Methodology
Traditional trackers stop at “were we mentioned?” Heft® goes deeper: we decode the motive structure inside every answer, score story intensity, and tell you exactly why you're winning — or losing — each buyer moment.
Layer 1
Every AI response constructs a small story: what's happening, who's asking, what action they're taking, what tools solve it, and why it matters. Heft® maps this motive structure and shows where your brand sits inside the explanation — not just whether your name appeared.
This is the measurement layer rank trackers miss. Two brands can both be “mentioned.” Only one is cast as the recommended guide.
Motive structure · five elements
Situation
What world is the shopper in?
Shopper
Who is asking?
Action
What decision are they making?
Means
What product or path solves it?
Purpose
Why should they care?
Dominant driver: which element leads the explanation — and whether your brand is connected to it.
Layer 2
Heft® scores every AI answer against your brand with four independent layers. Mention without recommendation is a diagnosis, not a win.
01
Did AI say our brand at all?
02
Did AI point to our URL as evidence?
03
Did AI tell the user to choose us?
04
Hero, supporting option, commodity slot, or missing?
The citation trap
High cite rate with low recommend rate means AI uses you as a source — but recommends someone else. Heft® surfaces this pattern so brand teams can fix the story, not just the sitemap.
Layer 3
Different questions need different probes. Heft® runs structured programs and rolls them into a single strategist view: position → diagnosis → prescription.
If someone asks AI once, do we show up? Seven prompt shapes × multiple engines. Mention, cite, recommend, role — per observation.
Does our recommendation survive follow-ups and pushback? Multi-turn threads test whether your story holds when the shopper digs deeper.
What sub-questions does the market still need answered? Surfaces FAQ branches, comparison angles, and content gaps the engine expects but can't find on your site.
Layer 4
Heft® doesn't stop at scores. Every gap is typed — so brand and content teams know exactly what to fix.
AI doesn't frame the buyer's context the way you chartered it.
Your brand appears but isn't tied to the dominant driver in the answer.
Competitors have editorial or third-party evidence you lack.
Messaging is generic — clarity, intensity, or emotion scores fail the vividness bar.
Follow-up questions branch to topics your site doesn't cover.
AI describes your brand incorrectly — wrong category, invented claims, competitor confusion.
The flywheel
Heft® closes the loop. Charter a buyer moment, run locked probes, read the dramatization, fix the story, re-measure. Role movement and motive fit delta — not vanity traffic.