LenzAI

Why Competitive Tracking Matters in AI Search

In traditional SEO, you can see exactly where you rank compared to competitors. Google Search Console shows your position for every keyword. The competitive landscape is transparent.

AI search operates differently. There are no rankings—only citations. When someone asks ChatGPT "What's the best project management software?", the platform cites 3-5 brands. You're either included or you're not.

This makes competitive intelligence absolutely critical. You need to know which competitors get cited, for which queries, and on which platforms. Without this data, you're optimising blind.

What to Track: Key Competitive Metrics

Effective competitive tracking in AI search requires monitoring these core metrics:

Mention Rate

How often each competitor appears in AI responses for relevant queries. A competitor with an 80% mention rate appears in 8 out of 10 responses, indicating strong AI visibility.

Platform Coverage

Which AI platforms cite each competitor. Some brands dominate ChatGPT but are invisible on Perplexity. Platform-specific insights reveal optimisation opportunities.

Citation URLs

Which specific pages get cited by AI platforms. Analysing competitor citation URLs reveals content strategies, schema markup usage, and authoritative content patterns.

Sentiment & Positioning

How AI platforms describe competitors. Understanding positioning—"Stripe for developers" vs "PayPal for ease of use"—reveals differentiation opportunities.

Share of Voice

Your proportion of total mentions compared to competitors. If competitors capture 70% of citations and you have 30%, you know exactly how much ground you need to gain.

Method 1: Manual Competitive Tracking

You can start tracking competitors manually before investing in dedicated tools. Here's the systematic approach:

Step-by-Step Manual Process

1. Identify Your Top Competitors

List 3-5 direct competitors who target the same audience. Focus on brands you regularly compete against for customers.

2. Create a Query List

Develop 10-20 questions your target audience asks AI platforms. Include:

• "What's the best [product category] for [use case]?"
• "How do I choose [product category]?"
• "[Competitor name] vs [another competitor]"
• "Top [product category] for [industry]"

3. Test Across All Platforms

Ask each query on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. Record which brands get mentioned in each response.

4. Document Results in a Spreadsheet

5. Calculate Metrics

For each competitor, calculate their mention rate (mentions ÷ total queries) and identify which platforms favour them.

⚠️ Limitations of Manual Tracking

Manual tracking works for initial competitive research but becomes unsustainable at scale. Testing 20 queries across 4 platforms takes 2-3 hours. Repeating monthly for trend analysis is impractical for most businesses.

Method 2: Automated Competitive Intelligence

Dedicated GEO platforms automate competitive tracking, providing continuous monitoring and deeper insights. Here's what automated systems enable:

Continuous Monitoring

Automated platforms query AI systems weekly or monthly, tracking how competitor visibility changes over time. You'll see:

Mention rate trends showing whether competitors are gaining or losing ground
New competitor entries into AI responses
Platform-specific performance changes (e.g., competitor X now dominates Perplexity)

Citation Analysis

Advanced tracking systems analyse which competitor URLs get cited and why:

Schema markup detection: See exactly which schema types competitors implement
Content structure analysis: Understand how top-cited pages format information
Authority signals: Identify what makes competitor pages authoritative to AI

Gap Identification

The most valuable competitive intelligence shows exactly where competitors beat you:

Query-level gaps: Specific questions where competitors appear and you don't
Platform gaps: AI platforms where competitor presence is strong but yours is weak
Citation gaps: Content types that get competitor citations but you lack

Actionable Recommendations

The best competitive intelligence systems don't just show data—they provide specific optimisation guidance:

Priority-ranked opportunities based on competitive gap size
Content recommendations showing what to create to close gaps
Technical optimisations with implementation steps

How to Analyse Competitive Data

Raw competitive data is useless without proper analysis. Here's how to extract actionable insights:

Identify Your Biggest Threats

Calculate each competitor's share of voice. The competitor with the highest mention rate is your primary threat. Focus competitive efforts on understanding and countering their strategy.

Example: If Competitor A has a 75% mention rate whilst you have 45%, they're the benchmark. Analyse what they're doing that you're not.

Find Low-Hanging Fruit

Look for queries where:

•No competitor dominates (everyone's mention rate is below 50%)
•You're close to competitors (10-20% gap)
•Nobody gets cited yet (blue ocean opportunities)

These represent quick wins where modest optimisation can yield significant gains.

Understand Platform Preferences

Different AI platforms favour different content styles. Compare competitor performance across platforms:

•If Competitor X dominates ChatGPT but underperforms on Perplexity, study their ChatGPT-cited content
•If you perform well on Claude but poorly on Gemini, analyse what Gemini-successful competitors do differently

Reverse-Engineer Citation Strategies

When you identify competitor URLs that AI platforms cite frequently, analyse:

Content structure: How do they format information? FAQ sections? Comparison tables?
Schema implementation: What structured data do they use? Check with Google's Rich Results Test
Authority signals: Author bios? Cited sources? Statistical claims?
Content freshness: When was it last updated? How often do they refresh content?

Acting on Competitive Intelligence

Competitive data is only valuable if it drives action. Here's how to turn insights into results:

1. Prioritise by Impact

Focus on competitive gaps where:

•Search volume is high (many people ask these questions)
•Commercial intent is strong (questions from buyers, not researchers)
•Competitor dominance is moderate (beating a 90% leader is harder than a 60% leader)

2. Create Targeted Content

For each priority gap, create content specifically designed for AI citations:

Structure content as Q&A or how-to guides
Implement appropriate schema markup (FAQ, HowTo, Article)
Include statistical claims with sources
Write self-contained sentences that AI can extract cleanly

3. Optimise Existing Pages

Many competitive gaps can be closed by improving existing content rather than creating new pages:

•Add FAQ sections to product pages answering queries where competitors appear
•Restructure existing content to match citation-winning formats
•Update outdated information (AI platforms favour fresh content)
•Add schema markup competitors are using successfully

4. Build Third-Party Presence

Research shows AI platforms often cite third-party sources more than brand websites. If competitors dominate through review sites, Reddit, or industry publications:

•Encourage customer reviews on platforms AI trusts
•Participate authentically in relevant Reddit and Quora discussions
•Pursue mentions in industry publications and listicles
•Create comparison content that positions you favourably

Competitive Tracking Checklist

Use this monthly checklist to maintain competitive intelligence:

Monitor mention rates: Track whether your competitors are gaining or losing ground

Identify new competitors: Watch for emerging brands that AI platforms start citing

Analyse citation URLs: Study which competitor pages AI platforms favour

Update priority list: Adjust which gaps you're targeting based on latest data

Measure your progress: Calculate your share of voice and track improvement over time

The Compounding Advantage of Competitive Intelligence

Competitive tracking in AI search isn't a one-time exercise. It's an ongoing process that compounds over time.

Early adopters who track competitors now gain multiple advantages:

First-mover positioning: Establishing AI visibility before markets become saturated
Learning loops: Understanding what works whilst competitors are still blind
Authority building: AI platforms develop "memory" of authoritative sources over time
Defensive moats: Once you dominate a category in AI responses, competitors face an uphill battle

The brands winning in AI search three years from now will be those that started tracking competitors today. Don't wait until your entire industry adopts GEO—by then, the first-mover advantage will be gone.

How to Track Competitors in AI Search