Identifying Competitors
Choosing the right competitors to track is essential for meaningful competitive analysis. EYE compares your brand against every competitor you define, across all AI platforms and queries.
Why Competitors Matter
Your GSEO Score exists in context. A score of 65 means very different things depending on whether your competitors score 40 or 90. Tracking competitors lets you:
- Measure share of voice — What percentage of AI mentions go to you vs. competitors
- Identify gaps — Topics where competitors are mentioned but you're not
- Track momentum — See who's gaining or losing ground over time
- Benchmark position — Know exactly where you rank in AI responses
- Generate targeted actions — The Action Plan creates specific strategies to counter competitor strengths
How Many Competitors?
We recommend tracking 3-6 competitors per configuration. This gives you enough competitive context without diluting the analysis.
| Count | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Very focused comparison | Misses broader market dynamics |
| 3-6 | Ideal balance of depth and breadth | — |
| 7+ | Complete market picture | Analysis becomes noisy, harder to act on |
Types of Competitors to Track
Direct Competitors
Brands that sell the same type of product to the same audience. These are your primary competitive threats in AI responses.
Example (SaaS): Acme CRM → HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce
Example (Healthcare): Athletic Greens → Ritual, Hims, Care/of
Example (Finance): Betterment → Wealthfront, Acorns, Robinhood
Category Leaders
The dominant brand in your category, even if they're not a direct competitor. AI platforms often default to recommending category leaders.
Example (SaaS): A niche project management tool should track Notion and Asana even if they don't compete on every feature.
Example (Retail): A sustainable activewear brand should track Patagonia as the category benchmark.
Emerging Challengers
Newer brands that are gaining traction. AI platforms may start recommending them more frequently as their online presence grows.
Example: A DTC supplement brand gaining Reddit buzz and review coverage on Trustpilot and Amazon.
Adjacent Competitors
Brands from adjacent categories that AI might recommend as alternatives.
Example (Finance): For "best way to invest $10k", AI might recommend both robo-advisors and high-yield savings accounts — different categories, same query.
Best Practices
- Use brand names as consumers know them — "HubSpot" not "HubSpot Inc."
- Be specific when needed — "HubSpot Sales Hub" if you're competing at the product level, "HubSpot" if at the brand level
- Include the market leader — Even if they're not your closest competitor, they set the benchmark AI defaults to
- Check AI responses first — Ask ChatGPT your keywords and see which brands appear. Those are your AI competitors.
- Update across configurations — Different markets may have different competitors (e.g., Personio in Germany vs. BambooHR in the US for HR software)
Competitor Discovery
Not sure who your AI competitors are? Try this:
- Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity
- Ask: "What are the best [your product category] brands?"
- Note which brands appear in the response
- Those are the brands you should track in EYE
You might be surprised — AI competitors aren't always the same as your traditional market competitors.