Frequently Asked Questions

AI brand monitoring tracks how artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity mention your brand when users ask relevant questions about your industry, products, or services. Unlike traditional search where users see multiple results, AI provides definitive recommendations, making brand mentions critically important for business success.

Traditional SEO optimizes for search engine rankings where users see 10+ results per page. AI brand monitoring focuses on being mentioned in AI responses, which typically provide just 2-3 definitive recommendations. There's no "second page" of AI results - your brand either appears in the AI's response or it doesn't exist to that user.

With 2.9 billion monthly ChatGPT users and 78% of consumers trusting AI recommendations over traditional search results, AI platforms have become the primary discovery mechanism for many purchasing decisions. Businesses not mentioned in AI responses lose significant market share to competitors who are optimized for AI visibility.

The most important AI platforms for brand monitoring are ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google), and Perplexity AI. Soma AI tracks brand mentions across all major language models to provide comprehensive visibility into your AI discoverability.

LDI is a proprietary metric developed by Soma AI that measures how often and how favorably AI language models mention your brand across different queries and contexts. Scored from 0-100, LDI accounts for mention frequency, context quality, competitive positioning, and query coverage across major AI platforms.

LDI combines four key factors: (1) Mention frequency across AI models, (2) Context quality (positive, neutral, negative positioning), (3) Competitive ranking relative to industry leaders, and (4) Query coverage breadth. The algorithm weights recent mentions more heavily and accounts for regional variations in AI responses.

We recommend weekly LDI monitoring for active optimization campaigns and monthly tracking for maintenance. AI model algorithms update frequently, and competitor positioning can change rapidly, making regular monitoring essential for maintaining visibility.

Claude favors comprehensive, well-reasoned content with academic-style citations. Focus on detailed analysis, logical flow, and thorough explanations. Include case studies, comparative analysis, and cite authoritative sources to improve Claude visibility.

Perplexity prioritizes high-authority sources with recent, fact-focused content. Optimize by ensuring your content includes verifiable data, expert credentials, recent publication dates, and clear source attribution. Perplexity particularly values content that directly answers specific user questions.

Yes, AI models are increasingly location-aware. South African businesses can optimize for queries like "best fintech South Africa" or "Cape Town startups" by including local context, ZAR pricing, and South African case studies. Regional optimization shows +15-20 LDI point improvements for location-specific queries.

Extremely effective. Nigerian fintech queries show +25 LDI point improvements for locally optimized content. Focus on mobile money, crypto adoption, and Lagos startup ecosystem content. Include NGN pricing, local partnerships, and compliance with Nigerian financial regulations.

Most businesses see initial improvements within 2-4 weeks of optimization. Significant results typically appear within 60-90 days. Unlike traditional SEO which can take 6-12 months, AI optimization often shows faster results due to more frequent algorithm updates and real-time content analysis.

Soma AI customers report average 340% improvement in lead quality and 89% increase in brand visibility. The ROI varies by industry, but most businesses see 5-10x return within 6 months through improved lead generation, reduced customer acquisition costs, and enhanced competitive positioning.

While basic optimization is possible manually, effective AI brand monitoring requires systematic testing across multiple platforms, competitive analysis, and performance tracking. Tools like Soma AI automate the testing process, provide competitive intelligence, and offer optimization recommendations that would take dozens of hours to gather manually.