Tracking brand mentions in AI: how to keep track of whether AI mentions you

Tracking brand mentions in AI means regularly asking AI assistants the same customer questions and recording whether your business is mentioned in the answers. You can do it by hand, in a spreadsheet, or with a tool that does it automatically. The key is to keep asking the same questions, to several models, over a longer period.

Why track brand mentions in AI?

More and more people ask an AI assistant for advice before choosing a provider. "Which installer in Breda fits heat pumps?" or "Which museum in Utrecht is good with children?". If you are missing from that answer, you never notice. There is no alert and no visitor.

That is why you have to keep track yourself. Only then do you know whether you are visible, whether you are improving and whether your efforts are working. Also read how to measure whether AI mentions your business.

Step 1: choose the right questions

Your measurement is only as good as your questions. Pick questions real customers ask, in their own words:

• Questions with a place name. "Good dentist in Leeuwarden taking on new patients."
• Comparison questions. "What is the difference between wooden and aluminium window frames?"
• Problem questions. "My boiler is making a ticking noise, who can help in Tilburg?"
• Best-of questions. "Best online store for sustainable garden furniture."

Start with five to ten questions. You will find inspiration in which questions customers ask AI and in your own inbox: what do customers often ask you?

Step 2: ask several models

ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude give different answers. They use different sources and different models. If you only measure one, you miss a large part of the picture. See why AI answers differ.

When testing by hand, use a private window or a new conversation without history. That stops earlier conversations from colouring the answer.

Step 3: record more than yes or no

For each question and each model, write down:

1. Mentioned: yes or no.
2. Position. Where in the list are you mentioned?
3. Competitors. Who else is mentioned?
4. Sources. Which websites does the AI show as sources?
5. What is said about you. Is the information correct? Is the tone positive or neutral?

With this data you can calculate a visibility percentage and your share of voice compared with competitors. More on this in the AI visibility score explained.

How often should you measure?

AI answers change constantly. Models get updates, new sources are found and every answer has an element of chance. A one-off measurement is therefore a snapshot.

A good rule of thumb:

• Weekly if you are actively working on your visibility. Then you quickly see whether a change has an effect.
• Monthly as a minimum for any business that wants to reach customers through AI.

More important than frequency is consistency. Always measure the same way, with the same questions. That keeps your figures comparable.

Manually or with a tool?

Tracking manually costs nothing but time. For a few questions that is perfectly doable. But it adds up quickly. Ten questions to four models is forty answers per measurement. You have to read them, log them and compare them. After a few weeks, most people give up.

A tool asks your questions automatically, at a fixed time, and keeps track of everything. You see trends, positions and competitors in one overview. When choosing one, look at a few things: which models are measured, whether you can enter your own questions, how often it measures and whether you also get advice.

A middle way works fine too. Start manually to learn how AI talks about your market. Switch to a tool once you want to do it on a regular basis.

What to look for in the results

• Sudden drops. Do you suddenly disappear from one model? Check whether anything changed on your website or in your business profile.
• New names. Does a competitor you did not know about appear? Look at which sources mention them.
• Incorrect information. Does AI mention an old address or a service you no longer offer? See AI gives wrong information about your business.
• Differences per question. Where are you missing? That is where your next piece of content lies.

Frequently asked questions

Can I track brand mentions in AI the way I do with Google Alerts?
Not in the same way. AI answers are only generated when someone asks a question. So you have to ask the questions yourself to see what is said.

Does it count if AI shows my website as a source but does not mention my name?
That is a citation, not a mention. Both are valuable. Read more about citations in AI answers.

Track your brand mentions automatically

HelloGeoLabs asks your questions to ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude every week and shows how often you are mentioned, in which position and alongside which competitors. Take a look at GEO tracking, or start with the free AI check for a first picture.