SearchestraThe Simplest AI Question You've Never Answered: Do You Even Show Up?
Everyone debates AI sentiment and share of voice, but most brands have never answered the simplest question: when buyers ask AI about your category, do you show up in the answer at all? It is binary, it is measurable, and if the answer is 'often no,' every fancier metric is moot. Start here.
The floor no one measures
It is tempting to jump to sentiment and framing, but if you are simply not in the answer, none of that matters yet. Answer inclusion is the floor: how often you make it into the response at all. A surprising number of brands assume they show up and have never checked. Knowing your floor is the honest first step.
Floor first, then the rest
| If inclusion is | Then focus on |
|---|---|
| Often no | Basic presence, first |
| Yes, but buried | Prominence |
| Yes, but misframed | Portrayal |
| Yes, not recommended | Persuasion |
Check your floor in minutes
Searchestra measures whether you appear at all across a stable query set per engine, so you answer the simplest, most fundamental question first, and know whether the finer work even applies yet.
Before sentiment or share of voice, answer the simplest question, do you show up in the answer at all; check your presence floor first, because the finer metrics are moot without it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most basic AI visibility question?
Do you appear in the answer at all? It is binary and measurable, and if the answer is often no, finer metrics like sentiment are moot.
Why start with inclusion?
Because if you are not in the answer, prominence, portrayal and persuasion do not matter yet. Presence is the floor to build from.
How do I check it?
Measure whether you appear across a stable query set per engine, rather than assuming you show up.