The KPI Shift
From Traditional Search to AI-Search
Traditional SEO KPIs
New LLM SEO KPIs
Measurement Evolution
Traditional metrics measure visibility. AI metrics measure influence and trust.
New Success Signals
Being cited correctly matters more than being clicked frequently.
Dual Tracking
Track both traditional and AI KPIs to understand full visibility picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are traditional SEO KPIs no longer sufficient?
Traditional KPIs measure Google-centric visibility: rankings, traffic, clicks. But as AI-powered search grows, users get answers without clicking. If your metrics only track traditional search, you're blind to whether AI systems cite, recommend, or even know about your brand—an increasingly critical discovery channel.
What is "AI citation count" and how do I measure it?
AI citation count measures how often your content or brand is explicitly mentioned in AI-generated answers. Measure it by regularly querying AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) with relevant prompts and tracking when your brand appears. Tools like Otterly.AI and AI Search Grader automate this tracking.
What does "machine-validated authority" mean?
Unlike traditional domain authority based on link graphs, machine-validated authority reflects how AI systems evaluate trustworthiness. It considers content quality, factual accuracy, consistency across sources, expert authorship signals, and external mentions in trusted contexts—factors AI uses to decide which sources to cite.
How is "zero-click surface presence" different from CTR?
CTR measures clicks from search results. Zero-click surface presence measures visibility where no click happens—AI answers, voice responses, featured snippets that fully answer queries. Your brand can have excellent zero-click presence (being cited in AI answers) while having zero CTR because users got their answer without visiting your site.
What is "vector index presence rate"?
Vector databases power AI retrieval by storing content as numerical embeddings. Vector index presence rate measures what percentage of your content exists in these databases, making it available for AI to retrieve and cite. Unlike Google indexing, vector indexing depends on content structure, quality, and AI crawler access.
Should I stop tracking traditional SEO KPIs?
No—track both. Traditional KPIs still matter for Google search traffic, which remains significant. The shift is adding AI KPIs alongside traditional ones. This dual tracking reveals your complete visibility picture: how you perform in both human-driven search and AI-powered discovery channels.
How do I track "sentiment in LLM outputs"?
Query AI tools with comparison prompts: "What's the best [product category]?" or "Compare [your brand] vs [competitor]." Note how AI describes your brand—positive, neutral, skeptical, incomplete. Track this qualitatively over time. Sentiment in AI outputs directly affects whether users trust AI recommendations about your brand.
What tools help track AI SEO KPIs?
Emerging tools include Otterly.AI for citation tracking, AI Search Grader for visibility scoring, Profound for LLM mentions, and manual tracking via spreadsheets. The field is evolving rapidly—expect more sophisticated AI KPI tracking tools in coming months as demand for this measurement grows.
Ready to Dominate AI Search Results?
Our SEO agency specializes in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies that get your brand cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. We combine traditional SEO expertise with cutting-edge AI visibility tactics.