Understanding Your Signal Report: Metrics That Matter

Your Signal report shows you exactly how AI systems see your business. Not what you think they see, but what customers actually encounter when researching in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity.

Surmado does not sell AI placements and cannot submit your site to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Meta AI, Grok, or DeepSeek. No one can. We test how these systems already talk about you and give you a plan to improve.

This guide walks through every section of your report with real examples, so you know what each metric means and what to do about it.

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Report Structure Overview

Every Signal report contains:

1. Executive Summary - Your key metrics at a glance
2. Competitive Landscape - How you rank vs 20-40 competitors
3. Platform Breakdown - Performance across 7 AI systems
4. Intelligence Token - Your unique code for Solutions integration
5. Methodology - What we tested and how

Reading time: 8-12 minutes for full report Action items: Typically 3-5 immediate tactical steps based on your gaps

API access: Signal reports include structured JSON data via Intelligence Tokens. Use the API to trigger reports and deliver results via webhook for automated monitoring.

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The Four Core Metrics

1. Presence Rate (0-100%)

What it measures: How often AI systems mention your business unprompted when customers ask relevant questions.

How it’s calculated:

• We ask 50+ questions a real customer would ask in your industry
• Questions are designed so ANY business in your category could be mentioned
• We count how many times AI recommends you without being prompted with your name
• Presence Rate = (Organic mentions ÷ Total relevant questions) × 100

Example from a real moving company:

Presence Rate: 0.0%

What this means:
- 0 organic mentions out of 54 relevant customer questions
- AI systems KNOW who you are (you rank #6 of 40 brands)
- But they DON'T THINK to recommend you when customers ask

What good looks like:

Presence Rate	Interpretation	Typical Action
0-5%	Invisible in AI discovery	GBP optimization, review campaigns, FAQ content
5-15%	Emerging presence	Double down on what’s working, expand to more platforms
15-30%	Strong visibility	Maintain momentum, test new personas
30-50%	Category leader	Defend position, monitor competitors
50%+	Dominant player	Rare; typically only 1-2 brands per market

Real-world example:

Company: Veterans Moving America (Dallas/Fort Worth) Presence Rate: 0.0% Category Share: 4.6% (ranked #6 of 40)

The paradox: AI systems have competitive recall (they know who you are when asked directly) but not organic discovery (they don’t recommend you unprompted).

What they did:

• Week 1: Rewrote Google Business Profile connecting “veteran workforce” to “reliable teams”
• Weeks 2-3: Personal outreach to 50 past customers requesting reviews mentioning “veteran” and “discipline”
• Week 4: Added 3 GBP Q&A entries answering exact customer queries from Signal report

Result target: 15% Presence Rate by Day 30 (from 0%)

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2. Authority Score (0-100)

What it measures: How strongly AI positions you when it DOES mention your business.

How it’s calculated:

• Analyzes the language AI uses when recommending you
• Looks for strength indicators: “best,” “top choice,” “highly recommended,” “known for”
• Measures positioning quality, not just volume

Important limitation: Requires at least 1 organic mention to calculate.

Example:

Authority Score: N/A (no organic mentions to score)

What good looks like:

Authority Score	AI Language	Example
0-20	Passive mention	”Another option is [Brand]“
20-40	Neutral recommendation	”[Brand] offers moving services”
40-60	Positive positioning	”[Brand] is known for reliable service”
60-80	Strong endorsement	”[Brand] is a top choice for families seeking…“
80-100	Category leadership	”[Brand] is the best-rated provider, consistently praised for…”

Why this matters:

Scenario A (Low Authority Score: 25):

“Other options include Veterans Moving America, which offers local and long-distance services.”

Scenario B (High Authority Score: 78):

“Veterans Moving America stands out with a 100% veteran workforce and seven consecutive industry awards for reliability and transparent pricing.”

Both are mentions. Only one drives business.

How to improve:

• Reviews that mention specific differentiators (“veteran-owned,” “transparent pricing”)
• Google Business Profile description connecting features to benefits
• Industry awards, certifications, press coverage
• Consistent messaging across all platforms (GBP, Yelp, website, social)

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3. Category Share (%)

What it measures: Your percentage of total brand mentions in your competitive category.

How it’s calculated:

• Sum of all brand mentions across all questions and platforms
• Your mentions ÷ Total mentions = Category Share
• Includes both organic mentions AND prompted mentions (when we ask about you specifically)

Example:

Category Share: 4.6%
Rank: #6 of 40 brands

Top 5 competitors:
1. Two Men and a Truck: 10.7%
2. College Hunks Hauling Junk: 8.9%
3. Allied Van Lines: 7.3%
4. United Van Lines: 6.8%
5. Mayflower: 5.2%

What this tells you:

1. Market structure: Is this a concentrated market (top 3 brands have 60% share) or fragmented (top 10 have <50% share)?
2. Competitive gap: Are you close to #5 (5.2% vs your 4.6%) or far behind #1 (10.7%)?
3. Opportunity size: If you move from 4.6% to 10%, that’s a 117% increase in AI visibility

Real insight from the moving company example:

The gap between #6 (4.6%) and #1 (10.7%) is only 6.1 percentage points. But that represents 133% more AI visibility. A focused 60-day GBP + review campaign could realistically move them to #3 or #4.

Category Share is NOT revenue share:

• A local business with 4.6% Category Share might have 0.2% actual market revenue
• But if customers increasingly use AI for research, Category Share predicts future market share

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4. Ghost Influence (Lower is Better)

What it measures: How often AI describes your unique features or strengths but sends the customer to a competitor.

How it works:

• We identify your differentiators (veteran workforce, transparent pricing, eco-friendly)
• We track when AI mentions these features in recommendations
• Ghost Influence = Times your features are praised WITHOUT crediting you

Example:

Ghost Influence: N/A (requires organic mentions first)

When available, looks like:
"When asked about 'reliable, disciplined moving teams,' AI recommended
Two Men and a Truck (franchise) using language that describes YOUR
veteran workforce advantage. But never mentioned your business."

Why this is painful:

You’ve invested in:

• Hiring 100% veteran workforce
• Training on discipline and reliability
• Building reputation over 8 years

AI systems recognize these features are valuable to customers… But credit competitors.

Real-world Ghost Influence example:

Customer asks: “Which Dallas movers have the most reliable, disciplined teams?”

AI response:

“Two Men and a Truck is known for professional, reliable service. Their teams undergo background checks and are trained on customer service standards. They offer transparent pricing and have strong local reviews.”

What happened:

• “Reliable, disciplined teams” → Your veteran workforce advantage
• “Transparent pricing” → Your policy, not theirs
• “Strong local reviews” → You have 4.8 stars, they have 4.2

The fix:

1. Update GBP description: “100% veteran-staffed teams bring military discipline and reliability to every move”
2. Request review updates mentioning “veteran,” “discipline,” “reliability” specifically
3. Add GBP Q&A: “Why choose a veteran-owned moving company?”

Ghost Influence benchmark:

Ghost Influence Score	Interpretation
0-10%	Low leakage; competitors aren’t stealing your narrative
10-25%	Moderate; some features need stronger attribution
25-50%	High; your differentiators are valuable but uncredited
50%+	Critical; you’re educating the market but competitors win

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Competitive Landscape Table

What it shows: All brands mentioned by AI systems, ranked by response rate (how often they appear in answers).

Example from moving company report:

Rank | Brand                          | Response Rate | Category Share
-----|--------------------------------|---------------|---------------
  1  | Two Men and a Truck            | 10.7%         | 10.7%
  2  | College Hunks Hauling Junk     | 8.9%          | 8.9%
  3  | Allied Van Lines               | 7.3%          | 7.3%
  4  | United Van Lines               | 6.8%          | 6.8%
  5  | Mayflower                      | 5.2%          | 5.2%
  6  | Veterans Moving America        | 4.6%          | 4.6%
  7  | U-Pack                         | 4.1%          | 4.1%
 ... | ...                            | ...           | ...
 40  | [Local competitor]             | 0.3%          | 0.3%

How to read this:

1. Your position: #6 of 40 = You’re in the conversation, but not top of mind
2. The leaders: Franchises (Two Men, College Hunks) dominate due to national SEO/GBP presence
3. The gap: Only 6.1 percentage points separate you from #1
4. The long tail: 20+ competitors have <2% share each

Strategic implications:

If you’re #1-3:

• Defend position (monitor competitors weekly)
• Expand to new personas (residential → commercial, budget → premium)
• Test new platforms (if strong on ChatGPT, optimize for Claude)

If you’re #4-10:

• Identify #3’s weaknesses (are they strong on ChatGPT but weak on Perplexity?)
• Double down on your differentiator (veteran workforce, eco-friendly, luxury)
• Move up 2-3 spots in 60 days is realistic with focused effort

If you’re #11-20:

• You’re known but not discoverable
• Focus on Presence Rate first (get from 0% to 10%)
• Don’t worry about Authority Score yet

If you’re #21+:

• Establish GBP baseline (most critical)
• Get 15+ reviews mentioning key features
• Focus on 1-2 use cases (local residential moves, not everything)

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Platform Breakdown

What it shows: Your performance across 7 AI systems individually.

The 7 platforms tested:

1. ChatGPT (OpenAI) - 60% of AI search market
2. Claude (Anthropic) - Growing among professionals
3. Gemini (Google) - Integrated with Google Search
4. Perplexity - Research-focused users
5. Meta AI - Facebook/Instagram integration
6. Grok (X/Twitter) - Real-time information focus
7. DeepSeek - Technical/analytical queries

Example breakdown:

Platform         | Mentions | Presence Rate | Authority Score
-----------------|----------|---------------|----------------
ChatGPT          | 3        | 5.2%          | 42
Claude           | 0        | 0.0%          | N/A
Gemini           | 1        | 1.8%          | 38
Perplexity       | 2        | 3.7%          | 45
Meta AI          | 0        | 0.0%          | N/A
Grok             | 0        | 0.0%          | N/A
DeepSeek         | 1        | 1.9%          | 35

What this tells you:

1. ChatGPT priority: You’re visible here (5.2%) but not on Claude (0.0%)
2. Perplexity strength: 3.7% with Authority Score of 45 = quality mentions
3. Google integration gap: Only 1.8% on Gemini despite having Google Business Profile

Why platforms vary:

ChatGPT (5.2% Presence):

• Pulls from Bing search results, OpenAI crawlers, curated datasets
• Likely seeing your Google Business Profile + Yelp reviews

Claude (0.0% Presence):

• More selective about recommendations
• Requires stronger third-party validation (press coverage, industry awards)
• Often cites specific sources. needs attributable content

Gemini (1.8% Presence):

• Should be your STRONGEST platform (Google owns it)
• Low score suggests GBP optimization opportunity
• Fix: Ensure GBP is fully completed (services, attributes, Q&A)

Strategic response:

If strong on ChatGPT, weak on Claude: → Add schema markup, get featured in industry publications, publish case studies

If strong on Perplexity, weak everywhere else: → You have great research-worthy content; need better discovery layer (GBP, citations)

If weak across all platforms: → Foundational issue (GBP incomplete, few reviews, generic descriptions)

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Intelligence Token

What it is: Your unique code (format: SIG-2025-10-XXXXX) that unlocks Signal data in Solutions.

Where to use it:

1. Solutions strategy session: Paste token to get AI visibility-informed recommendations
2. Follow-up Solutions sessions: Valid for 90 days, reuse multiple times
3. Team sharing: Give to marketing team, agency, consultants for strategic planning

Example:

Intelligence Token: SIG-2025-10-JZQQ7
Valid until: April 15, 2025

Use this token in Surmado Solutions for context-aware strategy.

With token:

“Your 0.0% Presence Rate and 4.6% Category Share indicate competitive recall exists but organic discovery fails. Recommendation: 30-day GBP blitz targeting ‘veteran workforce’ and ‘reliable teams’ keywords. Budget: $0-500. Expected lift: 0% → 12-15% Presence Rate.”

Without token:

“Local businesses should optimize Google Business Profile, gather reviews, and create FAQ content. This typically improves visibility over 3-6 months.”

See the difference? Token = specific playbook. No token = generic advice.

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Methodology Section

What it explains: Exactly what we tested and how, so you can validate our findings.

Key elements:

1. Persona tested:

   • “Family relocating to Dallas/Fort Worth seeking reliable, professional movers”
   • “Budget: $2,000-5,000 for 3-bedroom home, local move”

2. Question examples:

   • “Which Dallas moving companies have the most reliable teams?”
   • “Who are the best-rated movers in Fort Worth for families?”
   • “Which movers offer transparent pricing in DFW?”

3. Platform versions tested:

   • ChatGPT-4 (Oct 2024 version)
   • Claude 3.5 Sonnet
   • Gemini Advanced
   • etc.

4. Testing date: October 2024 (important: AI responses change over time)

Why this matters:

• Validation: You can manually test 3-5 questions yourself to verify
• Persona awareness: This report tests ONE persona (families seeking reliability)
• Time-sensitive: AI responses evolve; re-run Signal every 30-60 days to track progress

Multi-persona reality:

Your Signal report shows:

• Persona A (families): 0.0% Presence Rate, Rank #6

But you don’t know:

• Persona B (college students): Could be 45% Presence Rate, Rank #2 (unknown until tested)
• Persona C (corporate relocation): Could be 12% Presence Rate, Rank #15 (unknown)

Running Signal Pro with multiple personas ($50 per report) reveals blind spots across customer types.

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Common Scenarios and Actions

Scenario 1: High Category Share, Low Presence Rate

Your metrics:

• Category Share: 8.5% (Rank #3)
• Presence Rate: 2.1%

What this means:

• AI systems mention you when PROMPTED with your name
• But they don’t THINK of you when customers ask organic questions

Why it happens:

• Strong brand awareness (local advertising, word of mouth)
• Weak digital discovery layer (incomplete GBP, generic descriptions)

Fix:

1. Google Business Profile audit (ensure 100% complete)
2. Rewrite GBP description connecting features to customer needs
3. Add 3-5 Q&A entries answering exact questions from your report
4. 30-day review campaign targeting specific keywords

Expected improvement: 2.1% → 12-18% Presence Rate in 45 days

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Scenario 2: Low Category Share, High Authority Score

Your metrics:

• Category Share: 1.8% (Rank #18)
• Authority Score: 72 (when mentioned, strong positioning)

What this means:

• You’re invisible most of the time
• But when AI DOES recommend you, it’s with high conviction

Why it happens:

• Niche positioning (luxury movers, eco-friendly, specialty)
• Strong but limited third-party validation

Fix:

1. Expand use case coverage (if luxury-only, test premium-but-affordable)
2. More content addressing adjacent questions
3. Increase review volume (you’re credible, just need more signals)

Expected improvement: 1.8% → 6-9% Category Share, maintain 70+ Authority Score

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Scenario 3: Invisible Across All Platforms

Your metrics:

• Presence Rate: 0.0%
• Category Share: 0.9% (Rank #28)
• Authority Score: N/A

What this means:

• AI systems rarely mention you even when prompted
• Foundational discovery issues

Why it happens:

• New business (< 1 year old)
• Incomplete Google Business Profile
• Few or no reviews
• Generic website content

Fix (60-day sprint):

1. Week 1: Complete GBP 100% (all sections, photos, attributes, services)
2. Weeks 2-4: Personal outreach to past customers for 15-25 reviews
3. Weeks 5-6: Add FAQ page to website answering Signal report questions
4. Week 7: Re-run Signal to measure progress

Expected improvement: 0.0% → 8-12% Presence Rate

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Scenario 4: Strong on One Platform, Weak on Others

Your metrics:

• ChatGPT: 18% Presence Rate
• Claude: 2% Presence Rate
• Gemini: 4% Presence Rate

What this means:

• You’ve optimized for one AI’s data sources (likely Bing/Yelp for ChatGPT)
• Other platforms use different discovery mechanisms

Fix:

1. For Claude: Add schema markup, get featured in publications, publish case studies
2. For Gemini: Audit Google Business Profile (should be your strongest)
3. For Perplexity: Ensure website has clear, research-worthy content with sources

Expected improvement: Balanced 12-18% across all platforms in 90 days

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What to Do After Reading Your Report

Immediate Actions (This Week)

1. Find your biggest gap:

   • 0% Presence Rate? → GBP optimization priority
   • Low Authority Score? → Review campaign targeting keywords
   • Platform-specific weakness? → Audit that platform’s data sources

2. Run Solutions ($50) with your Intelligence Token:

   • Get 30-day tactical plan based on your specific gaps
   • Includes effort estimates, success metrics, pivot points

3. Manual validation:

   • Pick 3 questions from your Methodology section
   • Test them yourself in ChatGPT/Claude
   • Verify you see similar results

30-Day Tactics (Next Month)

If 0-5% Presence Rate:

• Complete Google Business Profile audit (100% completion)
• Add 3-5 Q&A entries answering customer questions
• Rewrite GBP description connecting features to benefits
• Launch review campaign (target: 15-25 new reviews)

If 5-15% Presence Rate:

• Double down on what’s working (which platform is strongest?)
• Expand content (add FAQ page, blog posts, case studies)
• Test adjacent personas (if strong with families, test corporate)

If 15%+ Presence Rate:

• Defend position (monitor competitors weekly)
• Improve Authority Score (upgrade review quality, not just quantity)
• Expand to weaker platforms (balance across all 7 AIs)

60-Day Measurement (Re-Run Signal)

Why re-run:

• Track progress (did GBP blitz move you from 0% → 12%?)
• Validate tactics (are reviews improving Authority Score?)
• Catch competitor movement (did someone jump from #8 to #3?)

What to compare:

• Presence Rate change (target: +8-15 percentage points)
• Rank change (target: move up 2-5 spots)
• Platform balance (reduce variance across 7 AIs)

Pivot points:

• If Presence Rate still <5% after 30 days → Switch from GBP to schema markup
• If Authority Score drops → Review quality issue (generic reviews not helping)
• If competitor suddenly jumps 10+ spots → Investigate their tactics immediately

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FAQ: Understanding Your Metrics

Why is my Presence Rate 0% if I rank #6 of 40 brands?

Category Share (your rank) includes mentions when AI is PROMPTED with your name. Presence Rate only counts ORGANIC mentions when customers ask without naming you.

Think of it like this:

• “Tell me about Veterans Moving America” → You get mentioned (counts toward Category Share)
• “Which Dallas movers are most reliable?” → You’re NOT mentioned (hurts Presence Rate)

You have brand recognition but not organic discovery.

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My Authority Score is N/A. Is that bad?

Not necessarily. It just means you need at least 1 organic mention to calculate it. Focus on Presence Rate first. Once you’re getting organic mentions, Authority Score becomes measurable and improvable.

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Why do platforms vary so much? (18% on ChatGPT, 0% on Claude)

Each AI uses different data sources:

• ChatGPT: Bing search results, Yelp, curated datasets
• Claude: More selective, prefers cited sources and third-party validation
• Gemini: Google Knowledge Graph (should reflect your GBP)
• Perplexity: Research-focused, values comprehensive content

Optimize for the platform your customers actually use most.

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How often should I re-run Signal?

• One-time: Establish baseline, identify major gaps
• Monthly: Track progress after implementing tactics
• Weekly (Signal Pro): Competitive markets, catch threats early

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Can I improve my score without spending money?

Yes! Many high-impact tactics are free:

• Complete your Google Business Profile (free, 3-5 hours)
• Add Q&A entries to GBP (free, 1 hour)
• Personal outreach to past customers for reviews (free, 5-10 hours)
• Rewrite GBP description (free, 30 minutes)

Paid tactics (ads, PR, schema implementation) help, but fundamentals are free.

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Presence vs Authority

Presence Rate and Authority Score measure different dimensions of your AI visibility:

Metric	Measures	Focus	Action
Presence Rate	How often you’re mentioned	Volume/Discovery	Increase visibility (GBP, reviews, citations)
Authority Score	How strongly you’re recommended	Quality/Positioning	Strengthen attribution (reviews, schema, validation)

The Relationship

Scenario A: High Presence, High Authority

• AI mentions you frequently AND with strong language
• Status: Optimal positioning
• Action: Maintain momentum, expand to new personas

Scenario B: High Presence, Low Authority

• AI mentions you frequently but weakly (“Another option is…”)
• Status: Visible but not convincing
• Action: Improve review quality and messaging strength

Scenario C: Low Presence, High Authority

• AI rarely mentions you, but when it does, it’s with high conviction
• Status: Niche positioning (strong but limited visibility)
• Action: Expand reach while maintaining positioning strength

Scenario D: Low Presence, Low Authority

• AI barely mentions you and without conviction
• Status: Foundational issues need fixing
• Action: Start with GBP completion and review volume

How to Improve Both

1. Increase Presence Rate: Focus on GBP optimization, reviews, local citations (visible to more AI queries)
2. Increase Authority Score: Focus on review content quality, third-party validation, schema markup (stronger positioning when mentioned)
3. Balanced approach: Neither metric alone tells the full story. Aim for 15%+ Presence Rate with 60+ Authority Score.

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Quick Answers

What’s the difference between Presence Rate and Authority Score?

Presence Rate = How often you’re mentioned (quantity) Authority Score = How confidently you’re recommended (quality)

Example: 5% Presence Rate + 80 Authority Score = Rarely mentioned, but when you are, it’s strong. Fix: Increase visibility first (GBP, reviews), then maintain quality.

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How long is a typical Signal report?

8-15 pages depending on:

• Number of competitors in your market (20-40 typical)
• Platform coverage (7 AI platforms tested)
• Complexity of your category

Reading time: 8-12 minutes Action items: 3-5 immediate tactical steps

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Can I compare my report to competitors?

Yes! The Competitive Landscape Table shows all 20-40 brands in your category, ranked by response rate.

You can see:

• Where you rank (#6 of 40, #18 of 25, etc.)
• Gap to #1 (only 6 percentage points separates you)
• Who’s dominating which platform

See Competitive Landscape section →

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What AI platforms does Signal test?

7 platforms:

1. ChatGPT (60% of AI search market)
2. Claude (professionals, researchers)
3. Gemini (Google integration)
4. Perplexity (research-focused)
5. Meta AI (Facebook/Instagram)
6. Grok (X/Twitter)
7. DeepSeek (technical queries)

Why these 7? Combined, they represent 95%+ of AI-assisted business discovery.

See Platform Breakdown section →

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What do I do first after getting my Signal report?

3 immediate actions:

1. Find your biggest gap (5 minutes):

   • 0% Presence Rate? → GBP optimization priority
   • Low Authority Score? → Review campaign
   • One platform weak? → Audit that platform’s sources

2. Run Solutions with your Intelligence Token (15 minutes):

   • Get 30-day tactical plan specific to YOUR gaps
   • Includes effort estimates and success metrics

3. Manual validation (10 minutes):

   • Test 3 questions from Methodology section yourself
   • Verify you see similar results

See What to Do After Reading section →

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Why is ghost influence a problem?

Ghost influence = AI describes YOUR features/strengths but recommends competitors

50%+ ghost influence means:

• You’re educating the market
• Competitors are capturing the customers
• Your positioning isn’t sticky enough

Fix: Strengthen attribution (connect features to your brand name explicitly in GBP, reviews, content)

Learn more about Ghost Influence →

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How Signal Reports Are Generated: Our Hybrid AI Approach

You might wonder: If Signal tests AI platforms, doesn’t that mean AI is analyzing AI? How do we trust the results?

Short answer: We use AI where it excels (understanding language, recognizing patterns) and traditional algorithms where they excel (counting, math, consistency). Hybrid approach = best of both worlds.

What AI Does in Your Report

AI handles:

• Natural language understanding - Parsing complex buyer intent from research scenarios
• Pattern recognition - Analyzing 140+ responses to identify competitive themes
• Content synthesis - Drafting strategic recommendations specific to YOUR gaps
• Semantic matching - Connecting your business to relevant persona scenarios

Example:

AI reads 20 ChatGPT responses about “moving companies in Dallas” and identifies: “5 competitors emphasize ‘veteran-owned,’ 3 emphasize ‘eco-friendly,’ 2 emphasize ‘senior-friendly.’ You emphasize ‘reliable’ but that’s also claimed by 8 others. Consider ‘veteran-owned’ differentiation.”

What Algorithms Do in Your Report

Traditional code handles:

• Counting - You appeared in 7 of 20 scenarios (not “about 7” or “approximately 7”)
• Math - Presence Rate = 7 ÷ 20 = 35.0% (exact calculation, not estimation)
• Ranking - Sort 40 competitors by frequency (deterministic, reproducible)
• Validation - Verify all citation URLs actually exist (binary check, not probabilistic)

Example:

Algorithm counts: Brand A mentioned 12 times, Brand B mentioned 8 times, You mentioned 7 times. Ranks: #1 Brand A (12/20 = 60%), #2 Brand B (8/20 = 40%), #3 You (7/20 = 35%).

Why This Matters for Report Accuracy

If we used AI alone:

• Presence Rate might be “approximately 35%” (hallucinated precision)
• Competitor rankings could vary between runs (probabilistic sampling)
• Citation URLs might be invented (AI hallucinations)
• Stats wouldn’t be reproducible (same input, different output)

If we used algorithms alone:

• No understanding of WHY you appear in certain scenarios
• No strategic recommendations, just raw percentages
• Miss nuanced patterns across 140+ responses
• Can’t synthesize insights from competitive positioning

Hybrid approach gives you:

• Exact counts (35.0%, not “around 35%”)
• Reproducible results (same input = same output)
• Strategic insights (“competitor X wins because Y”)
• Pattern recognition across platforms

KEY INSIGHT: Your Signal report metrics (Presence Rate, Authority Score, Category Share) are calculated by algorithms, not estimated by AI. The strategic recommendations explaining WHY those numbers exist. That’s where AI excels. You get accuracy + intelligence.

Immutable Reports, Not Ephemeral Dashboards

Every Signal report is a PDF snapshot. Once generated, it never changes. This matters for three reasons:

1. Proof of progress

• Q1 2024: PDF shows 28% presence rate
• Q3 2024: PDF shows 35% presence rate
• Proof: Open both PDFs side-by-side, see exact scenario differences

2. Methodology transparency

• Report lists exact questions asked (“A Dallas family relocating…”)
• You can test those same questions yourself in ChatGPT
• Reproducible verification (not “trust our black box algorithm”)

3. No retrospective changes

• Dashboard vendors can update calculations, making historical data incomparable
• PDFs are immutable. what you see in March is what you’ll see in March forever
• Accountability over revisionism

The 15-Minute Deep Dive

Signal reports take about 15 minutes to generate, yet analyze 140+ AI responses. How?

The process:

1. Run 20+ persona scenarios (2 min) - Parallel queries across platforms
2. Test 7 AI platforms (3 min) - ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek
3. Citation analysis (4 min) - Extract and validate source attributions
4. Competitive database comparison (2 min) - Compare to 50K+ brand intelligence data
5. AI-powered recommendations (3 min) - Synthesize insights into tactical steps
6. PDF compilation (1 min) - Generate immutable report

Why 15 minutes beats instant dashboards:

• Instant dashboards run 1-3 generic queries → fast but shallow
• Signal runs 140+ context-rich queries → thorough but still automated
• Depth doesn’t require days. Just enough time for statistical significance

Signal Doesn’t Use AI to Grade Itself

Important clarification: Signal tests AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity), but it doesn’t use those same platforms to analyze the results.

What we DON’T do:

• Ask ChatGPT to analyze its own responses
• Use Claude to score Claude’s recommendations
• Let AI platforms “grade their own homework”

What we DO:

• Use independent analysis AI (separate from tested platforms)
• Algorithms validate all quantitative metrics
• Human oversight on recommendation quality
• Reproducible methodology you can verify yourself

Think of it like: A thermometer measures temperature, but you don’t ask the thermometer if it’s working correctly. You verify with a second thermometer. Signal uses separate AI for analysis than the platforms it tests.

You Can Verify Everything

Your Signal report includes the Methodology section listing every question asked. This means:

Manual verification (takes 10 minutes):

1. Open ChatGPT
2. Paste 3 questions from your report’s Methodology section
3. Check if you see similar results

Example from a real moving company report:

• Question: “I’m relocating from Austin to Dallas for work and need movers who can handle a 3-bedroom house, preferably with packing services”
• ChatGPT response (your test): Mentions Brand A, Brand B, Brand C
• Signal report: Says you weren’t mentioned in this scenario
• Verification: You confirm Signal’s finding is accurate

Transparency = trust. If you can reproduce the results, you can trust the recommendations.

Why We Built It This Way

Surmado’s philosophy: AI is a tool, not magic.

• AI is incredible at understanding context, recognizing patterns, synthesizing insights
• AI is terrible at counting, arithmetic, consistency
• Traditional code is incredible at math, validation, reproducibility
• Traditional code is terrible at understanding nuance

We use both. AI for intelligence, algorithms for accuracy. Your Signal report reflects this hybrid approach. You get strategic insights you can actually measure progress against.

Read our full AI philosophy →

###What to Do After Reading Your Signal Report

You’ve just received your Signal report showing AI visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini. Now what?

Your Situation	Recommended Next Step	Why	Cost
Presence Rate < 10%	Start with GBP optimization + review campaign	Low visibility = foundational issues. Fix basics first	Free-$500
Presence Rate 10-30%	Feed Intelligence Token into Solutions	You have some visibility - need strategic roadmap to scale	$50
Presence Rate > 30%	Defend position, monitor competitors quarterly	You’re winning - maintain momentum, watch for threats	$50/quarter
Authority Score < 60	Focus on review quality + schema markup	You’re mentioned but not strongly - strengthen positioning	Free-$200
Ghost Influence > 50%	Run Solutions for attribution strategy	Competitors steal your positioning - need content differentiation	$50

Most common workflow: Signal ($50) → Solutions ($50) → Implement → Re-test Signal in 90 days

Ready to get your baseline? Run your first Signal report ($50) to see exactly where you stand across all major AI platforms.

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Related Resources

→ Next step: How Signal + Solutions Work Together - Use your Intelligence Token for tactical strategy

→ Competitive context: Complete Visibility Suite: Which Tool When - Should you pair Signal with Scan (SEO)?

→ Deep dive: AI Visibility vs Traditional SEO - How Presence Rate relates to Google rankings

→ Tactical guide: Review Management for AI Platforms - Improve Authority Score through better reviews