Presence in an AI answer is not enough. Where you are mentioned — and how extensively — determines what that mention is actually worth for your brand. This page goes deeper into two dimensions that complement Share of Voice and Narrative Share: position and depth.
Position in the answer
What sits at the front of an answer usually gets the most attention — how strong that effect is depends on interface, list form and answer length. A brand mentioned first in a comparison is weighed differently than a brand that comes fourth or fifth. And a brand appearing in the introduction of an answer has more impact than a brand only surfacing in a footnote or qualifying paragraph.
How do you measure position?
For each mention in your measurement data: note where you are mentioned in the answer. Be specific about it.
- First mentioned in a list of multiple players
- Second or third in a list
- Last in a list
- Mentioned in the core of the answer (first half)
- Mentioned in qualifications or footnotes (second half)
The pattern across dozens of prompts gives you a picture of where your brand lands in answers. Position is an outcome, not a look inside the model: order can also stem from source order, list format or chance. But a consistent pattern across many prompts you take seriously — front as a strength, back as a starting point for investigation. As a diagnosis on its own, position is too thin.
Depth of the mention
Depth is about how rich the description accompanying your brand is. Narrative Share (sub-page 4.5) breaks this into four levels. This page looks at what determines the quality within an extensive mention.
The four dimensions of depth quality
Specificity
Does the description contain concrete, distinguishing properties? “Fyrco operates predominantly B2B in Flanders and Brussels, offers its own customer portal and is Apragaz-certified for fire extinguishers” is specific. “Fyrco is a Belgian fire safety company” is generic. Specificity makes you recognisable, genericness makes you interchangeable.
Pros and cons
Are concrete strengths or weaknesses also mentioned? A balanced presentation with both creates a credible picture — and gives AI systems more handles to recommend you in fitting situations.
Context and examples
Is your brand positioned within a concrete user situation? “For self-employed professionals looking for a simple business account” is contextual. “A good bank” is not.
Language strength
Are you described with strong, unequivocal language, or with hesitant, qualifying phrases? “Fyrco is an established Apragaz-certified installer in Flanders and Brussels” is strong. “Fyrco is reportedly active in fire safety” is weak. Language strength influences how users weigh the mention.
How do you interpret position and depth together?
A brand that consistently appears front-positioned with specific, strongly-worded mentions is strategically dominant. A brand that appears front-positioned but with generic language is present but not differentiated. A brand that appears back-positioned with extensive descriptions is niche-worthy but not top-of-mind. The combination of both dimensions gives the sharpest picture.
What can you do about it?
- Write content with concrete, specific claims about your distinctive value
- Make sure external sources describe your brand in concrete situations, not generic terms
- Make explicit which audiences and situations your product is ideal for
- Substantiate claims with data, cases or external validation — weak language often arises from lack of evidence