SEO is changing and the way we measure success needs to change too.
We’re entering the era of AI-driven search, where traditional SEO KPIs like keyword rankings and click-through rates just don’t tell the whole story anymore.
Instead, we need new metrics that reflect visibility, authority, and trust within AI-generated results.
This post is a breakdown of our AI SEO KPI video, where I chart five key areas you can be KPIing to measure your AI SEO success – along with the tools to track them.
1. Visibility: The New “Rank Tracking”
Keyword rankings used to be the go-to quick SEO metric, but AI search doesn’t work that way.
Instead, we’re now looking at share of voice – how often your brand or content appears within AI-generated results.
Tools like LLM Refs are leading the way here. It’s free, simple, and closely mirrors the old keyword-tracking approach, giving you a clean visibility score you can monitor monthly.
Other tools such as Waikay and Ahrefs Brand Radar also provide insight into AI visibility. But for straightforward KPI tracking, LLM Refs currently offers the easiest one-to-one comparison with traditional SEO reporting.
Plus – it’s free! Always a nice bonus.
Key KPI: Track Share of Voice each month to measure how your visibility within AI search is growing.
2. Citations: Measuring Authority in AI Responses
Your next major metric? AI citations – how often your site is referenced as a source by AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Ahrefs recently introduced AI Citations tracking, showing how many times your domain appears as a cited source across major AI platforms.
This is a great signal of how helpful and authoritative your content is in the eyes of generative AI systems.
Key KPI: Number of AI citations (tracked monthly).
If citations are rising, it means your content is being used to inform more AI answers – a strong signal of domain trust.
3. Traffic: Tracking Clicks in the AI Age
Clicks from Google are disappearing. AI answers are taking up more SERP real estate, and organic CTRs are dropping.
But traffic still matters — maybe more than ever.
Set up GA4 reports or use dashboards like the one from Seer Interactive, which can visualise your AI-related traffic sources in Looker Studio. Monitor your traffic trends, conversions, and associated revenue monthly.
Even if you’re getting fewer clicks, you may find that AI-driven traffic converts better — so it’s worth tracking carefully.
Key KPI: AI-related traffic growth and conversion rate.
4. Sentiment: What AI Thinks About You
This one is a bit “woolier” to directly KPI, but it’s absolutely vital that you track brand sentiment.
It’s not just about visibility – it’s about how you’re represented.
Run your brand through ChatGPT or similar models and see what it says. What positives does it highlight? What concerns or misconceptions come up?
Tools like Brand Skeptic GPT can even generate 50 potential buyer questions about your brand, helping uncover blind spots in your messaging or reputation.
Key KPI: Track overall brand sentiment and recurring themes (monthly or quarterly).
5. Correctness: Fact-Checking the Machines
Another “wooly” but vital KPI is correctness – how accurately AI tools describe your products, services, or company.
Tools like Waikay can analyse the factual statements AI makes about your brand or industry.
If you notice consistent inaccuracies or hallucinations, it’s a red flag that your online brand reputation needs reinforcing through better content or backlinks that counteracts the misinformation.
It also helps you keep on top of your website’s info, making sure you don’t miss outdated FAQs that may mislead AI.
Additionally, monitor your 404 reports. If AI keeps referencing non-existent URLs, consider creating those pages or redirecting them appropriately.
Key KPI: Reduction in incorrect AI statements and 404 references over time.
Bonus: Tools to Keep on Your Radar
I’ve collated the tools mentioned throughout my video, and that I actually use, here:
The Old KPIs Aren’t Dead Yet
While traditional metrics like rankings and clicks aren’t obsolete, they no longer tell the full story.
By tracking visibility, citations, sentiment, and correctness, you’ll build a clearer picture of your brand’s true presence in the AI ecosystem.
The slice of traffic AI brings might be smaller right now, but it’s growing fast.
Start measuring smarter today, and you’ll look like you’re on top of these exciting new developments to clients or management.
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