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TDC Signal

Metrics Explained

Every number in TDC Signal comes from the same definitions, so a metric means the same thing on every screen, report and export.

What Counts as an Answer#

One answer is the reply from one engine, to one question, in one location, on one check. Only answers TDC Signal could read count toward your numbers. Skipped answers never count as a miss.

How TDC Signal Reads an Answer#

For every answer, TDC Signal looks for each tracked brand:

  1. It searches the text for the brand name and its name variations. Matching ignores capital letters and needs whole words.
  2. It reviews the answer to confirm each mention and judge its sentiment. A mention found this way counts only when TDC Signal can quote a sentence from the answer that names the brand.

Add your short names and product names as name variations in Tracking settings. Answers that use those names then count as mentions.

Visibility#

Visibility is the share of answers that mention a brand.

If 30 of 120 answers mention you, your visibility is 25%. Visibility runs from 0% to 100%. Changes show in percentage points ("pts"): going from 25% to 31% is +6 pts.

Share of Voice#

Share of Voice is a brand's share of all brand mentions across your tracked brands.

If the answers mention you 30 times and your competitors 90 times in total, your share of voice is 25%. Share of voice counts only the brands you track, so adding or removing a competitor changes it.

Average Position#

Position is the order in which an answer names each brand. The first brand named is #1. Average Position is the average across answers that mention the brand. Lower is better: #1.4 beats #3.0.

Answers that don't mention a brand don't affect its position. A brand that no answer mentions shows "No data".

Sentiment#

Each mention gets one of three sentiments:

  • Positive: the answer recommends the brand, lists it as a good option or praises it.
  • Neutral: the answer names the brand without judging it.
  • Negative: the answer criticizes the brand or warns against it.

The Sentiment score combines them into one number from -100 to +100.

Neutral mentions count in the total, so they pull the score toward 0. If all 10 of your mentions are positive, your score is +100. With 6 positive, 2 neutral and 2 negative, it is +40.

Citations#

A citation is a source link an answer shows. TDC Signal sorts each cited site into a type:

  • Yours: your domains, as listed in Your domains.
  • Competitor: a domain of one of your competitors.
  • Reddit, Review Site, News, Video and Social: well-known sites of each kind.
  • Reference: encyclopedias, dictionaries and government or education sites.
  • Other: every other site.

Citations of Your Pages on Overview counts the times answers linked to your domains in the period.

Filters#

The filters at the top of each screen change every number on it:

  • Date range: Last 7 days, Last 30 days or Last 90 days, ending today. The default is the last 30 days.
  • Engine: one engine, or all engines together.
  • Location: one location, or all locations together.

Days follow UTC. An answer collected at 23:30 in New York on May 1 counts toward May 2.

Period Comparisons#

Change figures, such as "+4 pts vs previous period", compare the selected range with the range of the same length right before it. With Last 30 days selected, TDC Signal compares the last 30 days with the 30 days before them.

A tile shows "No earlier data" when the previous range has no answers.

Why Numbers Move Between Checks#

AI engines don't give the same answer every time. The same question can name different brands from one day to the next. A few points of change between two checks is normal.

To see real trends:

  • Use Last 30 days or Last 90 days instead of a single check.
  • Track more questions. Each answer then moves your visibility less.
  • Look at Visibility Trend on Overview for the direction over time.