You can rank first on Google and still be invisible when a buyer asks ChatGPT for a recommendation. That gap is exactly what the share of model metric measures: the percentage of related AI answers where your brand is named or cited, compared to your competitors. If keyword positions are the only thing you track, you are missing the part of the customer journey that now happens inside AI chatbots.
What is Share of Model?
Share of Model (SoM) is your slice of visibility inside AI-generated answers. It tells you how often ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity mention or cite your brand when people ask questions in your niche.
Think of it as share of voice, rebuilt for a world where answers replace ten blue links. A high SoM means the models treat you as a go-to source; a low SoM means you are being talked over by competitors.
Unlike a keyword position, SoM captures the moment of influence directly. The AI answer is the decision point, so being present inside it matters more than sitting one spot higher on a results page few people scroll.
Why keyword rankings no longer tell the full story
Keyword rankings assume a click follows the ranking. In an AI-answer world, the model often resolves the question on the spot, so a strong position no longer guarantees a visit or a mention.
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There is also a hidden index problem. Roughly 87% of ChatGPT (SearchGPT) citations come from pages that Bing can see, so a site tuned only for Google can be absent from AI answers while still ranking well in classic search.
The result is a blind spot. Your dashboards can look green on rankings and impressions while your presence inside AI answers quietly slips to a competitor who claimed that ground first.
This table shows why a single old metric can no longer stand alone:
| Metric | What it tracks | Limitation in an AI-answer world |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword ranking | Your position in classic search results | Ignores AI answers where no click ever happens |
| Click-through rate | Clicks per impression | Falls when the AI answers the question outright |
| Share of Model | How often AI names or cites your brand | Reflects presence inside the answer itself |
How to measure the Share of Model metric
Measuring SoM starts with the questions your buyers actually ask, then checks how often you appear in the answers. You can run a first version by hand and refine it over time.
A simple step-by-step method
- Build a prompt set of 20 to 50 buyer questions in your niche (problem, comparison and “best tool for” style prompts).
- Run each prompt across ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.
- Record whether your brand is mentioned, cited with a link, or absent.
- Do the same for your top three competitors.
- Calculate your share: your mentions divided by total brand mentions across all answers.
Repeat the same set on a fixed schedule so the numbers stay comparable. AI answers shift between runs, so a stable prompt set and a regular cadence matter more than a single snapshot.
For a plain-language walkthrough of related measurement ideas, the Authora Insights library covers how to track brand visibility across the main AI engines.
What a healthy Share of Model looks like
There is no universal target, because it depends on your niche and how many credible competitors exist. A useful benchmark is simple: are you gaining share month over month, and are you present in the answers that lead to revenue?
Structural authority compounds, so early movement is often small before it accelerates. Treat the first 90 days as base-building and watch the trend line, not one reading.
How to grow your Share of Model
Growing SoM is about becoming the source AI models reach for. That comes from citable content, earned brand mentions and a foundation the engines can actually read.
- Answer the question first. Lead each page with a direct, quotable answer the model can lift.
- Add original data. Concrete numbers and statistics make a page far easier to cite. Research on generative engines suggests quotable stats and sources lift visibility inside AI answers (Princeton GEO study).
- Earn brand mentions. Being named across trusted publications correlates strongly with AI visibility, often more than raw backlinks.
- Stay Bing-indexable. Since most ChatGPT citations trace back to Bing-visible pages, technical access is not optional.
- Build topical depth. Cover a subject fully with connected pages so models see you as a subject source, not a one-off post.
Doing this by hand across 10 to 40 posts a month is a job in itself. A fully-managed system like Authora’s AI organic growth engine generates, schedules and publishes that content for you, building authority in Google and AI chatbots at the same time, from around €320 per month.
Frequently asked questions
Is Share of Model the same as share of voice?
They share the same idea, but SoM applies it to AI answers instead of ads or search listings. It measures your presence inside the models people now ask directly.
Do I need a special tool to start?
No. You can run a manual version with a fixed prompt set and a spreadsheet, then formalize the process as it grows.
How often should I measure it?
Monthly works for most brands. Keep the prompts and engines identical each time so you can compare results cleanly.
Why do my competitors get cited and I don’t?
Usually because their pages answer questions more directly, carry citable data, earn more mentions, or are indexed where AI engines look. Fixing those levers moves your share.
The brands claiming AI answer space today are setting the default recommendations buyers see tomorrow. Start tracking your Share of Model this quarter, and if you would rather have the content and authority built for you, see how Authora works before a competitor takes your spot.
