AI Share of Voice: How to Measure Your Brand's Visibility in ChatGPT & LLMs
Definition
What is AI Share of Voice?
AI share of voice measures how often your brand is mentioned, recommended, or cited in AI-generated responses compared to competitors. Unlike traditional SEO share of voice which tracks search engine rankings, AI share of voice tracks your visibility in conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.
The way people discover brands is fundamentally changing. While Google still dominates traditional search, millions of users now ask AI assistants like ChatGPT for product recommendations, service comparisons, and buying advice. If your brand isn't being mentioned in these AI-generated answers, you're invisible to a rapidly growing audience.
This shift has created a new metric that forward-thinking marketers need to track: AI share of voice. In this guide, we'll explain what it is, why it matters, and how to measure and improve your brand's visibility in AI-powered search.
AI Share of Voice vs SEO Share of Voice: Key Differences
Before diving into measurement strategies, it's important to understand how AI share of voice differs from traditional SEO share of voice:
| Aspect | SEO Share of Voice | AI Share of Voice |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Keyword rankings in search results | Brand mentions in AI responses |
| Platforms | Google, Bing, Yahoo | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Grok |
| Visibility type | Position on results page (1-10) | Mentioned, recommended, or cited |
| User behavior | User clicks through to website | User may never visit website |
| Consistency | Relatively stable rankings | Responses can vary per query |
| Tracking tools | Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz | Sellm, specialized AI trackers |
The critical insight is this: ranking well on Google doesn't guarantee AI will recommend you. These are increasingly separate visibility channels that require different strategies and tools.
Why AI Share of Voice Matters in 2026
The rise of AI-powered search represents a fundamental shift in how consumers discover and evaluate brands:
1. AI Recommendations Carry Authority
When ChatGPT or Claude recommends a product, users perceive it as an expert endorsement rather than a paid ad or organic listing. This creates a "winner takes all" dynamic where the brands mentioned capture disproportionate trust.
2. Zero-Click Discovery is Growing
Users increasingly get complete answers from AI without clicking through to websites. If your brand isn't mentioned in the AI's response, you've lost the opportunity entirely—there's no second chance on page two.
3. Traditional SEO Tools Can't See It
Your existing SEO dashboards from Semrush or Ahrefs tell you nothing about your AI share of voice. You could have excellent Google rankings while being completely invisible in AI conversations.
4. Competitor Advantage is Building Now
Early movers who optimize for AI visibility are establishing themselves in training data and retrieval systems. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to catch up.
How to Measure Your AI Share of Voice
Measuring AI share of voice requires different approaches than traditional SEO tracking:
Method 1: Manual Spot Checks
The simplest approach is querying AI platforms directly:
- Identify 10-20 key questions your customers would ask
- Query ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity with each question
- Record whether your brand is mentioned and in what context
- Repeat each query 3-5 times (AI responses vary)
- Compare your mention rate to competitors
Limitation: This is time-consuming and doesn't scale. Response variability means you need many samples for accurate data.
Method 2: API-Based Tracking
For more systematic measurement, you can use AI platform APIs to programmatically query and analyze responses. This requires:
- API access to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI, etc.
- Scripts to send queries and parse responses
- NLP to detect brand mentions and sentiment
- Database to store and analyze results over time
Learn more about building your own tracker in our guide: How to Build Your Own ChatGPT Rank Tracker.
Method 3: Specialized AI Share of Voice Tools
The most efficient approach is using purpose-built platforms that handle the complexity for you:
Try Sellm's Free AI Share of Voice Tool
Compare your brand's visibility in ChatGPT against competitors. See who AI recommends when users ask about your industry—no coding required.
Check Your AI Share of Voice Free →Key Metrics for AI Share of Voice
When measuring your AI share of voice, track these specific metrics:
| Metric | What It Measures | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mention Rate | % of relevant queries where your brand appears | Core visibility indicator |
| Citation Share | % of AI recommendation lists that include you | Shows competitive positioning |
| First Mention Rate | % of times you're mentioned first in lists | Indicates perceived leadership |
| Sentiment Score | Positive, neutral, or negative context | Quality of mentions matters |
| Platform Coverage | Visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc. | Different AI models have different data |
How to Improve Your AI Share of Voice
Once you're measuring your AI share of voice, here's how to improve it:
1. Create AI-Friendly Content
AI models favor content that's:
- Well-structured with clear headings and logical flow
- Authoritative with original data and expert insights
- Comprehensive covering topics in depth
- Consistent with accurate brand information everywhere
Learn more about the factors that drive AI citations in our research: ChatGPT Ranking Factors: 400K Pages Analyzed.
2. Build Brand Authority Signals
AI models assess authority through:
- Consistent brand mentions across reputable publications
- Positive reviews and customer testimonials
- Expert content from recognized thought leaders
- Citations from academic or industry sources
3. Optimize for Specific Query Types
Focus on the questions your customers actually ask:
- Comparison queries: "[Your Brand] vs [Competitor]"
- Recommendation queries: "Best [product category] for [use case]"
- Problem-solution queries: "How to [solve problem your product addresses]"
4. Monitor and Iterate
Use AI share of voice tools to track your progress and identify gaps. AI visibility changes over time as models update, so continuous monitoring is essential.
AI Share of Voice by Platform
Different AI platforms have different strengths and user bases. Here's how to think about AI share of voice across the major players:
ChatGPT
The largest user base. With web search (GPT-4o), it can access current information. Critical for most B2C and B2B brands.
Claude
Growing rapidly in enterprise settings. Known for nuanced, detailed responses. Important for B2B and technical products.
Gemini
Integrated into Google ecosystem. Direct connection to Google Search makes it uniquely important for SEO-focused brands.
Perplexity
Search-focused AI with real-time web access. Shows sources, making it valuable for brands with strong content strategies.
Copilot (Microsoft)
Integrated into Microsoft 365 and Windows. Important for enterprise software and productivity tools.
Frequently Asked Questions About AI Share of Voice
What is the definition of AI search share of voice? ▼
AI search share of voice is a metric that measures how often your brand is mentioned, recommended, or cited in AI-generated responses compared to competitors. It quantifies your visibility in conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity when users ask questions related to your industry, products, or services.
How does Sellm measure AI search share of voice? ▼
Sellm measures AI share of voice by: (1) Querying major AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok, Copilot) with relevant industry questions; (2) Running multiple queries to account for response variability; (3) Analyzing mentions for frequency, sentiment, and competitive positioning; (4) Tracking changes over time with continuous monitoring. This provides statistically reliable data rather than single-query snapshots.
Can I track AI share of voice for free? ▼
Yes! You can start with Sellm's free AI SEO Share of Voice tool to compare your brand against a competitor. For ongoing monitoring across multiple competitors and queries, paid plans provide continuous tracking, alerts, and deeper analytics.
Does SEO share of voice affect AI share of voice? ▼
Indirectly, yes. Good SEO share of voice means your content is widely visible and linked to, which contributes to the training data and retrieval systems that AI models use. However, they're not directly correlated—you can have high SEO visibility but low AI visibility if your content isn't structured for AI comprehension, or if competitors have stronger authority signals.
Get Started with AI Share of Voice Tracking
The shift to AI-powered search is accelerating. Brands that track and optimize their AI share of voice now will have significant advantages as this channel grows.
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