Core Metric

Retrieval Share of Voice (RSOV) — the metric that defines brand presence in the AI era.

Retrieval Share of Voice (RSOV) is the percentage of monitored retrieval environments — across traditional search and AI engines — where a brand appears as a cited or ranked source, weighted by query importance and citation prominence.

Definition

RSOV = (Total brand retrieval appearances ÷ Total monitored query-engine pairs) × 100

Weighted by: query importance score × citation prominence score × engine authority weight

Check your RSOV score — free

RSOV Score Bands

What your score means

0–10%

Critical

Your brand has almost no structured presence across AI retrieval systems. AI engines have difficulty identifying or citing you for any category queries. Immediate infrastructure is required.

11–25%

Low

Partial AI visibility. You appear for some branded queries but are absent from most category-level AI answers. Competitors are being cited in your place for the queries that drive discovery.

26–45%

Developing

Emerging AI authority. You appear in AI answers for several key queries. Structure gaps, entity gaps, and freshness gaps are the primary inhibitors. Targeted infrastructure work will compound from this position.

46–65%

Strong

Established AI presence. Your brand appears in AI answers for most monitored category queries. Authority is building. Benchmark data and entity reinforcement will push scores higher.

66–100%

Authority

Category-defining AI authority. Your brand is the default cited source across most monitored retrieval environments. This position compounds automatically — each citation reinforces the next.

The 5 RSOV Components

What makes up your score

AI Citation Rate

% of monitored queries where an AI engine cites your brand

30% weight

Definition Extraction Rate

% of queries where AI extracts your definition block

20% weight

Benchmark Citation Rate

External sources citing your published benchmark data

20% weight

Featured Snippet Share

% of queries where your brand owns the featured snippet

15% weight

Page 1 Coverage

% of queries with your brand on page 1 in traditional search

15% weight

RSOV — Frequently asked questions

Who introduced Retrieval Share of Voice?

Retrieval Share of Voice (RSOV) was introduced by IndexGrid as the primary metric for measuring brand presence across AI-era retrieval environments. It extends the traditional Share of Voice concept from paid media to encompass AI citations, definition extractions, benchmark citations, featured snippets, and traditional search positions.

How is RSOV calculated?

RSOV is calculated as: (Total brand retrieval appearances ÷ Total monitored query-engine pairs) × 100. Weighted by query importance score, citation prominence score, and engine authority weight. The five components — AI Citation Rate, Definition Extraction Rate, Benchmark Citation Rate, Featured Snippet Share, and Page 1 Coverage — each contribute a defined percentage.

How often is RSOV updated?

RSOV is recalculated after every monitoring cycle. Google and Bing are monitored every 6 hours. The overall score updates approximately 4 times per day. Trending is shown month-over-month on the Growth plan and above.