How ASO
Actually Works
Most SEO agencies hide behind jargon and "proprietary algorithms." We show you every step. Here's exactly how we calculate your Vector Visibility Score and optimize your search presence.
The Traditional SEO Problem
The old way was opaque, expensive, and frustrating.
it's working"
into work
You don't know what they're doing
You can't verify if it's working
When it fails, you have no data
You're dependent on their "expertise"
We think that's wrong. Here's our alternative.
The ASO Process: Fully Transparent
Five steps. Full visibility. No secrets.
Intent Centroid Calculation
We calculate what "perfect" looks like for your keywords
Process
- •Scrape top 20 results for your target keyword
- •Extract semantic meaning (not just keywords)
- •Create vector embeddings of all content
- •Calculate weighted average (position 1 = highest weight)
- •This becomes the "intent centroid"
What You Get
- Which 20 URLs we analyzed
- Their vector embeddings
- Weight calculations
- Final centroid coordinates
Your Content Embedding
We measure where you actually are
Process
- •Crawl your target page
- •Extract main content (remove nav, ads, etc.)
- •Chunk into semantic sections
- •Create vector embeddings using same model
- •Calculate average position in vector space
What You Get
- Your content chunks
- Each chunk's embedding
- Distance from centroid per section
- Which sections help vs hurt
VVS Score Calculation
We calculate your semantic distance from intent
Process
- •Calculate cosine distance between your content and centroid
- •Convert to 0-100 VVS score
- •Score interpretation: 80-100 = Excellent, 60-79 = Good, 40-59 = Moderate, 0-39 = Poor
What You Get
- Raw cosine distance calculation
- Breakdown by content section
- Comparison to top 10 competitors
- Historical trend (if previous scans exist)
Gap Analysis
We identify exactly what's missing
Process
- •Compare your content vectors to centroid
- •Identify semantic gaps (topics you don't cover)
- •Identify over-optimization (keyword stuffing)
- •Map content opportunities
What You Get
- Specific topics missing
- Frequency comparison tables
- Competitor content excerpts
- Recommended additions
Optimization Recommendations
We tell you exactly what to do (or do it for you)
Process
- •Foundation tier: Written recommendations with expected impact
- •Accelerate/Dominate tier: Full implementation with tracking
- •Continuous VVS improvement monitoring
What You Get
- Every recommendation made
- Expected VVS impact
- Actual VVS impact after implementation
- A/B test results if applicable
The VVS Formula
Excellent: Strong alignment with search intent
Good: Solid foundation, but gaps exist
Moderate: Needs significant work
Poor: Major overhaul needed
Technical Deep Dive (For the Curious)
Detailed answers to the questions you actually have.
See a Real (Anonymized) Report
This is the level of detail you get every month.
Vector Visibility Score Report
Company: Anonymized SaaS Company • Date: January 15, 2026
Keyword: "enterprise CRM software"
Previous: 61/100 (+7)
Your Content Analysis
Overall Distance from Centroid: 0.32
Gap Analysis
Missing Topics (high impact):
- • Implementation timeline (0 mentions vs 4.2 avg)
- • Volume pricing (1 mention vs 5.1 avg)
- • Enterprise SSO (0 mentions vs 2.8 avg)
- • Migration support (0 mentions vs 3.2 avg)
Over-Emphasized (dilutes focus):
- • Company history (8 mentions vs 0.8 avg)
- • Founding story (4 mentions vs 0.2 avg)
Recommendations
Add FAQ section (Expected +12 VVS)
Cover implementation timeline, volume discounts, SSO providers, and migration process.
Reduce company history (Expected +6 VVS)
Cut by 70%, reinvest in use case examples.
Predicted Outcome
If all recommendations implemented: VVS: 68 → 90 (+22)
Estimated Rank Change: #8 → #3-4
Timeline: 6-8 weeks
ASO vs Traditional SEO: The Technical Difference
See exactly how our approach differs from old-school SEO.
| Features | Aspect | Traditional SEO | ASO (Our Approach) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they measure | What they measure | Keyword density, backlinks, rankings | Semantic meaning, intent alignment |
| Success metric | Success metric | Position #1-10 | VVS Score (0-100) |
| Optimization approach | Optimization | Stuff keywords, build links | Align content with intent centroid |
| Reporting style | Reporting | You're #8 for 'crm software' | VVS is 68. Here's exactly why and how to improve. |
| Updates handling | Updates | Reactive to algorithm changes | Proactive adaptation to AI evolution |
| Transparency | Transparency | Black box, proprietary | Full methodology, exportable data |
| Prediction capability | Prediction | We'll try to improve rankings | These changes predict +12 VVS, moving you to #3-4 |
| - | - | Learn More |
Aspect
Traditional SEO
ASO (Our Approach)
Key Difference:
Traditional SEO fights the algorithm. ASO aligns with how AI actually understands content.
Our Transparency Commitment
Five promises we make to every customer.
Show Our Work
You'll never wonder what we're doing. Every recommendation includes the data and reasoning behind it.
Explain the Math
No hand-waving. No 'trust us.' We explain the calculations and you can verify them.
Admit Uncertainty
Sometimes we don't know. We'll tell you when something is an experiment vs. proven.
Learn in Public
When we're wrong, we say so. When we improve our methodology, you benefit immediately.
Your Data = Your Property
Export everything. Leave anytime. No vendor lock-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about our methodology.
Last Updated: February 2026 • We update this page quarterly as our methodology evolves
Ready to See How It Works?
Get your free VVS score and see exactly where you stand in AI search.