Quick Answer: Sentiment is scored from -100 (strongly negative) to +100 (strongly positive). It measures the tone and recommendation strength of AI mentions - not just whether you’re mentioned, but how enthusiastically.
The Sentiment Scale
| Range | Rating | Example Language |
|---|---|---|
| +70 to +100 | Strong Positive | ”highly recommend,” “excellent choice,” “industry leader” |
| +30 to +69 | Positive | ”good option,” “worth considering,” “solid reputation” |
| -29 to +29 | Neutral | ”is available,” “one option,” “has been around since” |
| -69 to -30 | Negative | ”has some issues,” “may want to research more,” “not ideal for” |
| -100 to -70 | Strong Negative | ”avoid,” “not recommended,” “significant problems” |
What Drives Sentiment
Recommendation strength
The strongest sentiment signal is how forcefully AI recommends you:| Language | Sentiment Impact |
|---|---|
| ”I’d definitely recommend…” | +90 |
| ”They’re an excellent choice for…” | +80 |
| ”A strong option if you need…” | +60 |
| ”Worth considering alongside…” | +40 |
| ”One option you could look at…” | +10 |
| ”Has some limitations including…” | -40 |
| ”You might want to avoid…” | -80 |
Comparative context
How AI positions you relative to alternatives:- “Better than most” → Strong positive
- “Similar to [competitor]” → Neutral
- “Not as strong as [competitor]” → Negative
Qualifier words
Subtle language cues affect sentiment:| Qualifiers | Direction |
|---|---|
| ”definitely,” “absolutely,” “clearly” | Strengthens positive |
| ”might,” “could,” “perhaps” | Weakens positive |
| ”however,” “but,” “although” | Introduces negative |
| ”despite,” “unfortunately” | Negative context |
Context of mention
Where your brand appears in the response structure:- Featured solution (discussed in detail) → Higher sentiment
- One of several options (listed briefly) → Moderate sentiment
- Mentioned with caveats (pros AND cons) → Mixed sentiment
- Afterthought (“you could also try…”) → Low positive
Sentiment on the Dashboard
Overall sentiment score
Your aggregate sentiment across all mentions, all platforms, all keywords. This is the number that feeds into your AI Authority Rank.Sentiment distribution
A breakdown showing what percentage of your mentions are:- Strong positive
- Positive
- Neutral
- Negative
- Strong negative
Sentiment by platform
Each AI platform may have different sentiment for your brand. Common patterns:- Claude tends to be more moderate (fewer extremes)
- ChatGPT tends to be more positive when mentioning
- Grok reflects social sentiment (more volatile)
- Perplexity is factual (more neutral)
Sentiment trends
How your sentiment changes over time. Watch for:- Gradual improvement (content strategy working)
- Sudden drops (potential reputation issue)
- Platform-specific changes (one platform shifting)
Improving Sentiment
Content strategies
- Publish case studies with measurable results
- Create comparison content that honestly positions you
- Address known weaknesses transparently
- Highlight awards, certifications, and recognition
Reputation management
- Monitor and respond to negative reviews
- Build a strong portfolio of positive testimonials
- Engage with industry communities
- Publish thought leadership content
What doesn’t work
- Overly promotional content (AI sees through it)
- Fake reviews or testimonials
- Ignoring legitimate criticism
- Keyword stuffing brand mentions
Sentiment reflects what the web says about you. You can’t game it directly - you need to genuinely improve your reputation and make that improvement visible to AI systems through quality content and third-party validation.
FAQ
Can sentiment be negative even if I'm mentioned?
Can sentiment be negative even if I'm mentioned?
Yes. Being mentioned with negative context (“has some quality issues” or “not the best choice for enterprise”) scores negatively. It’s possible to have high mention rate but poor sentiment.
Is neutral sentiment bad?
Is neutral sentiment bad?
Not necessarily. Neutral means you’re mentioned without strong opinion. It’s better than negative, but positive is obviously preferred. Neutral often means AI lacks enough signal to form a strong opinion about your brand.
Why does sentiment vary between platforms?
Why does sentiment vary between platforms?
Each platform has different training data, different response patterns, and different tendencies. Grok may reflect recent social controversy while Claude remains neutral because it’s less influenced by social media.
Related Articles
Position Tracking
Position + sentiment = complete picture
Improving Your Score
Strategies to improve all components