Read HaloX metrics in this order
These are not generic marketing terms. They are the metrics used inside HaloX product screens. When you review a keyword or prompt, read the signals in this order:demand → search visibility → AI answer signals → source/citation ownership → execution priority.
| Reading order | What to check | HaloX metrics |
|---|---|---|
| Demand | Whether people search or ask about the topic | Search volume PAA non-brand keywords |
| Search visibility | Whether your page appears in Google results | Rank Top 10 average position CTR |
| AI answer signals | Whether the brand or source appears in AI answers | AI AIO mention source citation |
| Source competition | Whether your source is selected over competitors | Citation rate source share competitor citations |
| Execution priority | Which keyword, prompt, or page to fix this week | Quick Win gap type trend |
HaloX service metrics
| Metric | What it means in HaloX | Basis | How to decide | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Where your page appears in search results | Lower is better. Rank 1 is best; top 10 usually means first-page range. | Rank 11-15 is a near-term candidate for title, FAQ, and internal-link improvement. | SERP |
| Top 10 | Number of keywords where your domain ranks in the top 10 | Counts keywords where the brand’s best rank is 10 or lower. | A low share means weak first-page visibility. | Keyword Analysis |
| Average Position | Average rank across keywords where the brand has a detected rank | Only ranked keywords are averaged; lower is better. | Around 12 means many keywords are just outside first-page range. | Keyword Analysis |
| Search Volume | Size of search demand for a keyword or cluster | Monthly search demand for the keyword or cluster. | High volume and low rank means demand exists, but visibility is weak. | Keyword Clusters |
| Trend | Direction of change compared with a previous period | Week-over-week, month-over-month, or selected-period comparison. | Start with demand movement, then check rank or citation movement to narrow the cause. | Weekly Report |
| CTR | Click-through rate from search results | Clicks divided by impressions. | If rank is high but CTR is low, review title, description, and intent fit. | Monitoring Dashboard |
| AI | A grouped AI-related signal in keyword screens | Depending on the screen, this can mean AIO detection or AI-answer source signals. | Do not read it as one bucket. Check AIO, mention, source, and citation separately. | GEO |
| AIO | Whether Google AI Overview appears and whether the brand is cited there | Combines AIO detection and brand/competitor citation. | Strong organic rank without AIO citation means AI Overview source work is still needed. | AI Overview optimization |
| PAA | People Also Ask questions shown in Google search results | A list of related questions collected from the keyword SERP snapshot. It is question demand, not search volume. | Many PAA questions mean there are FAQ or comparison-section candidates. | PAA |
| Mention | The brand name appears in the AI answer text | Brand appears in the answer wording. | Mention without citation means brand recall exists, but source ownership is weak. | Brand Mention |
| Source | A page or domain considered as supporting evidence | Brand page or external material is detected as a source candidate. | Source without citation means the evidence needs stronger answer-ready structure. | Source |
| Citation | A URL or domain appears as a final source in the AI answer | Displayed in the answer’s citation or source area. | This is the strongest GEO outcome signal. | Citation |
| Citation rate | Share of AI runs where the brand is cited | Brand-cited runs divided by total runs times 100. | Shows how often the brand is selected as an AI-answer source. | Citation Rate |
| Source share | Brand and competitor ownership of AI-answer sources | Compares brand citation share with competitor citation share by engine. | High competitor share means competitors own source visibility. | Share of Voice |
| AVI | 0-100 score summarizing brand visibility in AI search | Start with citation rate and mention share, then use coverage and citation-position quality to narrow the cause. | Start with the weakest component before acting on the score. | AVI |
| Coverage | Range of tracked questions, keywords, or engines where a signal appears | Checks where the brand appears across prompts, keywords, or engines. | Low coverage means the brand disappears in some question groups or engines. | Question Coverage |
| Quick Win | Candidate that can improve with relatively small changes | Start with near-top keywords that have impressions but weak CTR. | Improve title, FAQ, internal links, and evidence sentences before writing from scratch. | Keyword Analysis |
| Gap Type | SEO and GEO strength state for a cluster | CRITICAL, GEO_GAP, SEO_GAP, or FORTRESS. | Decides which channel to fix first. | Strategy Map |
Similar metrics that mean different things
| Pair | Difference |
|---|---|
| Mention vs Citation | Mention means the brand name appears in the answer. Citation means a URL or domain is attached as a source. |
| Source vs Citation | Source is evidence AI considered. Citation is the final visible source. |
| Rank vs CTR | Rank is search-result position. CTR shows whether people clicked from that position. |
| Search Volume vs Traffic | Search volume is market demand. Traffic is actual visits. |
| PAA vs Search Volume | PAA is a list of related questions. Search volume is the size of demand for a keyword. |
| AIO vs GEO | AIO focuses on Google AI Overview. GEO covers AI answers across engines such as ChatGPT. |
Where to check each metric
| Screen | Main HaloX metrics | Decision point |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword Status | Rank, AI, search volume, trend, PAA | Track search and AI signals at the keyword level. |
| Keyword Analysis | Top 10, average position, AIO citation, SEO Score, Quick Win | Read search visibility and AIO opportunities together. |
| Prompt Status | M/S/C, Hidden Opportunity, Ghost Citation | Find where mention, source, and citation break by AI question. |
| Prompt Analysis | Brand coverage, source coverage, citation coverage, source share | Narrow the cause by prompt set and engine. |
| Citation Tracking | Source, citation, unique domain, count, share | See which domains and pages become AI-answer sources. |
| Monitoring Dashboard | GSC clicks, impressions, CTR, average position, AI Traffic | Check whether search and AI visibility turn into traffic. |
| Strategy Map | Gap type, total volume, click upside | Decide which cluster to execute first. |
| Weekly Report | Delta, sparkline, SEO/GEO/unified score | Turn weekly movement into next actions. |
Related docs
Keyword Status
Read search visibility and AI-answer signals in screen context.
PAA
Understand how Google related questions become content questions.
Citation Rate
Understand how often the brand is selected as an AI-answer source.
Glossary home
Continue through related concepts and product screens.