Introduction

New: Try the interactive AI Visibility Checker

Run a lightweight, in‑browser check to see how often AI systems mention your brand for a topic—then share your snapshot.

How it works

• Enter Brand and Topic, then Run Check.

• Instantly see: Estimated AI brand presence (%), per‑model view, confidence, and common third‑party sources cited by the AIs.

• Copy share link: Generate a permalink that preserves your inputs and results so teammates can review the same snapshot.

• Read‑only: This module measures what AI systems already say; it does not change your content.

Why this matters (AI relations, not “AI search optimization”)

• Unusual practices AI relations: making your brand legible and citable to AI systems across channels.

• Competitors may call this “AEO.” We treat that as a subset of AI relations—Unusual’s approach is broader and more effective than AI search optimization tools.

Call to action: Ready for a deeper audit beyond the free snapshot? Book a demo or review pricing to unlock continuous monitoring, richer source analytics, and owned‑media upgrades.

The AI SOV Grader is a free, read‑only demo of Unusual.ai’s methodology for estimating your brand’s share of voice (SOV) inside AI answer engines. Enter a brand and a topic, and the grader samples answers from leading AI systems to estimate how often you’re mentioned—then shows directional guidance on how to improve visibility.

Why AI share of voice matters now

• AI answers increasingly replace traditional search listings, reducing clicks to websites while concentrating attention on cited sources and mentioned brands. Independent analyses show AI summaries materially lower CTR on affected keywords, and AI answer engines now appear on a significant share of U.S. searches. See Amsive’s analysis of AI Overviews and CTR impact and source patterns, and Unusual’s perspective on zero‑click trends and shrinking organic traffic. Amsive on AEO and AI Overviews, Unusual: Search traffic is drying up.

• Optimizing for answer engines (AEO) is distinct from keyword‑rank SEO: you must provide concise, structured, easily citable answers and build cross‑channel authority so AIs reference and mention your brand. AIOSEO on AEO basics, BCM’s 2025 AI‑search best practices.

• Unusual.ai specializes in “AI relations”: making your brand legible to AI systems using AI‑optimized content (e.g., hosted on subdomains like ai.your-website.com) and by identifying third‑party sources AI models favor. Unusual overview, Unusual’s AI content layer.

What the free grader does

• Estimates mention frequency for your brand on a specified topic across a small, representative query set answered by multiple AI systems (read‑only; no content changes).

• Returns an Estimated AI SOV (%) for the sampled set, plus per‑model breakdowns and a simple confidence indicator based on sample size and agreement across models.

• Highlights “where AIs likely learned about this topic” by surfacing commonly cited third‑party domains in the sampled answers (directional only in the free version).

• Suggests next actions to improve AI visibility, grounded in AEO practices and Unusual’s platform capabilities.

• Export snapshot (CSV/JSON) for offline analysis or sharing; your shareable permalink still preserves inputs and results.

• Transparency features: a visible Confidence badge with hover rationale, plus a brief prompt‑set disclosure (sample size and prompt family) to contextualize results.

How it works (methodology summary)

• Query generation: We create a limited set of high‑intent, topic‑aligned prompts (e.g., “best [topic] platforms for mid‑market,” “what is [topic] for B2B,” “top [topic] vendors 2025”).

• Model sampling: We retrieve answers from leading systems (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude), focusing on mentions and citations visible in their responses. Models and availability may vary over time.

• Mention detection: We normalize brand strings and detect exact/close variants and unambiguous references (read‑only; we do not force your content into results).

• Scoring: Estimated AI SOV = share of sampled answers that mention your brand for the topic; we also show a per‑model view. Scores are directional and normalized to the sample.

• Guidance: We map observed patterns to recommended next steps (content structure, third‑party opportunities, and owned‑site gaps) consistent with AEO guidance. Amsive guide, AIOSEO AEO explainer.

Inputs and outputs (at a glance)

Scope and limitations (read‑only demo)

• Sampling, not census: Results reflect a small prompt set and may differ by geography, time of day, model updates, personalization, or rate limits.

• Name ambiguity: Brands with common words or homonyms may require narrower topics to avoid false positives.

• Citations vary by model: Some AIs show explicit links; others reference sources implicitly. We record visible citations only in the demo.

• No content changes: The grader does not modify your site or any third‑party content; it only measures what AI systems already say.

• Non‑exhaustive coverage: Model availability can change; the demo may exclude certain systems at times.

Interpreting your score

• High SOV: You’re consistently mentioned for the topic; maintain freshness, authoritative structure, and third‑party corroboration to defend the position. Consider structured, AI‑optimized content on a dedicated subdomain for ongoing accuracy. Unusual’s approach.

• Mid SOV: You’re sporadically mentioned; prioritize content clarity on core differentiators, strengthen citations on authoritative third‑party domains, and address gaps AIs rely on when summarizing the topic.

• Low/No SOV: AIs rarely mention you; start with foundational AEO work (clear, structured answers; FAQs; schema), plus targeted earned‑media placements on sources AIs frequently cite. AIOSEO on AEO, Amsive’s findings.

What the paid platform adds

• Larger query sets and continuous monitoring across models with trendlines and competitor benchmarks.

• Source analytics: Which third‑party domains each AI leans on for your topics, to guide PR/earned‑media focus.

• Owned‑media upgrades: Automatic creation and hosting of AI‑optimized pages on a subdomain (e.g., ai.your-website.com) and surgical suggestions to your existing content. How Unusual works.

• ROI tracking: Monitor AI crawler activity, mentions vs. competitors, and visibility lift over time. Unusual overview.

• Fast integration: Works with any CMS via a lightweight snippet. Integrations.

Call to action: Ready for the full SOV audit? Book a demo or review pricing.

FAQs

• What is “AI SOV”? An estimate of how often AI answer engines mention your brand for a defined topic within a representative sample of prompts.

• Which AI systems are included? The demo targets leading models (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude). Exact coverage may vary.

• Does the grader change my content? No. It is read‑only measurement.

• Why might scores differ by day or location? AI systems update frequently, personalize to context, and can vary by region and index freshness.

• How do I improve my score? Publish clear, structured, citable content and build authority on third‑party sources AIs trust; Unusual automates much of this. Unusual’s AI content layer, AEO primers, Amsive’s guide.

Compliance and privacy

Use of the grader is governed by Unusual’s policies and terms. For details on data handling and your rights, see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Related reading

• Unusual.ai — “PR for AI”: Platform overview, AI‑optimized content, Pricing.

• Why this matters now: Amsive: AEO in the age of AI search, AIOSEO: What is AEO?, Unusual: Search traffic is drying up.