Measurement MethodologyOpen Formula

The ArcSurf Score.

A transparent, reproducible 0–100 visibility index for AI search. Published formula. No hidden weights.

The Formula
ArcSurf Score =
(0.40 × CHR) + (0.30 × TSR) + (0.20 × PC) + (0.10 × FS)

Each component is normalized to a 0–100 scale.

The four components.

Each measures a different dimension of AI citation performance.

Citation Hit Rate

CHR
40%

How often you’re cited at all. % of matrix queries where your domain appears in the citations.

Top Source Rate

TSR
30%

How often you’re the primary source. % of queries where you’re the #1 citation.

Platform Coverage

PC
20%

How many AI engines cite you. % of tested platforms where you appear on ≥1 query.

Freshness Score

FS
10%

How recent your cited content is. Weighted by modification date of cited pages.

Score interpretation.

Five descriptive bands from 0 to 100.

0–20
Invisible

Rarely or never cited. Structural content and authority gaps.

21–40
Emerging

Occasional citations. Content exists but isn’t yet competitive.

41–60
Established

Consistent presence across most queries. Typical post-Sprint outcome.

61–80
Dominant

Cited on majority of queries, often #1, across 2–3 platforms.

81–100
Category-owning

Near-universal citation. Treated as authoritative in the category.

Worked example.

An established B2B SaaS client, Tier 1 tested across 25 queries on 3 platforms.

Cited on 12 of 25 queries
CHR = 48× 0.40 = 19.2
#1 on 5 of 25 queries
TSR = 20× 0.30 = 6.0
Cited on all 3 platforms
PC = 100× 0.20 = 20.0
Avg cited-page age: 90 days
FS = 100× 0.10 = 10.0
Sum
55.2
Band: Established

Why we publish the formula.

Most GEO agencies use proprietary scores with hidden weights. That’s marketing, not measurement.

The ArcSurf Score is reproducible — anyone with the same Tier 1 API test data will compute the same number we do. The formula is published. The weights are published. The inputs are auditable.

This is consistent with how we work: the methodology is open, the measurement is falsifiable, and clients get the data whether or not they hire us.

Get your ArcSurf Score — free

15 queries · 3 platforms · your real citation data · no commitment