What it means
The distinction sounds simple, yet many AI visibility reports blur it. An answer can name a brand as the market leader to compare against, as an option that is too large for the buyer, or in passing, and still count as 'visible'.
RecoProof records the two separately. Mention Rate counts answers that name the brand, Shortlist Share counts answers that recommend it, and the difference between them is the Recommendation Gap.
Why it matters
Buyers act on recommendations, not on mentions. A brand with high awareness and a large gap is known to the engine but still not chosen, and that calls for different work than a brand that is simply absent.
Example
Asked for accounting software for a two-person consultancy, an answer calls a well-known suite 'powerful but more than a small firm needs' and recommends two lighter tools. The suite is mentioned, not recommended; the lighter tools are both mentioned and recommended.
Common misunderstandings
- A mention is not a positive signal by default; the context can be neutral or negative.
- Appearing first in a list is not the same as being the single recommended choice.
- Counting mentions in branded questions inflates visibility, because the question already names the brand.