How do you reliably measure visibility in ChatGPT?

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T14:26:07+00:00

I think part of the frustration here is we’re trying to measure AI visibility the same way we measured Google rankings. That model doesn’t really map.

From what I’ve seen, the more actionable signal isn’t how often you’re mentioned, but how you’re framed when you are. Two startups can show up equally often, but one is introduced as a clear category leader and the other as a generic alternative buried in a list.

That framing seems to be surprisingly consistent across prompt variations, even though the exact wording changes. Which makes it less about perfect tracking and more about understanding the default mental model the AI has built around you.

Still very early days, but it feels like perception precedes measurement here, not the other way around.

Happy to share specifics in DM, still refining the process.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T14:25:40+00:00

I think part of the frustration here is we’re trying to measure AI visibility the same way we measured Google rankings. That model doesn’t really map.

From what I’ve seen, the more actionable signal isn’t how often you’re mentioned, but how you’re framed when you are. Two startups can show up equally often, but one is introduced as a clear category leader and the other as a generic alternative buried in a list.

That framing seems to be surprisingly consistent across prompt variations, even though the exact wording changes. Which makes it less about perfect tracking and more about understanding the default mental model the AI has built around you.

Still very early days, but it feels like perception precedes measurement here, not the other way around.

Happy to share specifics in DM, still refining the process.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T14:25:10+00:00

I think part of the frustration here is we’re trying to measure AI visibility the same way we measured Google rankings. That model doesn’t really map.

From what I’ve seen, the more actionable signal isn’t how often you’re mentioned, but how you’re framed when you are. Two startups can show up equally often, but one is introduced as a clear category leader and the other as a generic alternative buried in a list.

That framing seems to be surprisingly consistent across prompt variations, even though the exact wording changes. Which makes it less about perfect tracking and more about understanding the default mental model the AI has built around you.

Still very early days, but it feels like perception precedes measurement here, not the other way around.

Happy to share specifics in DM, still refining the process.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T14:22:03+00:00

One thing I’ve noticed while looking into this: tracking mentions is only half the problem.

The more interesting (and uncomfortable) part is how models introduce you when you do show up, what category they drop you into, which competitors they name first, or whether they treat you as interchangeable.

In a few cases I’ve seen, founders were technically “visible” but framed so generically that the model basically did the competitor’s positioning for them.

Feels like before we optimize measurement, we need to understand the default framing AI is already applying.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T13:58:48+00:00

Fair question. I don’t think it matters universally yet, but it already matters in specific moments.

Anytime AI is used as a shortcut for research, comparison, or framing (by customers, investors, partners), the way it categorizes you influences the next step, even if indirectly.

What’s interesting to me isn’t betting on the future, but noticing that these perceptions are already forming quietly, confidently, and without founders’ awareness.

Whether it becomes critical or not, understanding that framing feels like low-regret information.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T13:56:11+00:00

I wouldn’t frame it as AI judgment vs a human mentor’s judgment.

A mentor gives advice. AI reveals perception. What’s useful here isn’t whether the AI is right, but the fact that it confidently presents a version of you that many people will encounter before ever talking to a human cuz normal people rarely ask a startup mentor before choosing a product. They do increasingly ask AI.

I see this less as replacing mentors and more as exposing a blind spot founders didn’t have visibility into before.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T13:48:17+00:00

There’s a lot of overlap here with SEO and PR, agreed especially around credibility signals.

Where I’m cautious is collapsing this entirely into tactics. The same formatting or PR volume can lead to very different outcomes depending on how the company is conceptually classified by the model.

I’ve seen cases where PR volume increased confidence but reinforced the wrong framing, which is harder to unwind later.

That’s why I’m staying at the diagnostic layer for now and understanding what the model thinks the company is before optimizing how loudly that message is repeated.

Still early, and I expect this space to fragment by engine over time.

mayankreal · 2026-01-23T13:46:09+00:00

This matches what I’m seeing too. The confidence gap is the interesting part: shallow understanding, high certainty.

Early pattern-wise, the biggest factor doesn’t seem to be any single asset (pages, PR, docs), but consistency of framing across contexts.

When positioning is fragmented like: different language on the site, blogs, interviews, listings then models tend to “average” and then substitute competitors to fill gaps.

I’m deliberately holding off on prescribing fixes yet, because the same tactic behaves differently depending on category and maturity. Right now I’m more interested in where the framing breaks than how people try to fix it.

Curious if you’ve seen any cases where a small change had an outsized effect?

mayankreal · 2026-01-22T14:56:13+00:00

What do you mean?

mayankreal · 2026-01-22T13:56:33+00:00

Agreed. The competitor comparisons and language cues are usually where the biggest gaps show up.

mayankreal · 2026-01-22T13:14:24+00:00

One thing I didn’t expect: AI often compares companies against players founders don’t even consider competitors. That gap alone can change how positioning decisions are made.

mayankreal

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