AI Analytics & Mentions Tracking: Measuring GEO Performance

Why AI Analytics Matters

"What you can't measure, you can't improve." This old management wisdom also applies to Generative Engine Optimization. But measuring AI visibility differs fundamentally from traditional SEO metrics.

The Challenge with AI Metrics

Unlike Google, with LLMs there are:

• No rankings: There's no position 1-10
• No Search Console: ChatGPT has no analytics dashboard
• Variable answers: Same question → different answers
• Personalization: Context influences results

The Most Important GEO Metrics

1. AI Mention Rate

Definition: How often is your brand mentioned in AI answers?

Measurement:

• Systematic queries for relevant keywords
• Documentation of mentions over time
• Comparison with competitors

Goal: Increase mention rate by X% per quarter

2. Citation Quality

Definition: In what context are you mentioned?

Quality tiers:

• Tier 1: Direct recommendation ("For GEO I recommend Be Visible in AI")
• Tier 2: Named as option ("Providers like Be Visible in AI, XYZ...")
• Tier 3: Passing mention
• Tier 4: No mention

3. Topic Coverage

Definition: Which topics do you appear for?

Categories:

• Core topics (e.g., "What is GEO?")
• Extended topics (e.g., "ChatGPT for marketing")
• Industry topics (e.g., "Marketing agencies Munich")

4. Competitive Share

Definition: How often are you mentioned vs. competitors?

Calculation:

Competitive Share = Your Mentions / (Your + Competitor Mentions) × 100

Practical AI Monitoring Setup

Step 1: Create Query Set

Create a list of relevant queries:

Brand Queries:

• "What is [Your Company]?"
• "Reviews for [Your Company]"
• "[Your Company] vs [Competitor]"

Topic Queries:

• "What is [Your Core Topic]?"
• "Best [Your Service] providers"
• "[Problem You Solve]"

Local Queries:

• "[Service] in [City]"
• "Best [Industry] agency [Region]"

Step 2: Establish Monitoring Rhythm

Weekly:

• Test core queries in ChatGPT
• Document in spreadsheet
• Note anomalies

Monthly:

• Go through complete query set
• Competitor analysis
• Create trend analysis

Quarterly:

• Comprehensive GEO report
• Plan strategy adjustments
• Add new queries

Step 3: Documentation

| Date | Query | AI System | Mentioned | Position | Context |
|------|-------|-----------|-----------|----------|---------|
| 12/01 | "GEO agency" | ChatGPT | Yes | Tier 1 | Recommendation |
| 12/01 | "GEO agency" | Claude | No | - | - |
| 12/01 | "GEO agency" | Perplexity | Yes | Tier 2 | List |

Tools for AI Analytics

1. Manual Tracking Tools

Spreadsheet-based:

• Google Sheets / Excel
• Notion databases
• Airtable

Advantages:

• Free
• Full control
• Flexibly customizable

2. Specialized GEO Tools

Emerging Tools:

• Various AI monitoring startups
• Brand mention tools with AI extension
• SEO tools with AI features

Functions:

• Automated query tests
• Historical data
• Competitor tracking
• Alert functions

3. API-based Solutions

For Advanced Users:

import openai

def check_mention(query, brand):
    response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
        model="gpt-4",
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": query}]
    )
    return brand.lower() in response.choices[0].message.content.lower()

Traffic Attribution from AI Sources

Challenge

AI traffic often appears as:

• Direct traffic
• Referral from chat.openai.com
• Unknown sources

Solution Approaches

1. Referrer Analysis: Identify traffic from:

• chat.openai.com
• claude.ai
• perplexity.ai
• bing.com (Copilot)

2. Landing Page Patterns: AI traffic often lands on:

• Specific FAQ pages
• Definitions and guides
• Specific service pages

3. User Surveys: Ask new customers: "How did you hear about us?"

• Option: "Via ChatGPT/AI assistant"

Reporting and Insights

Monthly GEO Report

# GEO Report - [Month/Year]

## Executive Summary
- Mention Rate: X% (↑/↓ vs. previous month)
- Top Performing Queries: [List]
- Improvement Potential: [List]

## Detailed Analysis

### Mentions by AI System
- ChatGPT: X Mentions
- Claude: X Mentions
- Perplexity: X Mentions

### Mentions by Query Category
- Brand Queries: X%
- Topic Queries: X%
- Local Queries: X%

### Competitor Comparison
[Table with Competitive Share]

## Recommendations
1. [Concrete Action 1]
2. [Concrete Action 2]
3. [Concrete Action 3]

KPIs for GEO

Primary KPIs:

• Overall Mention Rate
• Tier 1 Citation Rate
• Competitive Share

Secondary KPIs:

• Topic Coverage
• AI Referral Traffic
• Brand Search Volume (indirect)

Conclusion

AI Analytics is a new field that's developing rapidly. The key takeaways:

1. Start simple: A spreadsheet is enough to begin
2. Be consistent: Regular tracking is more important than perfect tools
3. Focus on trends: Individual data points matter less than developments
4. Combine metrics: AI mentions + traffic + conversions give the complete picture

Ready for professional GEO tracking? Contact us for a custom monitoring setup.