Why KPI is today’s measure of brand success

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Brand search visibility is more than just doing the right SEO strategy. It includes three steps to improve your chances of being included in AI overview search results.

• Checking current AI Overview ranking  
• Monitoring your brand lift
• Tracking competitors and comparing

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For years, the playbook for search success was ranking high on the search engine results list. Increasing visibility by any means necessary, cranking out relevant, SEO-friendly content, backlinking trustworthy sources, and cracking the right keywords was the highway to success.

In the AI age, that’s now old news…mostly. 

Studies have found that by 2028, AI search visitors are projected to surpass traditional search visitors. With the wider shift towards AI overview, this trend may as well be today’s reality.

All this to say, how successful is your brand on Google AI search overview, and what should you shift to achieve this success?

AI search KPIs are measured by three metrics: direct metrics, business outcomes, and proxy metrics (signs that AI was an influence in the absence of direct data). 

To see how your business currently stacks up, we recommend a free tool such as HubSpot’s AI Search Grader to get a snapshot of how healthy your AI ranking is.

So you’ve run the audit, and the results come back looking…not great. What now?

Three Steps to Improve Your AI Overview Ranking

First, check your AI Visibility Rate

AI visibility rate measures how often your brand shows up in AI-generated answers based on user searches. In other words, it tells you if you’re actually showing up in front of key audiences.

Use tools like Semrush and SE Ranking to run consistent checks to capture trends.

Next, monitor your Branded Search Lift.

Use Google Search Console to monitor branded keyword impressions and clicks. Every time you publish new content, double-check whether queries increase and adjust for success.

When users see your brand mentioned after an AI search, they’re 182% more likely to search for the brand directly and visit the website, boosting your traffic and contributing to your ROI goals.

Finally, keep tracking your competitors 

See how you measure in terms of citation shares. Think of it as your internet street credit among your peers, and an indicator of how likely you will show up on AI search engine overviews.

Currently, AI search engines fail to correctly cite sources more than 60% of the time. However, that is one hiccup that will likely resolve as time goes on and measurement tools become more precise.

In conclusion, parts of the old playbook still ring true. SEO and traffic visibility are still a long game, albeit with a new game format. However, only when the correct steps and plan are taken can your brand truly start to be counted as a player in the era of AI overview.

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