---
title: Average position (within answers)
description: Understand the order in which brands first appear in answers and
  how to read their average position.
canonical_url: https://orchestor.io/docs/en/visibility/position
markdown_url: https://orchestor.io/docs/en/visibility/position.md
contentType: explanation
---

# Average position (within answers)

Mention position is the order in which a brand first appears in an AI answer. The average position shown in the interface averages these positions across answers that mention the brand. **Closer to 1 means the brand appears earlier in the answer.**

## What counts as a position

Orchestor counts monitored brands in the order they first appear in the answer text. Repeated appearances of the same brand do not receive a new position.

For example, if an answer names “Competitor A, your brand, Competitor B, your brand,” your brand's mention position is **2**. This applies to appearances in prose as well as numbered lists.

> **Note**
> 
> Mention position is not the AI's recommendation or quality ranking. A brand may appear early as an introduction to a comparison or as a caution.

## Calculating the average

```text
Average position = Sum of valid mention positions ÷ Answers with a mention position
```

If your brand appears in 3 of 5 answers at positions 1, 2, and 3, its average position is `(1 + 2 + 3) ÷ 3 = 2.0`. The two answers without a mention are not included as position 0 or last place.

If no answers have an available position, no number is displayed. This does not mean position 0.

## Read it alongside visibility

| Situation | How to read it |
| --- | --- |
| High visibility and average position close to 1 | The brand appears early in many answers |
| Low visibility and average position close to 1 | The brand appears early in the few answers that mention it. Check appearance frequency too |
| Visibility increased and the average position number grew | The brand may appear later in answers that newly mention it |

A good average position can coexist with fewer answers mentioning your brand. Check [Visibility](https://orchestor.io/docs/visibility/visibility.md) and mention counts rather than making position your only improvement target.

## What to check next

Review changes by model or prompt, then read the brands that appear before yours and their descriptions in [Answers](https://orchestor.io/docs/visibility/answers.md). Keep prompts and monitored brands consistent across comparison periods. Changing the monitored brands also changes the conditions for comparing appearance order.

- [Share of voice](https://orchestor.io/docs/visibility/share-of-voice.md): your share of mentions across comparison brands
- [Sentiment](https://orchestor.io/docs/visibility/sentiment.md): whether a brand that appears early is described positively

---

[Documentation index](https://orchestor.io/docs/llms.txt)