A reputation score measures what people say about you. An Authority Score™ measures how trustworthy you appear before anyone has to ask.
A reputation score typically measures what people are saying about a business — usually based on reviews and ratings. An Authority Score™ is broader: it measures the complete picture of how trustworthy and authoritative a business appears to a prospect before the first conversation, across eight pillars that go far beyond reviews alone.
Reviews are important, but they are only one signal. A business can have excellent reviews and still lose prospects because its website is outdated, its social media is inactive, or it publishes no content demonstrating expertise. A reputation score captures reviews. An Authority Score™ captures the full picture — visibility, credibility, expertise, positioning, trust signals, relationships, consistency, and conversion.
Both matter, but an Authority Score™ is more actionable. A reputation score tells you whether people are happy. An Authority Score™ tells you whether prospects trust you enough to call in the first place. Since most lost business happens before contact — not after — the Authority Score™ measures the gap that actually costs you revenue.
Think of your reputation score as one input into your Authority Score™. Strong reviews contribute to the trust signals pillar. But the other seven pillars — positioning, visibility, credibility, expertise, relationships, consistency, and conversion — are equally important. The Authority Score™ assessment shows how all eight pillars interact and which one to improve first.
Now that you understand the concept, measure your own. The free assessment takes 3 minutes and shows you exactly where your authority is strong — and where it's costing you.