WebMEM™

The Protocol for Structuring, Delivering, and Conditioning Trust-Scored AI Memory on the Open Web

Surface Authority Index

Surface Authority Index is a composite metric that ranks Memory Surfaces and Trust Surfaces based on their ability to enhance retrieval preference, trust weighting, and AI Visibility for hosted content. It measures the influence a given surface has on AI citation behavior, retrieval share, and semantic reinforcement across the knowledge graph.

Unlike domain-level SEO authority metrics, the Surface Authority Index focuses on AI-first signals—evaluating how a surface contributes to retrieval strength in conversational, generative, and zero-click AI outputs.

🧠 Full Definition

The Surface Authority Index is calculated from a blend of:

  • Domain trust — recognition as a high-authority or high-trust source in the target domain
  • Retrieval impact — demonstrated influence on Retrieval Share for hosted fragments
  • Semantic positioning — degree of Semantic Proximity to authoritative entities and co-citations
  • Structured signal quality — density and accuracy of Structured Signals and Trust Layer metadata
  • Reinforcement footprint — cross-surface presence and alignment with Cross-Surface Reinforcement campaigns

The resulting index score can be used to prioritize which surfaces are best suited for publishing or syndicating high-value Memory Objects.

📌 Key Characteristics of Surface Authority Index

  • Evaluates AI-centric authority, not traditional SEO link metrics
  • Supports surface selection for reinforcement campaigns
  • Can be tracked over time to monitor surface performance
  • Informs syndication and content placement strategy

💡 Why It Matters

Publishing on the right surface can make the difference between being retrieved as the primary source or being ignored entirely. The Surface Authority Index quantifies that influence, allowing publishers to focus resources where they will have the greatest retrieval impact.

🌐 WebMEM Perspective

In WebMEM, the Surface Authority Index is a decision-making tool in the Semantic Visibility Console. It helps map the most valuable surfaces for deploying Trust Fragments and ensures alignment with Conditioning Strategies.

🗣️ Example Use

“Our analysis ranked the university’s open repository at 92 on the Surface Authority Index, making it our top target for glossary term syndication.”

🔗 Related Terms