with your town in it, once a month. Write down what each says and the date. It takes a few minutes.
That is the same kind of sample a vendor sells, run by you. The tracking guide walks through it.
What do I do next?
Run your free check this month and keep the notes in one file. Then read how to track AI visibility and how to get cited by ChatGPT.
A score reflects what is out there, and ProveWorth gives you a free page with your services and the customer reviews we read before publishing. Set up your free page or see how it works.
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Key takeaways
- 1An AI visibility score is a vendor metric. A software company calculates it, and none of the Google reports I read shows one.
- 2A score comes from a sample of prompts, places and dates, so ask the seller for all three.
- 3It isn't your Maps rank, which depends on a search and the searcher's location.
- 4A higher score doesn't prove more customers, so tie any purchase to calls and bookings.
- 5The free version is to ask the assistants your customer's question each month and write down the answers.
Related questions
Does Google publish an AI visibility score?
Not on any Google page I read. Google's Search Console AI report shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and it can be missing for sites with few impressions.
Is an AI visibility score the same as my Google Maps rank?
No. A Maps result depends on the search and where the searcher is. An AI answer may combine several sources and name more than one option.
What should I ask a vendor before paying for a score?
Ask what is counted, which prompts, which places, which dates, and how many times each was run. If they can't say, the number can't be checked.
Does a higher score mean I will get more customers?
No. A score counts appearances in a sample of answers. It doesn't count calls, bookings or revenue, so track those separately.