How Do I Measure Local AEO Results?
Measure local AEO by tracking whether AI recommends you for your priority local questions — run them across the engines on a schedule and log who gets named — then tie that to real outcomes like calls and bookings. Local citation share is the headline metric; calls and visits prove it pays.
Measure local AEO by tracking whether AI recommends you for your priority local questions — run them across the engines on a schedule and log who gets named — then tie that to real outcomes like calls, direction requests, and bookings. Citation share for local queries is the headline metric; calls and visits are the proof it pays.
Quick answer
Track whether AI recommends you for your priority local questions: run a fixed set of real local prompts across the engines on a schedule and log who's named. Then tie it to calls, direction requests, and bookings. Local citation share is the headline metric; calls and visits are the proof it pays.
What should I actually track?
Whether you're the recommended business, then whether it pays. The headline metric is citation share for your priority local questions — how often AI names you versus competitors for the queries that matter in your area. Build a fixed prompt set of real local questions ('best [service] in [town]', '[service] near me open now'), run it across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI on a schedule, and log whether and how you're named. It's the Adaptability pillar, pointed at local.
How do I run the tracking?
Consistently, because local answers vary. Run the same prompt set on a regular cadence and log your presence, position, and who else appears — a single check is noise, but the trend over time is signal, since AI answers fluctuate. Pair the prompt-set data with Google Business Profile insights (calls, direction requests, views) so you have both the AI-side and the demand-side picture.
What outcomes prove it's working?
The actions a recommendation drives. Rising citation share is the leading signal; phone calls, direction requests, website visits, and bookings are the proof it converts to business. Connect them — when your local citation share climbs and your calls and bookings follow, local AEO is working. That chain from citation to outcome is what turns "we got named by AI" into "it grew the business."
Related questions
How do I track my AI citations?
Run a fixed prompt set across engines on a schedule and log whether and how you're cited.
Read the full answer →What is share of voice in AI search?
Your portion of citations across a set of priority questions, measured per engine over time.
Read the full answer →How do I know if my AEO is working?
Judge by trends in per-engine citation share across a fixed prompt set, tied to real outcomes.
Read the full answer →Frequently asked questions
- How do I measure local AEO results?
- Track whether AI recommends you for your priority local questions. Build a fixed set of real local prompts ('best [service] in [town]', '[service] near me open now'), run them across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI on a schedule, and log whether and how you're named. Then tie that to real outcomes — calls, direction requests, bookings — so you can see citation turning into business.
- What's the headline metric for local AEO?
- Citation share for your priority local questions — how often AI names you versus competitors for the queries that matter in your area, measured per engine over time. It's the closest metric to local AEO's goal of being the recommended business, and trends matter more than any single answer.
- How do I track AI recommendations for a local business?
- Use a fixed prompt set of your real local questions and run it on a regular cadence across the major engines, logging whether you're named, your position, and who else appears. Because AI answers vary run to run, consistency is what reveals the trend. Pair it with Google Business Profile insights and your call and booking data.
- What outcomes prove local AEO is working?
- Growth in the actions that follow a recommendation — phone calls, direction requests, website visits, and bookings — alongside rising citation share for your local questions. Google Business Profile insights (calls, directions, views) plus your own call and booking tracking connect being named by AI to real local business.