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Intermediate
25 min read5 chapters

Competitor Analysis in AI Search

Understand why competitors appear in AI recommendations and develop strategies to outperform them.

Competitor Analysis in AI Search

Chapter 1: Identifying Your AI Competitors

Your AI competitors may differ from your traditional competitors. AI systems recommend based on authority and relevance, not just market position.

Discovery Process

  • Run 50+ relevant queries across AI platforms
  • Record all brands mentioned
  • Calculate mention frequency
  • Identify consistent competitors
  • Competitor Categories

  • Direct competitors - Same products/services
  • Authority competitors - High authority in your space
  • Content competitors - Strong content presence
  • Emerging competitors - Growing AI visibility
  • Chapter 2: Analysis Framework

    For Each Competitor, Analyze:

    Digital Presence
  • Website authority (domain rating)
  • Content volume and depth
  • Social media presence
  • Wikipedia/directory listings
  • Content Strategy
  • Publishing frequency
  • Content types (guides, research, tools)
  • Topic coverage
  • Author expertise
  • Authority Signals
  • Backlink profile
  • Media mentions
  • Industry recognition
  • Expert contributors
  • Chapter 3: Gap Identification

    Content Gaps

    Identify topics competitors cover that you don't:
  • Run competitor content audits
  • Compare topic coverage
  • Note content depth differences
  • Authority Gaps

    Identify authority signals competitors have:
  • Wikipedia presence
  • Industry directory listings
  • Expert authorship
  • Citation sources
  • Platform Gaps

    Identify platforms where competitors dominate:
  • ChatGPT vs Perplexity performance
  • Query type performance
  • Sentiment differences
  • Chapter 4: Action Planning

    Quick Wins

  • Update business listings
  • Add missing schema markup
  • Optimize existing high-performing content
  • Respond to specific competitor advantages
  • Medium-Term Actions

  • Create comprehensive guides
  • Launch original research
  • Build expert content program
  • Expand topic coverage
  • Long-Term Strategies

  • Build Wikipedia presence
  • Establish thought leadership
  • Create industry-standard resources
  • Develop proprietary data assets
  • Chapter 5: Continuous Monitoring

    Weekly Reviews

  • Track relative mention rates
  • Note significant changes
  • Identify new competitor content
  • Adjust tactics as needed
  • Monthly Analysis

  • Full competitor audit
  • Strategy effectiveness review
  • Gap analysis update
  • Priority adjustment
  • Quarterly Strategy

  • Major strategy reviews
  • Competitive landscape assessment
  • Long-term planning
  • Resource allocation
  • Ready to Apply What You've Learned?

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