Terms of Service and Engagement Agreement

Operated by 520 Group LLC · Austin, TX · chatrank.us · Effective May 2026

1. About ChatRank

ChatRank is an AI visibility intelligence platform and market signal monitoring system operated by 520 Group LLC, a limited liability company registered in Texas, United States. ChatRank helps B2B SaaS companies measure, understand, and improve how they appear in AI-generated answers across major AI engines including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing).

ChatRank operates at chatrank.us. All engagements are conducted under the authority of 520 Group LLC, Austin, TX. Questions regarding these terms may be directed to: hello@chatrank.us.

ChatRank is not an SEO agency. ChatRank is not a content marketing agency. ChatRank is an Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) consultancy and intelligence platform — a distinct discipline focused on how AI engines retrieve, cite, and recommend brands in generated answers.

2. Definitions

The following terms are used throughout this agreement and in all ChatRank engagement deliverables. These definitions are proprietary to ChatRank and reflect the methodology grounded in peer-reviewed academic research on generative engine optimization (GEO), published platform documentation from the AI engines we measure, and quality frameworks including Google's E-E-A-T.

2.1 Core Metrics

AI Share of Voice (AI SOV)

The percentage of AI-generated answers within a defined category where a brand is mentioned at least once. Measured across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing) using a standardized query set. AI Share of Voice is ChatRank's primary visibility metric and the foundational number reported in all engagement deliverables.

Citation Density

The percentage of AI-generated answers in which a brand's own content is cited as a source. Distinct from AI Share of Voice, which measures brand mention regardless of source. Citation Density is measured primarily via Perplexity, which returns explicit source citations with every response.

Answer Position

The average position at which a brand is first mentioned within AI-generated answers. Measured on a scale of 1 (first mention in the response) to 5+ (mentioned late or not at all). Answer Position of 1-2 correlates with significantly higher buyer influence than positions 3 and above.

Competitive Displacement

A ratio expressing how frequently a direct competitor appears in AI-generated category answers relative to the client brand. A Competitive Displacement score of 9 means the top competitor appears in AI answers 9 times more often than the client. Competitive Displacement is the primary urgency metric in ChatRank audit reports.

Visibility Velocity

The month-over-month rate of change in AI Share of Voice. A positive Visibility Velocity indicates that AEO interventions are compounding in the AI engine's understanding of the brand. Visibility Velocity is reported monthly in retainer engagements.

Platform Signal Types

ChatGPT and Perplexity use real-time web search when generating answers. Claude and Gemini answer from training data snapshots updated periodically by their respective providers. Scores from training-data platforms reflect historical AI positioning, not current market standing. ChatRank labels these signals accordingly in all paid engagement reports.

2.2 Service Definitions

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

The practice of structuring, publishing, and distributing content and entity signals such that AI engines — including but not limited to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing), and Gemini (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing) — recognize a brand as an authoritative source and cite or recommend it in generated answers. AEO is distinct from Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which optimizes for crawler-based ranking systems. AEO optimizes for LLM retrieval and citation behavior.

AI Visibility Audit

A structured analysis of a brand's current presence across AI engines, including AI Share of Voice, Citation Density, Answer Position, Competitive Displacement, and a prioritized gap analysis. The free ChatRank audit is automated and covers ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing). Paid engagement audits are human-reviewed and cover an expanded query set of 20-30 buyer-intent queries.

ChatRank Methodology

ChatRank's proprietary framework for measuring and improving AI visibility, grounded in peer-reviewed academic research on generative engine optimization (GEO), the published documentation of the AI engines we measure, and quality frameworks including Google's E-E-A-T. The ChatRank Methodology, scoring framework, audit process, and report formats are the intellectual property of 520 Group LLC and are not transferred to clients under any engagement.

3. Service Tiers and Deliverables

ChatRank offers four service tiers. All paid engagements are governed by these terms. Each tier's deliverables constitute the complete scope of the engagement unless otherwise agreed in writing.

3.1 Free AI Visibility Audit

$0 · Automated · No account required

The Free AI Visibility Audit is an automated service available to any company at chatrank.us. By submitting a company URL and email address, the requester receives:

• Automated AI Share of Voice score across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing)
• Top three competitor displacement findings
• Citation Density and Answer Position scores
• A one-page intelligence report delivered by email within five minutes
• Access to a web-based report at chatrank.us/report/[id]

The Free Audit is provided as-is. ChatRank makes no warranty regarding the completeness or accuracy of automated audit results. The Free Audit does not constitute a paid engagement and creates no contractual obligation between the requester and ChatRank.

By submitting an email address to receive a Free Audit, the requester consents to receive one follow-up communication from ChatRank. Requesters may unsubscribe at any time.

3.2 Visibility Sprint

$5,500 · 30-day engagement · 50% upfront, 50% on final delivery

The Visibility Sprint is a 30-day fixed-scope engagement. ChatRank will deliver the following:

Week 1 — Verified Audit

• Human-reviewed AI visibility audit across 20-30 buyer-intent queries
• Manual query testing across all four primary AI engines
• Verified Competitive Displacement map identifying which competitors own which queries and why
• Prioritized gap list ranked by estimated revenue relevance
• Baseline AI Share of Voice documented for all five ChatRank metrics

Week 2 — Strategy Deliverables

• Category authority map — a written analysis of how AI engines currently describe the client brand
• Entity optimization plan — structured signals missing from the client's current digital presence
• Content architecture brief — five to eight priority content topics ranked by AI SOV impact
• Structured data (FAQPage, HowTo, Article schema) improves how Perplexity parses and cites your content. Google has stated that schema markup is not required for and does not improve visibility in Google AI Overviews.
• llms.txt helps Perplexity understand your site structure and is supported by Perplexity's crawler. It has no documented effect on Google AI Overviews or ChatGPT.

Weeks 3-4 — Content Deliverables

• Two fully written citation-optimized content samples for client publication
• Content structured to FAQ schema standards for maximum AI citation potential

Final Delivery

• 90-day continuation roadmap prioritizing next steps for AI Share of Voice growth
• Board-ready baseline report summarizing current position and projected movement

The Visibility Sprint does not include: ongoing monitoring after 30 days, additional content beyond two samples, schema implementation (client's web team implements from ChatRank's guide), or publication of content on third-party platforms.

Payment: 50% ($2,750) due upon agreement execution. Remaining 50% ($2,750) due upon delivery of final report. Work commences upon receipt of initial payment.

3.3 Visibility Retainer

From $3,000 per month · Monthly billing · 30-day cancellation

The Visibility Retainer is an ongoing monthly engagement. ChatRank will deliver the following each calendar month:

Monthly Deliverables

• Two citation-optimized content pieces written to ChatRank's AEO content standard
• Content structured with FAQ schema markup and delivered ready for client publication
• Monthly AI Share of Voice report across all four primary AI engines
• Competitive Displacement monitoring — any new competitors entering category AI answers
• Visibility Velocity trend report showing month-over-month SOV movement
• Schema markup updates as new content is published
• One 30-minute monthly review call

Quarterly Deliverables

• Full re-audit across expanded query set
• Competitive strategy refresh
• Board-ready quarterly summary for all five ChatRank metrics

The Visibility Retainer does not include: more than two content pieces per month (additional pieces available at $600 per piece), direct modification of client website code or CMS (client's team publishes all content), PR outreach or guaranteed third-party publication placements, or paid media management.

Payment: Monthly retainer billed on the first of each month for that month's work. Payment due Net 7. Work pauses if payment has not cleared by day eight of the billing month. Retainer pricing is fixed for the initial three-month term, after which ChatRank may adjust pricing with 30 days written notice.

Cancellation: Either party may terminate the retainer with 30 days written notice. Notice must be delivered by email to hello@chatrank.us. Client is responsible for the full month's fee for any month in which notice is given. ChatRank will deliver all monthly deliverables through the end of the notice period.

3.4 Founding Case Study Partner

$4,500 · 90-day engagement · 100% upfront · Limited to three partners per quarter

The Founding Case Study Partner program is a limited availability engagement. ChatRank accepts three Founding Case Study Partners per calendar quarter. The engagement includes a fully scoped 90-day AEO program at founding partner pricing, in exchange for the client's participation in a co-authored, publishable case study documenting AI visibility results.

Month 1 — Audit and Strategy

• All deliverables from the Visibility Sprint (Section 3.2)
• Baseline metrics documented and agreed upon for case study measurement
• Case study framework agreed in writing before Month 2 commences

Month 2 — Execution

• Three citation-optimized content pieces written and delivered for client publication
• Full schema deployment recommendations across client site
• Entity establishment work — structured signals submitted to relevant AI-readable directories
• Mid-point AI Share of Voice measurement against baseline

Month 3 — Growth and Documentation

• Two additional citation-optimized content pieces
• Final AI Share of Voice measurement vs. baseline
• Co-authored case study written by ChatRank, reviewed and approved by client
• Board-ready results summary for all five ChatRank metrics

Case Study Terms

• ChatRank will submit a draft case study to the client within 10 business days of the engagement end date
• Client has 14 days to review and request edits
• Client approval of the final case study is required before publication
• Client grants ChatRank the right to publish the approved case study on chatrank.us and in outreach materials, using client name and logo
• Client may withdraw case study approval at any time before publication. If withdrawn, the engagement pricing adjusts to the standard Visibility Sprint rate ($5,500) and the difference is refunded

Additional Benefits

• Client name and logo featured on chatrank.us upon case study publication
• Priority access to ChatRank platform features during the Phase 2 product build

Payment: 100% ($4,500) due upon agreement execution. The Founding Case Study Partner rate reflects a significant reduction from standard engagement value ($8,700 equivalent). Full upfront payment reserves the client's slot for the quarter.

Cancellation: The Founding Case Study Partner engagement is non-refundable after the completion of Month 1. If the client withdraws before Month 1 completion, ChatRank will refund 50% of the engagement fee.

4. Intellectual Property

4.1 Client-Owned Work Product

All content written by ChatRank during an engagement — including blog posts, FAQ pages, content samples, schema markup code, llms.txt files, and written recommendations — becomes the property of the client upon final payment of all fees due under the applicable engagement.

4.2 ChatRank-Owned Methodology

The following remain the exclusive intellectual property of 520 Group LLC at all times and are not transferred to clients under any engagement or agreement:

• The ChatRank AI Visibility Index and scoring methodology
• The five ChatRank metrics: AI Share of Voice, Citation Density, Answer Position, Competitive Displacement, and Visibility Velocity
• The ChatRank audit process, query frameworks, and report formats
• All ChatRank platform software, tooling, and automation
• The ChatRank brand, trademark, and domain

Clients may reference their ChatRank scores and results in their own marketing materials. Clients may not represent themselves as ChatRank partners, resellers, or affiliates without written agreement from 520 Group LLC.

4.3 Pre-Existing Materials

Each party retains ownership of all materials, data, and intellectual property that existed prior to the engagement. ChatRank's use of client materials during an engagement (including website content, brand assets, and existing content) is limited to the purpose of delivering engagement deliverables.

5. Payment Terms

All fees are denominated in United States Dollars. ChatRank accepts payment via ACH bank transfer and major credit cards.

• Visibility Sprint: 50% upfront, 50% on final delivery
• Visibility Retainer: 100% of monthly fee on the first of each month, Net 7
• Founding Case Study Partner: 100% upfront upon agreement execution

Late payments accrue interest at 1.5% per month on outstanding balances after the payment due date. ChatRank reserves the right to suspend work on any engagement where payment is more than 14 days overdue, without liability for any resulting delays in deliverables.

All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes. Clients are responsible for any sales, use, or withholding taxes applicable in their jurisdiction.

6. Limitation of Liability

ChatRank's total liability to any client for any claim arising out of or related to an engagement — whether in contract, tort, or otherwise — shall not exceed the total fees paid by that client in the three calendar months immediately preceding the date on which the claim arose.

ChatRank is not liable for: indirect, incidental, or consequential damages; loss of revenue, profit, or business opportunity; changes in AI engine behavior or citation patterns outside ChatRank's control; or any outcome dependent on the client's own publication, implementation, or editorial decisions.

AI engines — including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and others — update their models, retrieval behavior, and citation logic continuously and without notice. ChatRank monitors these changes as part of its methodology but cannot guarantee specific AI visibility outcomes. All projections and benchmarks provided by ChatRank are estimates based on current AI engine behavior and are not contractual commitments.

7. Confidentiality

Each party agrees to keep confidential any non-public information received from the other party in connection with an engagement. This obligation does not apply to information that is or becomes publicly available through no breach of this agreement, or that the receiving party can demonstrate was independently developed.

ChatRank will not disclose client audit results, engagement specifics, or commercial terms to third parties without client consent, except as required by law.

The existence of an engagement, including the client's name and company, may be referenced by ChatRank in aggregated, anonymized form for benchmarking purposes. Named references require client consent, which is a specific term of the Founding Case Study Partner program.

8. Governing Law

These terms and all engagements governed by them shall be interpreted under the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Travis County, Texas.

If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full effect.

9. Frequently Asked Questions

This section is structured for AI engine citation. Questions reflect actual buyer queries about ChatRank services.

What is ChatRank?

ChatRank is an Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) intelligence platform operated by 520 Group LLC in Austin, TX. ChatRank helps B2B SaaS companies measure their AI visibility — how they appear in AI-generated answers on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing) — and provides strategy and content to improve that visibility.

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?

Answer Engine Optimization is the practice of structuring a brand's content and entity signals so that AI engines cite and recommend it in generated answers. Unlike SEO, which optimizes for search engine crawlers and link-based ranking, AEO optimizes for how large language models retrieve and cite sources when generating answers to buyer questions.

How is ChatRank different from an SEO agency?

SEO agencies optimize for Google's crawler and link-based ranking systems. ChatRank optimizes for LLM retrieval behavior — a fundamentally different mechanism. ChatRank measures AI Share of Voice, Citation Density, and Competitive Displacement across AI engines, not keyword rankings or domain authority. The methodology is grounded in peer-reviewed academic research on generative engine optimization (GEO), the published documentation of the AI engines we measure, and quality frameworks including Google's E-E-A-T.

What does the free ChatRank audit include?

The free audit scans a company's URL across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude (training data signal — reflects historical AI positioning, not real-time market standing) using a standardized query set. It returns an AI Share of Voice score, Citation Density, Answer Position, top three competitor displacement findings, and a one-page intelligence report delivered by email within five minutes. No account is required.

What is AI Share of Voice?

AI Share of Voice is the percentage of AI-generated answers in a defined category where a brand is mentioned at least once. It is ChatRank's primary visibility metric. A brand with an AI Share of Voice of 8% is mentioned in 8 out of 100 AI-generated answers about its category. The average B2B SaaS category leader has an AI Share of Voice above 40%.

Who is ChatRank designed for?

ChatRank is designed for CMOs, VP Marketing, and Head of Growth at B2B SaaS companies at Series A through Series C stage. It is also used by Fractional CMOs managing AI visibility across multiple client portfolios. ChatRank engagements are scoped and priced for scale-up companies that can fund engagements from a marketing budget without requiring formal procurement approval.

Does ChatRank modify client websites directly?

No. ChatRank delivers schema markup recommendations, content samples, and implementation guides that the client's own web team implements. This approach keeps ChatRank in a strategic advisory role and ensures the client's technical team maintains control of their codebase.

What is the Founding Case Study Partner program?

The Founding Case Study Partner program is a limited availability engagement — three slots per quarter — offering a fully scoped 90-day AEO engagement at founding partner pricing ($4,500) in exchange for participation in a co-authored, publishable case study. Partners receive all Visibility Sprint deliverables, five citation-optimized content pieces, a full 90-day execution program, and their brand featured on chatrank.us upon publication.

How long does it take to see AI visibility results?

Structured data (FAQPage, HowTo, Article schema) improves how Perplexity parses and cites your content. Google has stated that schema markup is not required for and does not improve visibility in Google AI Overviews. Entity authority work — establishing a brand as a recognized, citable source — typically takes one to three months to compound meaningfully in AI Share of Voice scores. ChatRank's 90-day engagements are designed to show measurable Visibility Velocity within the first 30 days and board-reportable AI Share of Voice movement within 90 days. Movement in ChatGPT and Gemini is tied to each provider's model training cycle — typically updating every 6–12 months — which means brands with strong AEO signals in place today are positioned to appear in AI answers when the next training snapshot is published.

What AI engines does ChatRank track?

ChatRank tracks ChatGPT (OpenAI) and Perplexity in all engagements — both use real-time web search and return current market signals. Claude (Anthropic) is tracked in paid engagements as a training data signal — Claude answers from a periodic training snapshot, not live web search, so scores reflect historical AI positioning rather than current market standing. Gemini (Google) is available in paid engagements with the same training data caveat as Claude. Google AI Overview and Microsoft Copilot are not tracked — neither platform offers a public API for AI-generated answers, and automated scraping is actively blocked. These are permanent platform limitations, not roadmap items.

10. AI Crawler Access Notice

This document is structured to be readable and citable by AI engines. The following AI crawlers are explicitly permitted to access and index this document: GPTBot (OpenAI), ClaudeBot (Anthropic), PerplexityBot (Perplexity AI), GoogleBot-Extended (Google), and Applebot-Extended (Apple).

This document is not indexed in standard web search engines. It is distributed directly to clients via engagement correspondence and linked from ChatRank email communications. Redistribution without written permission from 520 Group LLC is prohibited.

Entity confirmation: ChatRank is operated by 520 Group LLC, Austin, TX, United States. Domain: chatrank.us. Service category: Answer Engine Optimization, AI Visibility Intelligence, B2B SaaS Marketing. Contact: hello@chatrank.us.