Visibility score
A visibility score is a rank tracker’s estimate of how visible a domain is for a chosen set of keywords, usually rankings weighted by expected click-through rate. In Semrush Position Tracking, 100% means ranking first for every tracked keyword and 0% means no top-100 rankings. AI visibility tools have their own, differently calculated scores.
How does Semrush calculate Visibility %?
Semrush: “Visibility % is based on the click-through rate (CTR) that shows a website’s progress in Google’s top 100 for keywords from the current tracking campaign.” If a business name is set for the local map pack, the Google 3-pack also influences it.[1] A domain at position 1 for every keyword scores 100%; one with no top-100 rankings scores 0%.[2] Semrush does not publish its exact CTR curve.
Why does the keyword set matter?
The score is relative to the keywords you choose. Adding many long-tail terms where you rank poorly lowers the score without any real change. Compare only within a stable campaign.
What are AI visibility scores?
- Semrush AI Visibility Score (0–100): combines topic coverage and mention consistency;[3] the toolkit page says it reflects how often your brand is mentioned compared with the median for automatically identified competitors.[4]
- SE Ranking notes there is “no benchmark yet” for a good AI visibility score and advises comparing against competitors.[5]
Frequently asked questions
Is visibility score the same as traffic?
No. It is an estimate of exposure from rankings; estimated traffic is a separate metric in most trackers.
Why did my visibility score drop when rankings looked stable?
Small moves near the top have large CTR effects, and keyword set changes alter the base.
Can I compare visibility scores between tools?
No. Each tool uses its own CTR model and keyword data.
See also
References
Sources accessed October 14, 2026 unless another date is given. See all sources.
- “What is Visibility %?”. Semrush Knowledge Base. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “Position Tracking Overview”. Semrush Knowledge Base. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “Where does the data in Semrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit come from?”. Semrush Knowledge Base. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “AI Visibility Toolkit”. Semrush Knowledge Base. accessed October 14, 2026.
- “AI Visibility Tracker (AI Search Toolkit)”. SE Ranking. product page, accessed October 14, 2026.