← Back to AI Search & SEO

See Which Competitors AI Engines Cite Instead of You

Run a structured query set across ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude to discover which 3–5 competitors are getting cited for the queries you want to own, and what specifically those competitors are doing on their pages that you're not. Outputs a competitor-by-citation-pattern matrix plus a prioritized gap list.

ExpertSTEP BY STEPDecision-making

competitive · citations · aeo · research · gap-analysis · positioning

Pro tip

AI engines tend to cite the same 3–5 sources per query topic, even when 50+ sites cover that topic. Once you know the citation incumbents in your space, you can either match what they're doing (schema, page structure, authority signals) or find a content angle they're not covering: usually the second is faster to win. Run quarterly per topic cluster.

How to use this prompt

  1. Pick your AI model. Choose the tab for Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot. Each variant is tuned for that model.
  2. Copy the full prompt. Click Copy Full Prompt to copy the text to your clipboard.
  3. Paste into your AI tool. Open your chosen model and paste the prompt into a new chat.
  4. Replace the [placeholders]. Swap any bracketed fields for your company name, audience, product or tone.
  5. Run and refine. Review the output. If anything is off, ask the AI to tighten tone, length or format.

Prompt Variants by Model

Claude Sonnet 5
Act as a competitive-intelligence analyst for AI-search citation patterns. Tell me which competitors ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude cite for the queries I want to own, and what they do that I don't.

My situation: business + what we do [DESCRIPTION] · homepage [https://YOUR-DOMAIN.COM] · 5 queries I want cited for [Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5]

For each query, each engine's response with citations:
QUERY 1: [VERBATIM]
- ChatGPT response + sources: [PASTE]
- Perplexity response + sources: [PASTE]
- Google AI Overview + sources: [PASTE or "didn't appear"]
- Claude response: [PASTE]
[Repeat for queries 2-5]

Visible body content of the 2-3 most-cited competitor pages:
COMPETITOR PAGE A: [URL] / [BODY]
COMPETITOR PAGE B: [URL] / [BODY]
COMPETITOR PAGE C: [URL] / [BODY]

Visible body content of my own page for each query, the page I want cited:
MY PAGE FOR QUERY 1: [URL] / [BODY]
[Repeat for queries 2-5, or write "no page yet"]

Output:
1. Citation frequency matrix — 5 queries × 4 engines = 20 cells: Domain · times cited · which queries · which engines
2. Citation incumbents profile — the top 3-5 domains: page type, the verbatim quote each engine pulled, schema visible (if body provided), proof point / unique data, authority signals
3. My position vs incumbents table: Query · my should-be-cited page · what's missing vs incumbents · effort (hours / days / weeks)
4. Gap opportunities, ranked — angles nobody covers well (highest leverage), weak-citation queries (medium), queries where my expertise is sharper (long game); for each: what to publish, why the gap exists, expected time-to-citation
5. The next 3 actions — this week / this month / this quarter; each: what, which page, which Unbought prompt from the list below

Fill "what's missing vs incumbents" in output 3 only from my pasted pages. For a query with no page pasted, write "page not provided" and do not guess what my page says, since you cannot see my site.

End with when to re-run this analysis.

Unbought prompts you can point me to (Unbought is the prompt library this prompt comes from; use these exact titles, and if none fits, write "no matching prompt"):
- Rewrite Your Homepage Hero for AI Answer Engines
- Find the Sentence AI Engines Will Quote From Your Page
- Generate FAQs Your Customers Actually Search For
- Write a How-To Guide AI Engines Will Cite
- Rewrite Meta Descriptions as Answers, Not Ads
- Write an About Page That AI Engines Trust
- Write Your Business's Organization Schema
- Convert Your Existing FAQ to FAQPage JSON-LD
- Find the AI-Search Queries You Should Own But Don't

Success means every cell in the matrix is filled from the responses I pasted (mark "not cited" explicitly), and every incumbent quote is verbatim from those responses.

Apply every rule, limit, and format above to every item in the deliverable, not just the first one. Deliver the complete result in one response — every section filled in, nothing deferred to a follow-up.

If a required input is missing, ask for it once before starting; otherwise proceed and label any assumption you made.

Notes: R40 refresh; tuned to vendor prompting guidance

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the See Which Competitors AI Engines Cite Instead of You prompt do?

Run a structured query set across ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude to discover which 3–5 competitors are getting cited for the queries you want to own, and what specifically those competitors are doing on their pages that you're not. Outputs a competitor-by-citation-pattern matrix plus a prioritized gap list.

Which AI models is this prompt written for?

Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot. Each one gets its own version up top, written the way that vendor says to prompt its own model. Pick the tab that matches yours.

Do I need a paid AI account to use this prompt?

No. This prompt is written to run on the free tier of Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot. Paid tiers simply give you longer context windows and faster responses.

Can I customize this prompt for my business?

Yes. Any text inside square brackets is a placeholder you replace with your own business details, such as company name, audience, product or tone. You can also ask the AI to adjust format, length or style after the first output.

When was this prompt last checked?

The date is on each version up top. We check every prompt in full every month, and when a major new model lands we rewrite the prompt for it. One glance tells you how current it is before you paste.

Works with

More in AI Search & SEO

Browse all prompts →