Nick Brown is the Founder and CEO of accelerate agency, a SaaS SEO & content agency. Working with enterprise and scale-up brands.
There’s so much talk these days about optimizing for AI search. But, the way I see it, the real challenge is in measuring its impact.
As CEO of accelerate agency, I’ve spent years helping brands navigate search. Now, AI-driven search has arrived, and it’s arguably the most significant shift in search visibility since SEO began. Every day, generated answers replace traditional search results, offering users instant responses without the need to click through to a website.
I’ve spoken with countless business leaders who are frustrated because their content is featured in AI-generated answers, yet they’re seeing no corresponding increase in site traffic. I get it. A shift like this can be disorienting if you’ve always tracked SEO success through clicks, traffic and conversions. But it’s important to realize AI search is changing user behavior, not brand impact. Just because users don’t always click through doesn’t mean they aren’t engaging with your brand. AI search’s influence matters, so now it’s about finding a new way of measuring success.
4 New Metrics For AI Search Success
To measure the impact of AI search properly, we need to move beyond outdated click-based metrics and track signals that reflect brand exposure, influence and engagement.
1. Brand Mentions And Visibility
AI models pull content from across the web, so your brand can appear in generated answers even if users don’t land on your site. This is why tracking brand mentions and visibility in Google’s AI Overviews matters.
A great tool for this is Semrush AI Toolkit, which my company is currently trying out. It shows how often you’re mentioned in AI-generated content across various search engines and platforms. This gives you a clearer picture of your visibility beyond just website traffic. If AI is consistently referencing your brand in responses, that’s a powerful signal that your authority is growing.
2. Search Impression And Answer Ranking
Instead of just tracking traditional keyword rankings, it’s essential to determine whether your content is appearing in AI-generated answers and how prominently it’s featured.
Semrush AI Toolkit allows you to analyze where your content ranks in generated responses, whether your insights influence search results and how often your content is selected. In my opinion, it’s a real ace card for businesses prioritizing visibility in AI search.
3. Engagement Beyond Clicks
Even if AI search means fewer direct clicks, users can still engage with your brand. Here’s what you can track instead of click-through rates:
• Social media discussions sparked by AI-generated answers referencing your brand
• Referral traffic from AI-powered platforms
• Brand sentiment analysis to see how AI exposure influences your customers’ perception
You must take a broader approach that accounts for AI search’s ability to drive brand awareness, even if it’s not tied to direct website visits.
4. Conversions And Assisted Attribution
Tracking organic search conversions has always been challenging. AI search is simply complicating it a little further, as users now interact with multiple touchpoints before converting.
Rather than focusing on last-click conversions, analyze assisted attribution or how AI-driven visibility contributes to conversions later in the funnel. This will require deeper data analysis, but it’s essential for understanding AI search’s full impact.
How Businesses Can Adapt
We know if a business wants to thrive in the AI search era, it’s vital to change content strategies and SEO success measures. Here’s my quick five-step guide on how to adapt successfully.
1. Optimize For AI Retrieval
Make it a priority to craft structured, authoritative content that AI models can confidently pull from. Use clear, well-sourced information that AI can trust. Structure your content with schema markup and concise, direct answers. Be sure you’re providing depth and nuance on a topic so AI will reference your content over competitors.
2. Invest In AI Analytics
There’s no escaping the fact that you must track AI-driven search performance. Platforms and tools like Semrush AI Toolkit, Ahrefs, Evertune and Waikay can help you easily monitor how your content appears in those search results.
3. Prioritize Brand Authority Over Keywords
AI search values brand authority more than keywords. Thought leadership earns trust and citations, so concentrate on crafting expert-driven content backed by real-world credibility. Then, be sure to keep your brand presence consistent across multiple high-authority platforms.
4. Leverage Customer Reviews
Reviews are now a top factor in AI search rankings. Positive customer feedback builds trust, making AI more likely to reference your brand in its answers. So, it’s essential to encourage satisfied customers to leave authentic, detailed reviews.
5. Use Google Analytics For AI-Driven Referral Traffic
Google Analytics can help you track referral traffic and engagement from AI-powered sources. This free tool will strengthen insights into AI’s indirect impact on brand discovery.
Establishing How To Track Success In AI Search
I can’t stress enough that AI search is no longer about chasing clicks. It’s about owning visibility and being part of the answer set AI relies on. Brands that measure success through brand mentions, AI ranking presence and assisted attribution will be the winners; those that cling to old SEO metrics will struggle.
The search game has changed. If you want to stay ahead, you need the right metrics to measure success in AI-driven search visibility. Adapt and monitor the four I’ve highlighted, and you’ll be set for the future.
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?