Fix the unit of measurement
Each record should include the question, platform, surface or version, date, market, language, and full answer. A changed question is a new sample and should not be compared directly with the previous wording.
- Mention rate: the share of samples that explicitly name the brand.
- Citation rate: the share that cites the official site or brand content.
- Fact accuracy: the share of predefined critical facts stated correctly.
- Average position: placement in lists or comparisons, compared only under the same question definition.
Separate coverage, quality, and business outcome
Coverage asks whether the brand appears. Quality asks whether the answer is accurate, evidenced, and appropriately framed. Business outcomes ask whether the exposure leads to visits, forms, and qualified opportunities. These groups are not interchangeable.
High impressions with no clicks can signal a weak snippet. Higher mentions with no leads can signal that the question set does not match purchase intent.
Keep an auditable sample log
Retain full answers and citation URLs, not only aggregate scores. Any ranking or trend should disclose the sampling window, platform scope, source of questions, deduplication, and missing-data treatment.