The concept of Synthetic Visibility is part of the Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) framework. It evolves from traditional visibility metrics (impressions, clicks, and rankings) to a new paradigm where AI-generated narratives, not search results, define what is known and remembered about a brand. Synthetic Visibility connects to disciplines such as Computational Linguistics, Reputation Management, and Semantic Web, reflecting the transition from human-driven discovery to machine-mediated visibility — the era in which AI systems act as both interpreters and distributors of meaning.

Synthetic Visibility quantifies a brand’s presence and influence within the synthetic ecosystem — the space of answers, descriptions, and associations created by generative AI models.

It measures how the brand exists when requested, focusing on three dimensions:

1. Visibility – how often a brand or organization is mentioned in AI-generated answers related to its domain.

2. Narrative Quality – how accurately, coherently, and positively the brand is described in relation to its values and positioning.

3. Distributed Reputation – how widely the brand’s name and story are reinforced across credible sources that AI systems use to build their responses.

Synthetic Visibility is not controlled by algorithms but earned through narrative consistency and trust. In this sense, it is both a marketing and epistemological concept: it reflects how machines perceive the truth of a brand based on the signals humans have created.

A company with high synthetic visibility becomes part of the collective knowledge synthesized by AI, appearing naturally in responses that align with its purpose and expertise through measurable indicators such as:

• Inclusion frequency in generative responses;

• Semantic alignment of descriptions;

• Coherence of brand voice across sources;

• Perceived sentiment in AI-generated content.

If an AI like ChatGPT or Perplexity is asked, “What are the best running shoes?”, and the response includes brands such as Nike, Asics, or Hoka, it demonstrates synthetic visibility: these companies have achieved conceptual recognition within the AI’s generative corpus because their reputation, product quality, and narrative consistency are well established across trusted sources. Specialized analytical tools can monitor such occurrences, assessing how often and how accurately a brand appears in AI-generated answers, and guiding organizations in improving their visibility, coherence, and credibility within generative ecosystems.