You've invested time and resources into Answer Engine Optimisation. You've restructured your content, implemented structured data, built your entity signals, and optimised for natural-language queries. But now comes the critical question: Is it actually working?
Unlike traditional SEO, where ranking positions and click-through rates provide clear metrics, measuring success in AEO requires a different approach. AI-powered search platforms operate differently and report differently. Your standard SEO dashboards – measuring organic traffic and keyword rankings– won't tell the full story.
The metrics that matter
Rather than relying on a single metric, successful AEO measurement requires tracking across multiple channels and data sources. Here's what we recommend:
1. Visibility
The core of AEO is showing up in the answer itself. Since the AI often summarises content without requiring a link click, we must shift our focus from click-through rate (CTR) to your visibility score. This is the foundational metric for AEO. It quantifies how often your brand or content appears in AI-generated summaries, such as Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity Answers, or ChatGPT/Gemini outputs for relevant, high-value queries.
To track this, you can run periodic, systematic queries across the main Answer Engines (manually or using specialised AEO tools like Semrush's AI Toolkit Ahrefs’ emerging AI visibility features or similar platforms).
Record the percentage of times your brand is mentioned for a targeted set of scenario-based questions (e.g., "What is the best resort in Bali for a honeymoon with a private pool?").
How often a specific URL or piece of content is cited or linked by the AI answer gives you an idea of how many people are seeing your content. While it’s a "zero-click" world, a direct citation still represents a high-trust signal from the AI and can drive qualified traffic.
Google AI Overviews
To track your visibility in Google’s AI Overviews specifically, you can use Google Search Console which now includes AI Mode data in performance reports. Monitor which of your content pieces are being included in these results. While this doesn't tell you about ChatGPT or Perplexity, Google's AI Overview performance is a strong proxy for overall AEO effectiveness.
Set up a tracking sheet of your top AEO-focused content. Record which pieces appear in featured snippets and AI Overviews. Track whether appearance correlates with increases in traffic for those pages or related content.
2. Entity signals
Strong entities – your brand’s verified name, locations, experiences, and products – help AI trust your content. Measuring success here involves:
Entity recognition
This involves checking that the AI systems correctly identify your brand's unique entity and associate it with the right locations and services.
Structured data
Since structured data (Schema Markup) is the technical backbone of AEO, it must be properly implemented. Check the percentage of key pages (like Destinations, Tours, Services, FAQs) that have valid and complete schema markup. You can use tools like Google’s Rich Results Test for this.
Consistency
Track how your entity appears across the web. Are your business listings consistent across Google Business Profile, Wikidata, travel directories, and OTAs? Are the descriptions, locations, and offerings consistent?
3. Quality engagement
While AEO is focused on inclusion, a user may still click through for a deeper dive, especially for high-intent searches (e.g., pricing, specific availability). When they do, the quality of that visit is key.
Conversion rate
Since AI-referred traffic arrives with a highly defined intent (e.g., "Best time to visit Bali" or "Cheapest way to do the Great Ocean Road"), these visitors are often highly qualified. You can set up your analytics (like Google Analytics 4) to isolate referral traffic coming specifically from AI engines (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) and track their conversion rate. Often, this rate is significantly higher than general organic traffic.
Time on page
A user who clicks through from an AI answer already has high intent. If they quickly bounce, your content might not be deep or structured enough to fully satisfy the complex scenario the AI hinted at. Low bounce rates and high scroll depth on AEO-targeted content signal that your content is truly comprehensive and trustworthy.
4. Sentiment
One of the strongest signals that your AEO strategy is working is an increase in guest reviews. More visibility through AI recommendations means more bookings, which means more opportunities for reviews.
Track review volume and growth rate across platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, and industry-specific review sites. Additionally, monitor review sentiment and mention of specific attributes your content emphasises. If your AEO content emphasises "family-friendly with great kids' clubs," you should see more reviews mentioning these features.
How long does AEO optimisation take to work?
One critical insight we've learned: AEO results take time. It is a long-term investment in brand authority and information architecture. The results timeline is generally slower than traditional SEO tactics like updating a title tag but faster than building a brand from scratch.
Most travel brands see initial indicators of AEO success within 3-4 months of implementing a comprehensive strategy. You'll likely notice improved brand mention tracking and increasing direct traffic first.
Significant ROI – measurable increases in bookings or inquiries directly attributable to AI visibility – can take 6-12 months. The ultimate desired outcome is to have your brand become a default, trusted entity within the travel planning context.
The good news is that there are AEO options for brands of all sizes, with all budgets. Brands with limited resources should prioritise high-impact, low-cost foundational tasks that build authority signals directly. That includes optimising your Google Business Profile, implementing a schema markup on your most important webpages, and creating two or three quality pieces of content (as opposed to 20 mediocre blogs). Mid-range budgets can add to this with a content audit to increase your content strategy.
Looking forward
Measuring AEO success requires thinking beyond clicks and rankings. You're tracking brand awareness, entity strength, content authority, and conversion quality across multiple channels.
The travel brands winning in AI search aren't those obsessing over single metrics. They're those building comprehensive measurement frameworks that show how AEO efforts compound over time to drive both visibility and revenue.
Are you confident your brand is being chosen when travellers ask AI for advice – or is it time to start strengthening your visibility? Boost Brands has extensive experience working in the travel space. Contact us today to see how we can help develop, implement and monitor your AEO strategy.
