Source Depth Coverage
CORE™ Module
GEO + GEM
Evaluates the depth and authority of sources backing your brand's mentions in AI responses: how many sources cite you, with what authority and in what context.
SDC™ starts from a reality of how AI models work: they do not recommend what they cannot back. When an AI suggests a brand, it does so because sufficiently authoritative and diverse sources mention it in the appropriate context. SDC™ measures exactly that source coverage.
The factors SDC™ evaluates include: number of unique domains citing the brand in category context, thematic authority of those sources (specialist publications, market studies, independent comparisons, sector reference media), diversity of source types and recency of citations.
SDC™ is addressed with GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and GEM (Generative Engine Marketing) to build the source coverage that models need to include you with confidence. It is the metric that most directly answers the question 'why doesn't AI recommend me even though I am good at what I do?'
Real example
A natural cosmetics brand appears in 35% of AI responses about sustainable cosmetics (acceptable Citation Rate), but its SDC™ is 21/100. Why? The only sources citing it are its own blog and an eco-company directory. There are no mentions in Vogue, Elle, independent lab ingredient studies or cosmetics comparison platforms that AI prioritizes. Without solid sources, AI mentions it but does not recommend it with confidence.