AI search

Compare competitors in AI search answers

Check how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and other answer engines describe your category and which competitors they surface.

Best use case

Use this prompt when the source set matches the job

Use this when you want to understand AI-answer visibility, citations, positioning, and missing source coverage.

Before you paste

Give the prompt sources, tools, dates, and a decision

  • Paste raw notes with labels like homepage, pricing page, ad copy, SERP notes, offer page, export, screenshot, or review set.
  • Add the date you checked anything that can change, especially ads, prices, search results, AI answers, and website pages.
  • Tell AI which tools it can use: web search, deep research, files, code, browser, MCP, Semrush, Ahrefs, Similarweb, Panoramata, Sheets, or your own workspace.
  • Tell AI what decision the answer should support, so it gives you a useful recommendation instead of a generic summary.

Modern AI workflow

Use the prompt with current AI tools, not only a blank chat box

  • Use deep research or web search for current public evidence, then cite the URLs and date checked.
  • Use file or data analysis for exports, screenshots, CSVs, and historical logs. Do not summarize rows by instinct.
  • Use MCP/connectors when available so the AI can query Semrush, Ahrefs, Similarweb, Panoramata, Sheets, CRM, or your own files directly.
  • Use agent mode for multi-step research: collect, extract, compare, verify, then write.
  • Use artifacts, Canvas, tables, or charts when the output is a map, report, dashboard, or campaign plan.

Prompt

Compare competitors in AI search answers

You are my competitor intelligence operator.

Task: Compare how AI answer engines mention and cite competitors for category questions.

My company: {{my_company}}
Competitors: {{competitor}}
Category: {{category}}
Decision I need to support: {{decision}}

Available sources, exports, URLs, files, screenshots, notes, and tool outputs:
{{sources}}

- Run or compare current AI-answer results and citations first. Record which competitors appear, what sources are cited, and what category language is repeated.
- Use any provided URLs, files, screenshots, exports, or connected tool outputs before analyzing.
- Cite the source, export, tool, or URL behind any claim that affects the decision.

Do the work:
1. Run the same category questions across available answer engines or use provided outputs.
2. Record named competitors, citations, claims, and source domains.
3. Compare whether the answers describe the category in the same way customers buy it.
4. Identify citation gaps and source pages our company should create.
5. Recommend pages, schema, and content updates for AI visibility.

Return:
- AI-answer visibility table.
- Competitor citation map.
- Category language summary.
- Content and source gaps.
- Pages to create or improve.

Rules:
- Separate observed evidence, inferred signal, and recommended action.
- Put dates next to any recent or change-based claim.
- Cite URLs when you use web search or deep research.
- Name the tool, connector, MCP server, or export when you use one.
- Do not copy competitor creative. Translate the learning into our company context.
Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Gemini

Edit the prompt first if needed. ChatGPT and Claude open prefilled; Gemini opens with the prompt copied.

Variables

Replace these fields before you run the prompt

Variable What it means Example
{{my_company}} Required My company The company, product, store, or service you are comparing against the competitor. A DTC skincare brand selling refillable face wash
{{competitor}} Required Competitors One competitor, a short competitor set, or a tracked category. Brand X
{{category}} Required Market or category The buying context. This helps the AI avoid comparing the wrong kind of business. Premium skincare, France and UK
{{sources}} Required Sources and retrieval targets Paste collected sources, exports, screenshots, notes, URLs to check, or the MCP/tool datasets the AI should use. Homepage copy, pricing page, top 5 ads, title tags, Semrush export, Ahrefs export, Similarweb notes, Panoramata campaign examples
{{decision}} Required Decision to support The action you need to take after the analysis. Rewrite our landing page hero and offer comparison table

Example

Use this example to match the right level of detail

Source notes you paste into AI

My company: ecommerce returns automation tool
Competitors: 8 returns tools
Sources: outputs from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Google AI Overviews notes, competitor comparison pages
Decision: improve AI-search visibility

What a useful answer should look like

Fictional example output

Pattern:
Answer engines cite comparison posts and docs more than homepages.

Gap:
Our site lacks a direct "returns automation workflow" page with definitions, steps, and evidence.

Next page:
Create a workflow guide with schema, examples, and competitor-neutral explanation.

Verification

Check whether the answer is useful

  • The output names the evidence behind each recommendation.
  • The output uses current sources, exports, or tool results where the task depends on fresh data.
  • The answer separates facts, estimates, and decisions.
  • The final next moves are specific enough to assign.

Mistakes

Mistakes that make this prompt weak

  • Asking for strategy before the source set is clear.
  • Mixing old screenshots with current claims without dates.
  • Copying competitor language instead of translating the insight.
  • Skipping verification because the answer sounds confident.

Source notes

Use AI to collect data, then make it show the evidence

A good AI workflow can search, inspect pages, analyze exports, call MCP tools, compare screenshots, and build tables. Make it show URLs, dates, exports, screenshots, or connector results behind the answer before you trust the recommendation.

What you should do next

Run it once, then verify the useful parts

Replace the fields, paste a labeled source set, run the prompt, and check the answer before using it in a strategy report.

Use next