Key takeaways
- Fix the list of questions first, or the numbers cannot be compared.
- Measure mentions, cited pages, visits from AI search and enquiries.
- A change that follows an action is a clue. It is not proof.
Fix the list of questions
Choose the questions you want to be named for and keep the list stable. If the list changes every month, the numbers cannot be compared.
Four things worth measuring
- How many of those questions name your brand
- Which of your pages are cited as a source
- Visits that arrive from AI search, where they can be identified
- Enquiries that follow those visits
Measure around each action
Record the date of each change, then compare the weeks before and after. A change that follows an action is a clue. It is not proof.
BeforeMeasure the fixed list of questions
ActionRecord what changed, and when
AfterMeasure the same questions again
NextRepeat what moved the numbers
Expect answers to move
AI answers vary from one run to the next. Look at several runs over time before deciding that something worked.
Use the result to choose the next action
Measurement is only useful if it changes what you do next. Repeat what moved the numbers, and stop what did not.