> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.attensira.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Average Position > Learn how Average Position measures where you appear when AI lists multiple options. Understand why position matters, how it's calculated, and strategies to improve your ranking. **Average Position tells you where you appear when AI lists multiple options.** When someone asks "What's the best CRM?" and AI lists 5 brands, are you mentioned first or fifth? Position determines who gets chosen. ## Understanding Position When users ask AI platforms for recommendations, the AI typically lists multiple options in order of preference. Your position is where you appear in that list. ``` User: "What CRM should I use for my agency?" AI: "Here are some great options for agencies: 1. **HubSpot** — Great for marketing-focused agencies... ← Position 1 2. **Pipedrive** — Excellent for sales pipelines... ← Position 2 3. **Zoho** — Good budget option... ← Position 3 4. **Monday** — More of a project tool but works... ← Position 4" ``` If you're Zoho in this example, your position is 3. If this happens consistently across many prompts, your average position is around 3. **This is fundamentally different from traditional search:** | Traditional Search | AI Recommendations | | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | 10 blue links, users choose | AI presents an ordered list with opinions | | Users scan multiple results | Users often trust AI's top pick | | Position 5 still gets clicks | Position 4+ is often ignored | | Rankings change with algorithms | Positions reflect AI's synthesized view | ## Why Position matters Users treat AI's ordering as a recommendation. Position 1 isn't just listed first — it's presented as the best option. The AI often explains why it's recommending each option in the order it chose. **The attention distribution is stark:** | Position | User consideration rate | What this means | | ------------------ | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- | | **1st mentioned** | \~45% primarily consider | Nearly half of users focus on the first option | | **2nd mentioned** | \~25% consider | A quarter look at the second choice | | **3rd mentioned** | \~15% consider | Significant drop-off begins | | **4th+ mentioned** | \~15% combined | Everything after 3rd shares the remaining attention | If your average position is 4.2, you're competing for just 15% of user attention with every other brand mentioned after you. Meanwhile, your Position 1 competitor captures 45%. **The math is brutal:** Moving from Position 4 to Position 1 can triple your consideration rate. ## How Average Position is calculated Average Position is calculated across all responses where multiple brands are mentioned: ``` Average Position = Sum of all your positions / Number of multi-brand responses Example: - Prompt 1: You're Position 2 - Prompt 2: You're Position 1 - Prompt 3: You're Position 4 - Prompt 4: You're Position 2 Average Position = (2 + 1 + 4 + 2) / 4 = 2.25 ``` Position is only calculated when multiple brands appear in the same response. If AI mentions only your brand, there's no competitive ranking to measure — that's tracked under Share of Voice instead. ### Interpreting your Average Position | Average Position | What it means | Typical situation | | ---------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **1.0 - 1.5** | Market leader | AI consistently recommends you first. You're the default choice. | | **1.6 - 2.5** | Strong contender | Often in top 2. Users see you as a leading option. | | **2.6 - 3.5** | Mid-pack | You're in the consideration set but rarely the first choice. | | **3.6 - 4.5** | Lower priority | Usually mentioned as an alternative or "also consider." | | **4.6+** | Afterthought | Rarely positioned favorably. Often mentioned only for completeness. | ### Position distribution matters too Average Position alone doesn't tell the full story. Two brands can have the same 2.5 average but very different distributions: ``` Brand A (Average: 2.5) ├── Position 1: 40% of responses ├── Position 2: 20% of responses ├── Position 3: 10% of responses └── Position 4+: 30% of responses Brand B (Average: 2.5) ├── Position 1: 10% of responses ├── Position 2: 30% of responses ├── Position 3: 50% of responses └── Position 4+: 10% of responses ``` Brand A wins big sometimes but also loses badly. Brand B is consistently mid-pack. Both average 2.5, but Brand A captures more of the high-value Position 1 spots. ## Position by platform Different AI platforms rank you differently based on their data sources and algorithms: | Platform | What influences position | Notes | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | **ChatGPT** | Market share, brand recognition, popularity signals | Tends to favor established, well-known brands | | **Claude** | Nuanced analysis, reasoning quality | May surface lesser-known options if they fit the query well | | **Perplexity** | Recent citations, authoritative sources | Position heavily influenced by what sources say | | **Gemini** | Google Search rankings, SEO signals | Your Google position often carries over | | **Grok** | Real-time X/Twitter data, social signals | Trending brands may get position boosts | | **Copilot** | Bing rankings, enterprise signals, LinkedIn presence | Benefits from strong Bing SEO and Microsoft ecosystem presence | | **Google AI Mode** | Google Search rankings, Knowledge Graph, structured data | Directly influenced by your Google search position | | **Google AI Overview** | Google Search rankings, featured snippet eligibility | Position correlates with featured snippet and top search results | Track your position by platform separately. You might be Position 1 on Perplexity but Position 4 on ChatGPT — understanding these differences helps you prioritize improvements. ## What influences your Position Position is determined by how AI interprets your brand's relevance and quality for a specific query. Key factors: ### 1. Query-product fit The better your product matches the specific question, the higher you'll rank. A specialized tool will rank Position 1 for targeted queries but lower for general ones. ``` Query: "Best CRM for real estate agents" ├── RealEstateCRM.com → Position 1 (perfect fit) ├── HubSpot → Position 2 (good general option) └── Salesforce → Position 3 (powerful but overkill) Query: "Best enterprise CRM" ├── Salesforce → Position 1 (perfect fit) ├── HubSpot → Position 2 (scales well) └── RealEstateCRM.com → Not mentioned (too niche) ``` ### 2. Third-party endorsements When sources actively recommend you (not just mention you), AI positions you higher. "We recommend X" carries more weight than "X is an option." ### 3. Recency and freshness AI models may favor products with recent updates, news coverage, or fresh content. A stale web presence can gradually push you down. ### 4. Competitive comparison content Content that directly compares you to competitors — especially if you come out ahead — influences position. AI reads "X vs Y" articles and incorporates those conclusions. ### 5. Negative signals Bad reviews, unresolved complaints, or negative press push you down. AI aims to make helpful recommendations, so it deprioritizes brands with red flags. ## Strategies to improve Position ### Identify who's blocking you For prompts where you're Position 3+, who consistently appears at Position 1-2? This is your blocking competitor. ``` Your position analysis: ├── "Best CRM for agencies" → You: Position 3, HubSpot: Position 1 ├── "CRM for small teams" → You: Position 4, Pipedrive: Position 1 ├── "Marketing CRM" → You: Position 2, HubSpot: Position 1 └── Pattern: HubSpot is your primary blocker ``` Understanding who blocks you tells you what AI values that you lack. ### Win specific categories first Instead of trying to improve overall position, dominate specific prompt categories: | Strategy | Target prompts | Example | | --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | **Use case specialization** | "Best \[tool] for \[specific use case]" | "Best CRM for recruiting agencies" | | **Audience targeting** | "Best \[tool] for \[specific audience]" | "Best CRM for solopreneurs" | | **Feature leadership** | "Best \[tool] with \[specific feature]" | "Best CRM with email automation" | | **Price positioning** | "Affordable \[tool]" or "Enterprise \[tool]" | "Best free CRM" | It's easier to become Position 1 in a subset of prompts than to improve from Position 4 to Position 2 across all prompts. Win where you can, then expand. ### Improve your comparison content Create content that positions you favorably against competitors: * Direct comparison pages ("Acme vs HubSpot") * "Best for \[use case]" guides where you win * Feature comparison tables where you stand out * Migration guides from competitors to you AI reads this content and incorporates it into its rankings. ### Address blocking competitor advantages If a competitor consistently outranks you, understand why: 1. **Check their citations** — What sources mention them that don't mention you? 2. **Review their content** — What claims do they make that you don't? 3. **Analyze their positioning** — How do they describe themselves vs. how you do? 4. **Identify gaps** — What do they have that AI values that you lack? ## Position changes over time Position isn't static. Track trends to understand if you're gaining or losing ground: **Improving position signals:** * Your content strategy is working * Competitors are becoming less relevant * Your product improvements are being recognized * Your brand authority is growing **Declining position signals:** * Competitors have improved their positioning * Negative press or reviews are affecting you * Your content is becoming stale * Market preferences are shifting away from you ## Next steps How AI describes your brand How often you're mentioned overall