Method · Measurement
How We Measure AI Visibility: Mention Rate, Not Rank
When we say how visible a business is in AI answers, we report a mention rate.
The Short Answer
Mention Rate
Mention rate = answers that name the business ÷ all answers counted, with the sample size, the assistants and the dates written next to it.
For example: "named in 6 of 40 answers (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode; 1-3 October 2026)".
The same rate is measured for 3 competitors, so the number has something to be compared with.
Not sure where you stand? Get a free snapshot or see a sample snapshot.
Where Customers Ask
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ChatGPT
Your next customer asks it for a name. If your facts are thin, it may name someone else.
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Google's AI Mode
It cites Google Maps profiles, websites and directories. Only in Japanese? English questions may not find you.
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Perplexity
It looks for facts it can find and quote. Wrong or missing facts? It may quote someone else.
Step 1 checks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Mode (Google's AI Overviews noted when they appear).
Independent. Not affiliated with Google, OpenAI or any AI company.
Why Not a Rank?
A rank suggests a stable order, like position 3 on a results page.
AI answers don't work that way. The same question asked twice often gets a different answer. The sources AI cites shift too:
- Under 1%
of repeated runs gave the same list of brands, in one study.
Source: SparkToro, study outside Japan, January 2026. - 21-33%
overlap between repeated runs, in another study.
Source: BrightLocal, study outside Japan. - About 10 points
change in the mix of sources AI cites, in six weeks, seen by one tracker.
Source: Steady Demand, US study, 2026.
Key Takeaway
So a single answer tells you little. A rate across many answers, with the sample size shown, tells you much more.
It also lets you see change over time without pretending to precision that isn't there.
How Our Numbers Are Built
Questions
Questions a real customer would ask, in English, written for each business and sector
WhyMeasures what customers actually see
Assistants
ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI Mode; Google's AI Overviews noted when they appear
WhyCustomers use different assistants
Sample Size
Step 1: about 40 answers (10 questions on 4 assistants), plus repeat runs of the 5 most important questions
WhyA rate needs enough answers to mean something
Competitors
The same questions, counted for 3 competitors you choose
WhyA number on its own has no context
Dates
Every count carries the dates it was run
WhyAnswers change; old numbers age
Evidence
A screenshot of every answer
WhyYou can check every count yourself
Wrong Facts
A log of anything AI states incorrectly about you (hours, languages, a closed branch)
WhyWrong facts can matter more than missing ones
Key Takeaway
Every number comes with the sample size, the assistants and the dates, and a screenshot of every answer.
When an Assistant Shows No AI Answer: N/A
N/A Is Not "Not Mentioned"
Google's AI Overviews appear only for some searches. When no AI answer appears, we record N/A and leave it out of the count, rather than counting it as "not mentioned".
The report says how many N/A results there were, so the denominator is always clear.
How to Read a Change
Small samples move. If a business goes from 6 of 40 to 8 of 40, that may be noise.
We look for changes that hold across months and across assistants, and we say plainly when a change is too small to mean anything.
- About 2-6 weeks
Google Maps changes can start to show in this time.
- 2-4 months or longer
AI answers can take this long to shift, and some businesses see little change.
Key Takeaway
These are estimates, not promises.
Google Maps Is Measured Differently
On Google Maps, a business does have a position in the results, and it depends on where the searcher is standing.
For Maps we measure your position for a set of search terms across a grid of points in your area, not from one spot.
We call that a Maps position, and we keep it separate from the AI mention rate.
AI Answers: Mention Rate
How many answers name you, out of a stated number of answers.
Google Maps: Maps Position
Your position for a set of search terms, across a grid of points in your area.
What We Will Never Do
- Call an AI result a "rank", or round a small sample into a big claim.
- Promise a mention, a recommendation or a number of customers. Google and the AI companies decide their own answers.
- Hide the sample size or the dates.
Coming Soon: The Tokyo AI Visibility Index
We plan to publish sector-level data using the same method: the questions asked, the assistants, the dates and the sample size, with no businesses named. See the Tokyo AI Visibility Index.
Common Questions
Why Do You Run the Same Question More Than Once?
Because answers vary between runs. Repeating the most important questions shows whether a mention is steady or a one-off.
Do You Use a Tool or Ask by Hand?
Both, depending on the job. Every count is backed by a dated screenshot either way.
Can a Business With a 0% Mention Rate Improve?
It can, when the reason is missing or wrong facts, but no one can promise it. We guarantee the work, not the result: see the work guarantee.
Find Out What AI Says About You Today
Our free snapshot asks ChatGPT and Google's AI two questions your customers would ask and checks your Google Maps listing. The full mention rate comes in Step 1. More: Who We Help, FAQ.
