Your competitor is recommended by ChatGPT. You are not. This is not a theoretical risk, but a daily reality for thousands of entrepreneurs. AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews increasingly determine which brands are visible to potential customers.
A competitor analysis via ChatGPT shows you in 30 minutes where you stand compared to your direct competitors. Without technical knowledge. Without expensive tools. You only need a ChatGPT account and a structured approach.
In this tutorial you will learn step by step how to map your AI visibility and take immediate action.
Step 1: Determine your industry-relevant search questions (5 minutes)
The power of this analysis depends on asking the right questions. Don't think in search terms like you would for Google SEO, but in complete questions that your customer would ask an AI assistant.
Compile a list of at least 5 questions that your ideal customer would type into ChatGPT. Use this format as a starting point:
- "What is the best [your product category] in [your region]?"
- "Which [your service] do you recommend for [specific need]?"
- "Compare [your brand] with [competitor A] and [competitor B]"
- "What are reliable suppliers of [your product]?"
- "What should I look for when choosing a [your service]?"
Write down these questions in a spreadsheet. Add a column for each brand you want to monitor: your own business plus two to three direct competitors.
Step 2: Ask the questions to ChatGPT and record the answers (15 minutes)
Open ChatGPT and enter each question separately. Use a new conversation for each question so that previous context doesn't influence the answer.
What you must record per question
| Recording point | What you note |
|---|---|
| Is your brand mentioned? | Yes or no |
| Position in the answer | First, second, third mentioned or not |
| Is your competitor mentioned? | Which competitor and in what position |
| Tone of the mention | Positive, neutral or negative |
| Is a source cited? | URL or "no source" |
This seems simple, but the patterns that emerge from it are revealing. You immediately see whether ChatGPT consistently places your competitor above you and in what context.
Watch out for these pitfalls
ChatGPT doesn't always generate the same answers. So run your top three questions twice at different times. This gives you a more reliable picture of your average AI visibility.
Step 3: Analyze the patterns and identify your gaps (10 minutes)
After entering all questions, you have a dataset with concrete insights. Now count per brand the number of mentions, the average position and the tone.
Ask yourself these three core questions:
- Visibility gap: in how many questions is your competitor mentioned and you are not?
- Authority gap: is your competitor presented more often as the first option?
- Content gap: what topics or product categories is ChatGPT missing about your brand?
The answers to these questions form your first GEO strategy. Where you are not mentioned, citable, structured content is probably missing from your website.
From manual analysis to a complete action plan
This manual method gives you a solid starting point. But there are limitations. With this you only test a limited number of questions on a single platform. The real competitive battle takes place on multiple AI platforms simultaneously: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google AI Overviews.
A GEO audit from GrowthScope fully automates this process. The Competitor Scan analyzes 25 industry-relevant queries across all major AI platforms and delivers you a prioritized action plan within 15 minutes. Including a comparison chart, a gap analysis per competitor and your personal GEO Readiness Score from 0 to 100.
No account needed. No API keys. No technical setup. You enter your domain and get results immediately.
Make your content citable for AI engines
AI engines only cite your brand if your text is understandable and scannable.
Three direct improvements you can implement today:
- Add schema markup: this translates your website into a language that AI understands. Think of product, FAQ and organization schemas.
- Create an llms.txt file: this file tells AI crawlers exactly which information is important on your website. Read here why an llms.txt is essential for modern websites.
- Formulate direct answers: write your most important pages as concise, factual answers to frequently asked questions in your industry.
Keep monitoring your competitive position
Consider quarterly trend tracking to maintain structural control over your AI visibility. GrowthScope offers an Industry Benchmark Score that compares your position against the entire market, so you can immediately see when adjustments are necessary.
Don't wait for your competitor to get ahead. Start your GEO audit today and discover within 15 minutes where your opportunities lie.
Do you have questions about your AI visibility? Contact the GrowthScope team directly.
