# How TrustCited measures AI visibility (methodology)

Source: https://trustcited.com/methodology/
Last updated: 2026-11-04
Author: Raghav Rana, founder of TrustCited

*The same method is used for the free check, the fix sprint and every re-check, so before and after numbers can be compared.*

**Short answer:** the AI visibility score is the share of AI answers that name the business, across a fixed set of buyer questions, six AI assistants and repeated runs, recorded with the date. A fix sprint uses 20 questions × 6 assistants × 3 runs = 360 answers.

## The score

**AI visibility = answers that name the business ÷ total answers × 100.**

|  | Free check | Fix sprint and re-checks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Questions | 3 | 20 |
| Assistants | ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok | The same six |
| Runs per question | 1 to 3 | 3 |
| Answers scored | Up to 54 | 360 |
| What it's good for | A first signal and the 3 biggest fixes | A baseline you can track month to month |

## What is recorded for every answer

| Field | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Mentioned | Is the business named anywhere in the answer? |
| Position | Where it appears in the list, if the answer is a list |
| Framing | Recommended, neutral, hedged, or recommended against |
| Accuracy | Are the stated facts right: prices, ratings, location, services? |
| Named instead | Which competitors appear |
| Sources cited | Which pages and listings the assistant relied on |

## How answers are collected

- A new chat for every run, logged out or in a clean account, so personal history doesn't skew results.
- Web search turned on where the assistant offers it.
- The city or area written into the question, rather than relying on the assistant to guess location.
- The same wording every time, and the date recorded with each answer.
- Answers saved, so you can read them yourself.

## Mentioned is not the same as recommended

AI visibility is a ladder. A page can be **read** by an assistant without being shown, **cited** as a source, **mentioned** by name, or **recommended** as one of the best options. Reports show mentions and recommendations separately, because a business can be cited often and still be left off the shortlist.

## A note on the case studies

The [B2B platform result](https://trustcited.com/case-studies/) (4.7% to 57%) was measured across three assistants: ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. New checks cover six. Both case studies use the same question set before and after the fixes.

## Limitations

- **AI answers are not deterministic.** The same question can get a different answer a minute later. Repeated runs reduce this noise but don't remove it.
- **Personalisation and location** can change what a real buyer sees.
- **Assistants change.** A model update can move results for reasons unrelated to any fix.
- **Small changes can be noise.** A few points' difference between two checks may mean nothing. Look at the trend across repeated checks.
- **Before and after is not proof of cause.** The fixes are the most likely reason for a change, but other things change at the same time.

Want this done for you? The [free one-page check](https://trustcited.com/#check) shows what six AI assistants say about your business, who they name instead, and the three fixes that matter most. Sent within 48 hours.