What Is AI Share of Search?
AI Share of Search is a metric that measures how often an AI platform recommends your business when users ask relevant queries — expressed as a percentage of the total recommendation opportunities in your category.
For example, if Perplexity recommends your dental practice in 35 out of 100 relevant dental queries in your market, your AI Share of Search for Perplexity in that market is 35%.
This metric is the AI equivalent of traditional "Share of Voice" in search marketing, adapted to measure recommendation frequency rather than impressions or click share.
Why AI Share of Search Matters
Traditional search metrics (impressions, clicks, rankings) don't translate cleanly to AI search behavior. In AI search:
- There is no "page 1" — there are recommendations
- There is no "position 1" — there is mentioned/not mentioned
- There is no impression without a recommendation
AI Share of Search captures the dimension that matters: when users ask AI tools about your category, what percentage of those opportunities result in your business being recommended?
Calculating AI Share of Search
AI Share of Search requires:
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A prompt set — A representative sample of queries users ask about your category in your market. Scope generates these automatically based on your business type and location.
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Platform coverage — Running the prompt set across each AI platform (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity) and recording which businesses are mentioned in each response.
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Share calculation — Your mention count divided by total prompts = your AI Share of Search for that platform.
AI Share of Search vs. Scope's AI Visibility Score
Scope's AI Visibility Score (0-100) incorporates AI Share of Search as a core component, normalized and weighted across:
- The four major AI platforms
- Prompt category relevance
- Position within recommendations (being named first vs. fifth)
- Sentiment of the recommendation
AI Share of Search is the raw measurement; the AI Visibility Score is the composite metric designed for tracking and goal-setting.
Competitive AI Share of Search
The most valuable form of this metric is competitive AI Share of Search — measuring not just your own share, but how it compares to each competitor. This identifies:
- Category leaders in AI recommendations
- Which competitors are gaining share
- Which prompts or platforms represent your biggest opportunities
Q: Is AI Share of Search the same as market share? A: No — AI Share of Search measures visibility in AI recommendations, not actual revenue or customer share. However, as AI-driven discovery grows, AI Share of Search is becoming an increasingly strong leading indicator of market share. Businesses with high AI Share of Search convert at higher rates in AI-influenced markets.
Q: How often should I measure AI Share of Search? A: Monthly monitoring is standard for most businesses. Weekly monitoring is appropriate during active optimization campaigns or competitive market shifts. Quarterly benchmarking (comparing to the same period in previous quarters) helps identify longer-term trends.