The New Standard

The Authority Index

Domain Authority measured influence in search rankings. The Authority Index measures influence in AI responses. It's the definitive metric for AI visibility.

Example Authority Index display

What It Measures

The Authority Index is a weighted composite of five key factors that determine how influential your content is in AI responses.

25%

Visibility

How often do you appear in AI responses? We measure your presence across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI.

25%

Citation Depth

Are you cited as the primary source or just a supporting reference? Primary citations carry more weight.

20%

Semantic Breadth

How many related queries do you appear for? Broader coverage means stronger topical authority.

15%

Velocity

Is your presence growing, stable, or declining? Recent momentum matters for predicting future visibility.

15%

Network Authority

Who are you cited alongside? Being co-cited with authoritative sources transfers credibility.

Score Interpretation

81-100

Dominant Authority

You're a leading source in AI citations for your space. AI systems consistently choose you as the authoritative reference.

61-80

Strong Authority

Well-established presence with frequent citations. You're recognized as a trusted source in your domain.

41-60

Established Presence

Solid visibility with room to grow. You appear in AI responses but aren't yet the go-to source.

21-40

Emerging Visibility

Building presence and gaining traction. AI systems are starting to recognize your content.

0-20

Minimal Presence

Limited AI visibility. Significant opportunity to establish authority through citation-optimized content.

Why It Matters

For over a decade, Domain Authority was the benchmark for SEO success. Moz created a metric that everyone used to measure search influence—and it shaped how the industry thought about rankings.

But Domain Authority measures link-based authority for traditional search. As AI increasingly answers questions directly, a new metric is needed—one that measures influence in AI responses, not just search rankings.

The Authority Index fills this gap. It's built on our Citation Graph—the largest database of AI citation patterns—and provides a single, comparable metric for AI visibility.

"60% of searches now end without a click. If you're not being cited by AI, you're invisible to a growing majority of information seekers."

Authority Index vs Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA)

  • Measures link-based authority
  • Predicts search rankings
  • Based on backlink profiles
  • Designed for traditional SEO
  • Doesn't account for AI visibility

Authority Index (AI)

  • Measures citation-based authority
  • Predicts AI citations
  • Based on actual AI behavior
  • Designed for the AI era
  • Built on real citation data

Get Your Authority Index

See where you stand in AI visibility. Track your score over time. Get actionable recommendations to improve.