Measuring Visibility on Google AI Mode in 2026

The reality is technical: due to Google AI Mode's architecture and "query fan-out" (parallel searches), traditional rank tracking is obsolete. If you are looking for your positioning on AI Mode via Search Console, you are looking at aggregated data that masks reality: an AI impression is not a classic impression, and "Position 1" no longer exists in a synthesized response.

For brands, the stake is no longer raw organic traffic, but presence within the generated response. Here is how to fill the analytical void left by Google.

Why Search Console is Blind

Currently, GSC does not efficiently segment AI Mode traffic. It dilutes generative impressions into the global data. To track brand presence in AI Mode or verify if your brand is cited, you cannot rely on classic click curves, as the user consumes information directly within the interface (Zero-Click search).

You need to shift tracking toward new KPIs:

• AI Visibility Score: The frequency of your brand appearing on a cluster of queries.
  

• Share of Voice: Your visibility compared to that of your direct competitors.
  

• Sentiment: Is the AI recommending you or criticizing you?

The Tooling: Automating Tracking for Precision

Manual monitoring is unmanageable at scale. To meet the need for a GEO tracking tool for AI Mode, I developed Echo.

Unlike generalist suites trying to cover everything, Echo focuses solely on auditing LLM responses (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode). The tool transforms fuzzy conversations into actionable metrics:

• Mentions & Citations: Echo distinguishes simple brand mentions (branding) from citations containing a clickable link (performance).
  

• Position in Response: The tool analyzes, search by search, whether you are the recommendation or a mere footnote.
  

• Sentiment Analysis: Is the AI speaking positively about you, or recommending your competitors (e.g., "Nike vs Adidas")?
  

• Detailed Searchable History: Access full history to prove the effectiveness of your actions and visualize your Share of Voice trend over time.
  

Take advantage of it. For the launch, the first tracking run is free. Try Echo.

The Trap of Manual Analysis within the Interface

It is tempting to open a tab and type your own brand into Google AI Mode or ChatGPT to "see" if you show up. However, this is a critical methodological error.

LLMs are contextual engines. Unlike a classic search engine that offers some stability, AI relies heavily on your history, your active session, and your past interactions to generate a bespoke response.

• History Bias: If you visit your own site often or frequently search for your brand, the algorithm will naturally favor these sources in your personal response.
  

• Lack of Neutrality: What you see on your screen is inherently biased. It absolutely does not reflect the response generated for a "cold" prospect discovering your market for the first time.
  

Manual tracking gives you a reassuring but skewed view. To steer your strategy, you must simulate a neutral and depersonalized environment, which is impossible to replicate faithfully via simple browsing, even in incognito mode.

How to Optimize Your Brand to Get More Mentions?

Forget keywords and backlinks; they won't help you here. Here are a few tips that allow me to achieve excellent results across various sectors:

• Lived Experience (the "E" in E-E-A-T): Share real test feedback, unique case studies, and analyses from your practice. Tell the story that only someone who has lived the situation can know.
  

• Proprietary Data: Conduct your own surveys, compile exclusive statistics. If you are the sole source for a data point, the AI will be forced to cite you to back up its claims.
  

• Analytical Expertise: Go beyond summarizing facts. Offer strategic analysis, a reasoned expert opinion that brings a fresh perspective.
  

• Implement a JSON-LD Knowledge Graph: The most powerful way to prove your authority to a machine is to use a JSON-LD Knowledge Graph. It is code, invisible to the user, that acts as a semantic ID card for your site.
  

• Enrich Your Positioning and Brand: AIs love precision and specialists. Define your offer, your brand, and your positioning with precision, and provide proof of your specialty.
  

The online search market is shifting toward an economy of trust and brand awareness. Prepare your company as quickly as possible so you don't disappear along with traditional search engines.

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Clément Schneider is a consultant in AI/Marketing strategy, founder of Schneider AI, and the best-selling author of the book Get Found by AI. As a former CMO in Silicon Valley startups and a lecturer at universities like OMNES/INSEEC and CSTU, he helps organizations transform their marketing with generative AI, balancing innovation with business performance.