# What results should a company expect from AI search optimization? - working worksheet

Reviewed alongside the Eli guide: https://hireeli.io/resources/ai-search-optimization-results

## Decision to make

Understand which results AI search optimization can deliver

Owner: ____________________
Review date: ____________________
Canonical page or destination: ____________________

## Buyer questions

- [ ] Is more AI referral traffic guaranteed?
- [ ] What is an early positive signal?
- [ ] When does a result count as revenue?

## Evidence-led work plan

### 1. Which results are under the company's control?

A team can control whether important facts are public, current, crawlable and supported.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 2. Which outcomes must be observed?

Mentions, citations and recommendations belong to external systems and should be recorded from literal saved answers.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 3. How should a vendor set expectations?

Ask the vendor to state the exact monitored question set, provider coverage, publication allowance, approval process and remeasurement method.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

### 4. Define a result ladder before the sprint

Use staged evidence so early progress is visible without overstating business impact.

Evidence or artifact: ____________________
Status: [ ] not started  [ ] working  [ ] verified  [ ] blocked

## Source ledger

- [ ] Google: AI features and your website: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features
- [ ] OpenAI: publishers and developers FAQ: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12627856-publishers-and-developers-faq
- [ ] Google Analytics: traffic-source dimensions: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/11242841
- [ ] Eli: AI Visibility Index methodology: https://hireeli.io/ai-visibility-index/methodology

## Measurement boundary

Baseline date and exact context: ____________________
7-day observation: ____________________
14-day observation: ____________________
30-day observation: ____________________
Known limitations: ____________________

Keep technical eligibility, citations, recommendations, visits, leads and revenue as separate evidence. This worksheet does not guarantee an external ranking or commercial result.