# Metrics

> The concepts every number in the app relies on — answer, mention, direct competitor, period.

Each metric has its own page, with the definition, the formula, an example and what counts or not. Below are the
concepts they all use.

## Answer

An **answer** is a run of a prompt on an AI model that finished successfully, within the chosen period. Failed runs
(the model did not answer, the provider returned an error) do not count anywhere.

An **empty** answer does count. For Google AI Overview it means Google showed no AI Overview for that search — a real
observation: you do not appear in that search. Leaving them out would inflate your visibility in AI Overview.

## Mention

A **mention** means an answer names a brand. Each brand counts **once per answer**, however often it appears in the
text. Its position is the order in which it is first named, among the businesses the answer names: 1 = first.

## Direct competitors

Survelium detects every business in the answers and lists them on the **Competitors** page. Every one of them counts
in share of voice and positions, except those you mark **Ignored**, which are left out of every number. Those you mark
**Direct Competitor** are the ones tracked by name: in the competitor tables, rankings and charts, and in Where
you're missing and Missing sources.

When you mark a brand as direct, its mentions from the last 30 days are recalculated.

## Period and models

- The default **period** is 28 days; you can choose 7, 28 or 90. The change next to a number compares with the
  period of the same length before it, and shows only if that period also has answers.
- **Model** filters by AI assistant (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot, Google AI Mode, Google AI
  Overview). "All models" pools all answers together: a model that answered more often weighs more.
- The period and model are kept when you move from one page to another of the same brand.

## "—" and 0

**"—" means "not measured"**: there is no answer for the given filter in the chosen period. **0** means we
measured and the result really is zero.