Glossary
Answer Variance
Answer variance is the observable difference among responses to the same or closely related prompts, including changes in wording, sources, brands and ordering. It can be measured within one engine or compared across engines to show how stable a visibility result really is.
In plain terms
It describes how much AI answers differ even when the question stays the same.
Why it matters
Variance determines the confidence that should be attached to any mention, citation or recommendation rate.
How to apply it
- Compare repeated runs rather than single outputs.
- Track source and brand changes separately from wording changes.
- Show sample size beside every rate.
Example
Five runs of a finance-software prompt produce three different shortlists and two different first-place recommendations, indicating meaningful answer variance.
Sources
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Related terms
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