One thing before payment: After you pay, what should you check first?

1. The first thing to check right after payment — verify the ‘brand visibility baseline’

The first thing to confirm after payment is how often our brand is cited in AI platforms (e.g., ChatGPT, AI Overviews). In other words, check the brand’s ‘visibility baseline.’ This figure becomes the reference point for measuring all future changes.

For example, in Tenten GEO’s GEO diagnosis we use Ahrefs Brand Radar to scan the share of brand citations across major AI engines and provide a ‘baseline report.’ That report becomes the benchmark for metrics tracked weekly thereafter. Knowing the share at the time of diagnosis is very important.

• Brand citation rate by AI engine (e.g., ChatGPT 12.4%, AI Overviews 7.1%)
• Gap versus competitors: our brand’s citation frequency vs competitors’ frequency
• You need a baseline figure to judge later whether things have improved or fallen behind

2. Check with a concrete example

Using Tenten GEO’s diagnostic results as an example: if the diagnosis shows a ChatGPT citation rate of 12.4% and AI Overviews 7.1%, that represents the brand’s current visibility in AI engines. As you track weekly data, you use this as the baseline to understand progress.

If a competitor shows a higher citation rate on the same engines, the next step is to find out why our brand is cited less. For example, if competitors are appearing via certain domain reviews or comparison pages, check whether we can secure those same routes. Interpreting the results through such examples makes strategic decisions easier.

• Example: ChatGPT citation rate 12.4%, AI Overviews 7.1% — this is the baseline
• If competitors’ citation rates are higher, check which sources they use (e.g., reviews, comparison pages)
• First check whether we can secure those same paths

3. Three criteria customers can check themselves

The criteria you can verify directly are: ① the proportion of mentions of our brand name on major AI platforms (citation rate), ② the gap versus competitors (citation frequency comparison), and ③ whether the results are recorded on a weekly basis. The third criterion matters because repeat measurements are necessary to judge improvement.

You can find these criteria in the first-week report or dashboard provided after payment. If there are no recurring metrics, the service may only provide a one-time baseline, so beware. VAN GEO also sets its operating direction based on this baseline, though we don’t use internal jargon when explaining it.

• Citation rate: see as a number how often the brand appears in AI engines
• Competitor gap: check our % vs competitors’ %
• Repeatability: confirm whether the same items are tracked weekly

4. Summary of the workflow from VAN GEO’s operating perspective

At VAN GEO, the first report after payment starts from the ‘brand visibility baseline.’ Each week we compare current citation rates to that baseline, review trends or changes, and propose the next content strategy or revisions. This creates a sustained performance flow rather than a one-off result.

So once you’ve confirmed the baseline right after payment, your next checks are whether the baseline is tracked repeatedly and whether there are changes. Based on that, you can request ‘please check this item in the free diagnosis as well’ to get an accurate assessment. We check the same ‘baseline’ in the free diagnosis.

• The first report provides the brand visibility baseline
• Weekly tracking of citation-rate changes against that baseline
• Content improvement strategy proposals based on changes
• The free diagnosis also checks the same baseline

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see the baseline citation rate?

You can find the brand citation rate in the first report or dashboard provided after payment. That value is the baseline.

What if weekly reports are not provided?

Even with a baseline, you cannot tell whether things are changing, so ongoing management is difficult. Be sure to confirm whether a repeat-tracking structure is possible.