Your report looks at 7 specific dimensions of that process. Each one answers a different question about where your business stands. Together, they give you a clear picture of what AI knows about you, where you're missing, and what to do about it.
The analysis runs across the three AI platforms your customers use most: Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude. Where those platforms disagree, your report shows you the difference.
Where you show up
When a customer asks AI about your category ("best joint supplements for senior dogs," "where to buy sustainable scented candles," "top matcha brands worth trying"), does your business appear in the answer?
Discovery measures exactly this. We run dozens of questions in your category across all three AI platforms and count how often your business comes up without being asked about directly. This is the most important number in your report: it tells you whether AI knows you exist.
What good looks like: Your business appears in at least a few category conversations. It doesn't have to be every answer. Consistent presence in relevant queries is a strong signal.
What to watch for: A skincare brand that appears for "cleanser for oily skin" but not "best skincare brands for oily skin" has a category visibility gap. A DTC brand that appears only when customers already know its name hasn't been discovered yet.
How often you're recommended
When AI recommends businesses in your category, how often is yours one of them?
Share of Voice measures your presence among the businesses AI recommends. We look at the full set of answers AI gives for your category: not just whether your name appears, but how consistently you appear compared to your nearest competitors.
What good looks like: Steady presence across multiple query types. Not necessarily first every time, but reliably in the conversation.
What to watch for: If one competitor appears in 80% of answers and you appear in 10%, Share of Voice shows you both numbers. That gap tells you how much ground there is to close, and your report shows you what's driving their advantage.
What AI says about you
When AI does mention your business, what does it say?
Evaluation captures the specific words, phrases, and ideas AI associates with your business. "Small-batch," "ships in 24 hours," "best for sensitive skin," "veterinarian-approved." The language AI uses tells you what your business is known for, and what it's not.
What good looks like: The words AI uses match the words you'd use to describe yourself. If you claim "small-batch roasted coffee" and AI says "small-batch roasted," your message is landing.
What to watch for: A gap between what you say and what AI says. If you claim "organic ingredients" but AI describes you as "affordable," something is out of alignment. This is called a positioning gap. Your report flags it directly.
What experts say
Expert sources carry extra weight with AI. Industry experts recommending products. Reviewers at Wirecutter and category-specific newsletters naming the best brands. "Best of" lists from established publications. When authoritative sources mention your business, AI takes notice.
Validation measures how often your business appears in the kinds of expert, editorial, and authority sources that AI weighs most heavily. It's a proxy for the trust signals that drive Discovery.
What good looks like: Your business appears in at least a few independent, authoritative sources, not just your own website.
What to watch for: Most businesses rely too heavily on what they say about themselves. But 85% of AI brand mentions come from third-party sources, not from your own site. If your Validation score is low, the most effective thing you can do is earn independent coverage.
How you compare
How does your business hold up when AI compares you directly to your nearest competitors?
Head-to-Head runs comparison questions across your competitive set, the kind a customer might ask when they're almost ready to decide. "How does Native Pet compare to Zesty Paws for joint health?" "Is Ka'Chava or Huel a better meal-replacement shake?"
What good looks like: AI presents you as a credible option in comparison. You don't need to "win" every comparison. Appearing as a reasonable choice that fits certain customers is a strong result.
What to watch for: If AI consistently omits you from comparison answers or describes your competitor with more specificity and confidence, Head-to-Head shows you that picture.
Where AI gets its information
AI doesn't invent what it says about you. It draws from specific sources: reviews, news articles, industry guides, blog posts, Reddit threads. Source Attribution shows you exactly where your AI visibility comes from, and where it doesn't.
Your report shows two views: the sources AI currently cites when mentioning your business, and the sources your top competitor is getting cited from that you're not. That second list is your opportunity map.
What good looks like: A mix of source types: editorial coverage, review platforms, your own website, and some community or social mentions. Diverse sources are more stable than visibility that depends on a single article.
What to watch for: If a competitor's AI advantage comes entirely from one article in a respected publication, you know what to aim for. Source Attribution makes the path forward concrete.
The gap between your message and AI's perception
What you say about your business and what AI says about your business are not always the same thing.
Positioning Gap compares the language you use to describe yourself (on your website, in your marketing) against the language AI uses when it describes you. The gaps between those two pictures are the most actionable findings in your report.
There are four types of gaps your report identifies:
- Direct miss: You claim something that AI never associates with you. Your message isn't landing.
- Contested claim: You claim something, but AI associates it more strongly with a competitor.
- Untapped strength: AI associates a positive quality with your business that you haven't highlighted in your own messaging.
- Overlapping concepts: You claim one thing; a competitor owns something closely related.
What good looks like: Your key messages are reflected in what AI says. The words you invest in are the words customers hear.
What to watch for: A large direct miss on your most important claim is the highest-priority finding.
Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude: what's different
The three major AI platforms draw from different data sources and tend to give different answers. Your report checks all three and shows you where they agree and where they don't.
| Platform | What it draws from | What this means for you |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Training data through its knowledge cutoff, plus web browsing when enabled | Broad knowledge base; older coverage can persist for a long time |
| Google Gemini | Deep integration with Google's index, including Google Shopping, structured product data, and Google reviews | Being strong on Google's commerce surfaces gives Gemini-specific visibility |
| Claude | Training data with emphasis on accuracy and nuance; growing consumer adoption | Tends to surface businesses with strong, well-structured online presence |
A business that appears on all three has built a durable foundation. A business that appears strongly on one but not the others has a concentration risk, and a clearer path forward.