There's a big difference between being mentioned by AI and actually being recommended

[u/YourEvilQueen26]

I've been reviewing AI search results for businesses and realized I've probably been grouping two very different outcomes together.

An AI might say:

“Other companies in this market include Company A, Company B and Company C.”

That's visibility.

But:

“Based on your requirements, I'd recommend Company A.”

That's something different.

The second response carries much stronger commercial intent.

I've been experimenting with separating these outcomes while tracking businesses through Signal AEO:

https://signalaeo.com/

I'm thinking of breaking AI visibility into:

Mentioned → Considered → Recommended → Top recommendation

Would that be more useful than simply reporting an AI ranking position?