You can’t optimize what you can’t measure. But here’s the catch:
AEO doesn’t behave like traditional SEO.
There are no position #1s. No Google Search Console for ChatGPT. No tidy CTR report for Perplexity (yet).
So how do you track what’s working?
Let’s walk through what to measure, how to measure it, and what to ignore.
What you should track in AEO
1. Citation Share (a.k.a. “Share of Answer”)
This is the AEO version of keyword rankings.
For a given topic, how often is your brand mentioned in AI-generated answers?
You want to track:
- What percentage of answers include your site or product name?
- Which sources mention you (your blog, Reddit, YouTube, affiliate blogs)?
- Which of your URLs are showing up (owned content)?
Citation share gives you the visibility baseline.
2. Variant Coverage (Are you answering enough questions?)
Each AEO topic has dozens – sometimes hundreds – of question variants.
You should measure:
- How many question types you’re eligible to answer
- Where you’re missing coverage (long-tail gaps)
This helps you expand into new surface area.
3. Clicks & Referrals (When Trackable)
It’s still early days, but:
- Some traffic from ChatGPT browsing and Perplexity includes referral headers
- Google’s AI Overviews can pass tracked clicks
- YouTube, Reddit, and affiliate links can be tagged with UTM parameters
You won’t get perfect attribution. But you can:
- Look for spikes after a new citation
- Tag off-site links (especially if you run affiliate deals)
- Use post-conversion “How did you hear about us?” fields
4. Conversion Rates From AEO Traffic
One of the most surprising insights from AEO case studies is this:
LLM-generated traffic often converts far better than search traffic.
Teams have reported:
- 3×–6× higher conversion rates
- Better lead quality
- More informed users
So even a small number of clicks can be extremely valuable.
Tools that help (and what they can/can’t do)
There’s no official AEO Search Console yet, but you can use:
LLM Answer Trackers
- Tools like: Profound, SGE Radar, Glean, Frase, AlsoAsked, Originality.ai
- They scrape answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.
- Let you track citation frequency and ranking patterns
Use them to:
- Monitor changes in your answer share
- Detect new citations or losses
- See what competitors are getting picked up
Manual Testing
- Ask 10–20 different question variants
- In ChatGPT (with browsing), Perplexity, Bing, Gemini
- See who shows up
Track:
- How often your brand is included
- Which pages and surfaces (Reddit, blog, YouTube) are cited
- What type of content is reused (paragraphs, tables, quotes)
Custom Dashboards (Advanced)
- Use APIs (Perplexity, Reddit, YouTube, Bing Webmaster Tools)
- Track your brand mentions across the web
- Combine with referral + CRM data to tie traffic to conversions
What not to obsess over
- Exact rankings: In AEO, answers change based on question wording, time of day, and model randomness. Don’t sweat 1st vs. 2nd mention.
- Backlinks: They still help a bit, but LLMs don’t care about dofollow/nofollow. Mentions are stronger signals.
- “Search volume”: There’s no public question volume data (yet). Directional insights from Reddit, search console, or Profound are better.
Tracking Example: Simple Spreadsheet
| Topic | Question Variant | Mentioned in ChatGPT? | Perplexity? | Source Cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting tools 2025 | What’s the best tool for Finnish tax law? | ✅ | ✅ | Reddit, YourSite.com |
| AI video editors | Free AI tool to make YouTube intros? | ❌ | ✅ | YouTube, Capcut.com |
| CRM for nonprofits | CRM that handles donor segmentation? | ✅ | ❌ | Zapier blog, HubSpot |
Final word on tracking
AEO metrics are messy, noisy, and still developing.
But if you:
- Know your question sets
- Watch who gets cited
- Track your visibility over time
- Capture referral/conversion insights when possible
…you’ll have a strategic advantage over 90% of others.
In the next chapter, we’ll get a little more tactical – and share some rare, under-discussed tricks that are working right now. Check out Under-the-Radar Tactics That Work (Rare but Effective Ideas).
AEO & GEO Handbook 2026 by People, business, and AI systems clarity coach Mike Moisio