What is Authority Score?

Quick answer: Authority Score is a 0-100 metric measuring how confidently AI platforms position your brand when they mention you. Score of 95 = positioned as top choice. Score of 35 = mentioned but weakly positioned. Calculated from average position in recommendations, context quality, and competitive framing. Requires at least one organic mention to measure (if you have 0% Presence Rate, Authority Score shows “N/A”).

Reading time: 7 minutes

What you’ll learn:

• How Authority Score is calculated from three factors: average position (40% of score, are you #1 or #8 in recommendations?), context quality (35% of score, “top choice for…” vs “also consider…” vs “one option is…”), competitive framing (25% of score, “better than X for Y” vs “similar to X” vs “alternative to X”), example 78/100 score means average #2.4 position with strong “reliable option” framing
• Four positioning scenarios with actions: high Presence (85%) + high Authority (95) = market leader (maintain dominance, watch challengers), high Presence (68%) + low Authority (42) = visibility without positioning (mentioned often but #6-8 in lists, improve case studies/social proof/differentiation), low Presence (22%) + high Authority (88) = niche expert (strongly positioned when mentioned, opportunity to increase visibility to adjacent use cases), low Presence (5%) + low Authority (35) = needs improvement (build both visibility AND positioning with content + schema + social proof)
• What affects Authority Score: recommendation language strength (“top choice” vs “also consider”), position in lists (first recommendation vs 5th+ in 10-brand list), qualification strength (absolute “for emergency AC repair, [Brand] is top choice” vs weak “[Brand] is one option”), social proof integration (AI cites “4.9 stars with 500+ reviews” vs generic “well-reviewed locally”)
• Authority Score improves faster than Presence Rate: weeks vs months because positioning quality reflects current content not training data penetration, add better social proof and AI cites it immediately, strengthen differentiation and AI uses new framing in days/weeks, earn authoritative citation and AI updates positioning quickly, example 55 → 78 in 2 months (add 10 case studies → 68, get industry publication citation → 78)
• Why Authority Score matters for conversions: Business A 60% Presence 45 Authority = mentioned often as “one option” yields lower conversion, Business B 40% Presence 85 Authority = mentioned less but positioned as “top choice” yields higher conversion, when AI says “Business B is the top choice for [need]” prospects arrive with higher intent than “here are 10 options including Business A”, Authority Score = lead quality signal

Presence Rate = quantity (how often mentioned). Authority Score = quality (how well positioned when mentioned).

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How Authority Score is Calculated

Based on Three Factors

1. Average Position (40% of score):

• Are you recommended #1, #3, or #8?
• First recommendation gets more weight than eighth
• Example: Mentioned 5 times, average position #2 → strong positioning

2. Context Quality (35% of score):

• How does AI describe you?
• “Top choice for…” vs “Also consider…” vs “One option is…”
• Strength of recommendation language

3. Competitive Framing (25% of score):

• Positioned against who?
• “Better than X for Y” vs “Similar to X” vs “Alternative to X”
• Market leader vs challenger vs alternative positioning

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Example Authority Score Calculation

Your business: Phoenix Cool Air (AC repair)

Organic mentions: 23 across 54 queries

Breakdown:

• Mentioned as #1 choice: 8 times
• Mentioned as #2-3 choice: 10 times
• Mentioned as #4+ choice: 5 times
• Average position: #2.4

Context analysis:

• “Top choice for emergency AC repair” (strong) - 6 times
• “Reliable option for…” (moderate) - 12 times
• “Also consider…” (weak) - 5 times

Competitive framing:

• Positioned as premium alternative: 8 times
• Positioned as similar to competitors: 15 times

Authority Score: 78/100 (strong positioning)

Interpretation: When AI mentions you (which happens 42% of the time), it positions you strongly as a top-2 choice with quality framing.

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Authority Score Scenarios

Scenario 1: High Presence + High Authority (Market Leader)

Metrics:

• Presence Rate: 85%
• Authority Score: 95/100

What it means:

• Mentioned in 85% of queries (high visibility)
• Positioned as top choice when mentioned (strong positioning)
• Market leader positioning

Example quote: “ChatGPT consistently recommends [Brand] as the best choice for [service], citing reliability, pricing transparency, and customer reviews.”

Action: Maintain dominance, monitor challengers

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Scenario 2: High Presence + Low Authority (Visibility Without Positioning)

Metrics:

• Presence Rate: 68%
• Authority Score: 42/100

What it means:

• Mentioned frequently (68% of queries)
• But poorly positioned (average #6-8 in lists)
• “Also consider” mentions, not “#1 choice” recommendations

Example quote: “Other options in the area include [Brand], [Competitor A], [Competitor B], and [Competitor C].” (You’re 4th in a list)

Problem: AI knows you exist but doesn’t think you’re the best choice.

Action: Improve positioning quality (not just visibility)

• Better case studies
• Stronger social proof
• Clearer differentiation

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Scenario 3: Low Presence + High Authority (Niche Expert)

Metrics:

• Presence Rate: 22%
• Authority Score: 88/100

What it means:

• Rarely mentioned (only for specific queries)
• But strongly positioned when mentioned (top choice)
• Niche specialist with strong expertise signals

Example quote: “For [specific need], [Brand] is the top choice, specializing in [niche service] with proven expertise in [domain].”

Opportunity: Increase visibility to match strong positioning

• Expand to adjacent use cases
• Broader content strategy
• More general FAQs (not just niche)

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Scenario 4: Low Presence + Low Authority (Needs Improvement)

Metrics:

• Presence Rate: 5%
• Authority Score: 35/100

What it means:

• Rarely mentioned (5% of queries)
• Weakly positioned when mentioned (average #7-9, “also consider” framing)
• Not yet competitive in AI discovery

Action: Build both visibility AND positioning

• Create content answering buyer questions
• Improve social proof (reviews, case studies)
• Add schema markup
• Get cited by authoritative sources

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Scenario 5: Zero Presence (Authority Score N/A)

Metrics:

• Presence Rate: 0%
• Authority Score: N/A (requires at least 1 organic mention)

What it means:

• Never mentioned organically (AI doesn’t connect you to buyer queries yet)
• Can’t measure positioning quality without mentions to analyze
• May have competitive recall (AI knows you exist when directly asked)

Example from real report: Veterans Moving America

• 0% Presence Rate
• Authority Score: N/A (not measurable)
• But competitive recall exists (AI accurately describes brand when asked directly)

Action: Focus on triggering first organic mention

• Once you have 1+ mentions, Authority Score becomes measurable
• Then optimize positioning quality

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What Affects Authority Score

1. Recommendation Language

High Authority Score language:

• “Top choice for…”
• “Best option for…”
• “Highly recommended for…”
• “Industry leader in…”
• “Specializes in… with proven expertise”

Low Authority Score language:

• “Also consider…”
• “Another option is…”
• “One alternative…”
• “Available in the area…”
• “Some users prefer…“

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2. Position in Lists

High Authority Score:

• First recommendation (before competitors)
• Only recommendation (sole mention)
• “Best X, though Y is cheaper” (positioned first with caveat)

Low Authority Score:

• 5th+ in a list of 10 brands
• Mentioned after “top choices” section
• Grouped with many alternatives

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3. Qualification Strength

High Authority Score:

• Absolute recommendations: “For emergency AC repair, [Brand] is the top choice”
• Strong differentiation: “Unlike competitors, [Brand] offers…”
• Expertise signals: “[Brand] specializes in…”

Low Authority Score:

• Weak framing: “[Brand] is one option”
• Generic positioning: “[Brand] provides similar services”
• Lack of differentiation: “[Brand] is like [Competitor A]“

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4. Social Proof Integration

High Authority Score:

• AI cites specific reviews: “4.9 stars with 500+ reviews”
• Awards mentioned: “Winner of Best of Phoenix 2024”
• Certifications: “NATE-certified technicians”

Low Authority Score:

• Generic statements: “Well-reviewed locally”
• No specific proof points
• Vague claims without backing

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Authority Score vs Presence Rate

They Measure Different Things

Presence Rate answers: “How often does AI mention you?”

• 85% = mentioned in 85 of 100 queries
• Measures visibility/discoverability

Authority Score answers: “How strongly does AI position you when it mentions you?”

• 95/100 = positioned as top choice
• Measures positioning quality

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Both Matter (But Differently)

For market leaders: Maintain high Authority Score to defend positioning

• If score drops from 95 → 75, competitors are gaining ground in positioning
• Even with high Presence Rate, weak Authority Score means you’re losing recommendations

For challengers: Balance Presence Rate and Authority Score

• Don’t chase 80% Presence Rate with 30 Authority Score (mentioned but ignored)
• Better: 40% Presence Rate with 85 Authority Score (less visible but strongly positioned)

For niche players: Prioritize Authority Score over Presence Rate

• 20% Presence Rate with 90 Authority Score = niche expert (high-quality leads)
• 60% Presence Rate with 40 Authority Score = commodity player (price competition)

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How to Improve Authority Score

Quick Wins (30-60 Days)

1. Strengthen differentiation in content:

• Not: “We offer AC repair services”
• Instead: “We specialize in emergency AC repair with guaranteed same-day service and upfront pricing”
• Impact: AI can articulate specific strengths, not generic capabilities

2. Add specific social proof:

• Not: “We’re highly rated”
• Instead: “4.9-star rating with 500+ Google reviews, Best of Phoenix 2024 winner”
• Impact: AI cites concrete proof points, not vague claims

3. Use comparison framing:

• Not: “We’re a great choice”
• Instead: “Unlike competitors who charge diagnostic fees, we provide free estimates and transparent pricing”
• Impact: AI understands your competitive advantage

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Long-Term Strategy (6-12 Months)

1. Build expertise content:

• Publish in-depth guides (not generic blog posts)
• Case studies with specific outcomes
• Technical resources showing domain mastery
• Result: AI positions you as expert, not commodity

2. Earn authoritative citations:

• Get featured in industry publications
• Contribute expert commentary to local news
• Partner with recognized brands
• Result: AI treats you as authoritative source

3. Demonstrate specialization:

• Not: “We do everything”
• Instead: “We exclusively serve commercial HVAC for data centers”
• Result: AI positions you as specialist (higher authority for niche)

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Tracking Authority Score Over Time

What to Watch

Authority Score trending up:

• Your positioning is improving
• AI recommends you more confidently
• Likely to convert better (even with same Presence Rate)

Authority Score trending down:

• Competitors improving faster
• Your positioning weakening
• May need to refresh differentiation

Authority Score stable, Presence Rate up:

• Good scenario: More visibility with maintained positioning quality
• Keep optimizing both

Authority Score drops as Presence Rate rises:

• Warning sign: Mentioned more but positioned worse
• May be getting lumped in with many alternatives
• Need to strengthen differentiation

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Example Tracking

Quarterly improvement:

Quarter	Presence Rate	Authority Score	Interpretation
Q1	28%	N/A (0 mentions)	Not yet organically discoverable
Q2	34%	55/100	First organic mentions, weak positioning
Q3	42%	68/100	Visibility + positioning both improving
Q4	48%	78/100	Strong positioning, competitive with top 3

Progress: Went from invisible → mentioned → well-positioned in 9 months.

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When Authority Score Matters Most

High-Ticket Services

Example: Commercial HVAC, enterprise software, business consulting

Why Authority Score matters:

• Buyers vet recommendations carefully
• Weak positioning = “also consider” = ignored
• Strong positioning = “top choice” = sales conversation

Better: 30% Presence Rate with 90 Authority Score (niche expert) Worse: 70% Presence Rate with 40 Authority Score (mentioned but ignored)

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Trust-Dependent Industries

Example: Legal services, healthcare, financial advisors

Why Authority Score matters:

• Trust signals drive decisions
• AI positioning reflects perceived authority
• “Top choice” vs “one option” determines conversion

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Crowded Markets

Example: Local services, e-commerce products

Why Authority Score matters:

• Many competitors get mentioned
• Position in list determines click-through
• Being #8 in a list of 10 = effectively invisible

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Authority Score N/A?

Authority Score requires at least one organic mention to calculate.

If you have:

• Presence Rate: 0%
• Authority Score: N/A

You’re not yet organically discoverable. AI doesn’t connect your brand to buyer queries yet.

Next step: Focus on triggering first organic mention (add FAQ content, schema markup, get citations). Once you have 1+ mentions, Authority Score becomes measurable.

Can Authority Score be higher than Presence Rate?

Yes, and it’s common for niche specialists.

Example:

• Presence Rate: 22% (rarely mentioned)
• Authority Score: 88/100 (strongly positioned when mentioned)

Interpretation: AI only mentions you for specific queries (low Presence Rate), but positions you as top choice for those queries (high Authority Score).

This is GOOD for:

• High-ticket services
• Niche specializations
• Quality-over-volume businesses

What’s a good Authority Score for my industry?

Like Presence Rate, it varies by industry and competitive landscape.

Better benchmark: Your Authority Score vs top 3 competitors

• Are you positioned as strongly as market leaders?
• Are you gaining or losing ground in positioning quality?

General guideline:

• 80-100: Top choice positioning (market leader quality)
• 60-79: Strong positioning (competitive)
• 40-59: Moderate positioning (mentioned but not favored)
• Under 40: Weak positioning (“also consider” mentions)

Can Authority Score decrease even if I improve my content?

Yes, if competitors improve faster.

Example:

• Month 0: Your Authority Score 75, Competitor A 65
• Month 6: You stay at 75, Competitor A improves to 85
• Result: Competitor now positioned more strongly (they optimized better case studies, social proof)

Prevention: Monitor competitor Authority Scores, track AI quote language, maintain competitive differentiation.

How quickly can I improve Authority Score?

Faster than Presence Rate (weeks vs months).

Why: Authority Score reflects positioning quality, not training data penetration.

• Add better social proof → AI cites it immediately
• Strengthen differentiation → AI uses new framing in days/weeks
• Earn authoritative citation → AI updates positioning quickly

Presence Rate requires time for content to get indexed, crawled, and incorporated into AI training data (1-2 weeks for online systems, up to 6 months for offline training data).

Example:

• Week 0: Authority Score 55 (weak “also consider” positioning)
• Week 4: Add 10 case studies with specific outcomes → Authority Score 68
• Week 8: Get cited by industry publication → Authority Score 78
• Result: 55 → 78 in 2 months (positioning quality improved)

Does Authority Score affect conversions?

Absolutely. Higher Authority Score = better conversion rate.

Example:

• Business A: 60% Presence Rate, 45 Authority Score → Mentioned often but positioned as “one option” → Lower conversion
• Business B: 40% Presence Rate, 85 Authority Score → Mentioned less but positioned as “top choice” → Higher conversion

Why: When AI says “Business B is the top choice for [need]”, prospects arrive with higher intent than “Here are 10 options including Business A”.

Authority Score = lead quality signal.

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Want to measure your Authority Score? Run Signal Pro ($50) to get Authority Score (requires at least 1 organic mention). Essential ($25) shows Presence Rate only. Delivered in about 15 minutes.