Timeframes
Recommended: 6-month KPIs with mid-point assessments
Why: AI search changes rapidly; shorter timeframes don't show meaningful trends
Avoid: Weekly or monthly KPIs as primary success metrics (too volatile)
Target-Setting
✅ Do this: Focus on specific improvement areas
"20% citation increase in [specific topic area] prompts next month"
"Improve presence in awareness-stage prompts from 45% to 60%"
"Increase citations from high-authority third-party sites by 15%"
❌ Don't do this: Universal benchmarks without context
"Get to 80% presence across all prompts"
Comparing vastly different industries or brand sizes
Third-Party Citations
Normal behavior: High third-party citation percentages (e.g., 90%) are expected and healthy. Brand mentions in reputable third-party sources (news publications, industry blogs, community forums, etc.) = wins even if they're not your owned properties.
Strategy: Get your brand mentioned on frequently-cited third-party websites that LLMs already trust and reference.
Prompt Strategy
For newcomers: Start with small number of evergreen prompts to establish baseline
For established programs: Expand prompts to find new improvement areas, but avoid constant changes
Stability: Don't frequently change prompts/context during tracking period to ensure solid trend data
Reporting Strategies
What Resonates
✅ Frame as visibility, not vanity
"Are you visible when your customers ask AI for recommendations?"
Better than: "You got 47 citations this month"
✅ Connect to business outcomes
Show AI referral traffic growth
Demonstrate competitive gaps being closed
Tie to customer journey stages
✅ Provide actionable insights
"Your competitors appear in X% more responses — here's why"
"These third-party sites cite competitors but not you — outreach opportunity"
Reporting Cadence
Monthly: Most common approach
Quarterly: Reviews with deeper strategic insights
Weekly: Not recommended (too granular, creates noise)
Tools for Reporting
Popular integrations:
Looker Studio via Scrunch API (talk to your Client Success Manager or Sales Rep)
API (Query / Responses)