GEO competitor analysis reveals who AI engines recommend instead of you and why. Unlike traditional competitive analysis that focuses on search rankings and backlinks, GEO analysis examines citation frequency, answer positioning, and the specific content AI chooses to quote from competitors. This relates closely to what we cover in GEO for Agencies: AI Search as a Service.
Step 1: Identify Your AI Competitors
Your AI competitors may differ from your SEO competitors. Ask these queries across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview: For more on this, see our guide to 10M AI Search Results: What Gets Cited & Why.
- “Best [your category]”
- “Top [your category] tools/services”
- “[Your category] for [each use case you serve]”
- “[Your product] vs alternatives”
Record:
- Which competitors appear in AI answers
- How many engines cite each competitor
- What position they occupy in the recommendation (first mentioned = strongest)
- What specific claims AI makes about each competitor
Step 2: Analyze Why Competitors Get Cited
For each competitor that outranks you in AI citations, investigate: Our Featured Snippet Types: Complete Guide guide covers this in detail.
Content Analysis
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Page structure | Answer units, FAQ sections, comparison tables |
| Content depth | Word count, topic coverage, specificity |
| Schema markup | FAQPage, Product, Article schemas |
| Content freshness | Last updated dates, current statistics |
Technical Analysis
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| robots.txt | Which AI crawlers are allowed |
| Rendering | Server-side vs client-side |
| Page speed | Load time and Core Web Vitals |
| ai-identity.json | Presence and completeness |
Authority Analysis
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Review platforms | G2, Capterra ratings and review count |
| External mentions | Reddit, LinkedIn, YouTube presence |
| Publication citations | Forbes, TechCrunch, industry press |
| Community presence | Reddit activity, forum participation |
Step 3: Map the Citation Gap
Create a matrix comparing your GEO presence against competitors: As we discuss in GEO Dashboard: Key Metrics and Setup Guide, this is a critical factor.
| Factor | You | Competitor A | Competitor B |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT citation | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Perplexity citation | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Google AI Overview | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| robots.txt (AI allowed) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| FAQPage schema | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| G2 reviews (count) | 12 | 245 | 89 |
| Reddit mentions | 3 | 47 | 21 |
| Content pages | 15 | 85 | 42 |
This matrix shows exactly where you’re losing and what to prioritize. If you want to go deeper, AEO vs GEO vs AIO: Understanding the AI Search Terms breaks this down step by step.
Step 4: Build Your Attack Plan
Prioritize gaps by impact and effort:
Quick Wins (Week 1)
- Fix robots.txt if AI crawlers are blocked
- Add schema markup to match competitor pages
- Create ai-identity.json
Medium-Term (Month 1)
- Create comparison pages targeting “[You] vs [Competitor]”
- Restructure top pages to match or exceed competitor content quality
- Begin review collection on G2/Capterra
Long-Term (Quarter 1)
- Build content library to match or exceed competitor depth
- Develop community presence on Reddit and LinkedIn
- Create original research that competitors haven’t published
Step 5: Monitor Progress
Monthly, re-run the same queries and update your citation matrix. Track: (We explore this further in Free GEO Audit Tools for AI Visibility.)
- New citations gained
- Citations lost
- Changes in competitor positioning
- New competitors appearing in AI results
GEO Competitor Analysis Template
Use this for each target query:
Query: "best [category] for [use case]"
Date checked: [date]
ChatGPT recommends: [list competitors in order]
Perplexity recommends: [list competitors in order]
Google AI Overview includes: [list competitors]
You are: [cited / not cited / mentioned but not recommended]
Top competitor analysis:
- Name: [competitor]
- Why AI cites them: [specific reason]
- Their advantage: [content depth / reviews / schema / freshness]
- How to overtake: [specific action]FAQ
How often should I run competitor analysis?
Monthly for your core queries. Quarterly for extended query sets. AI citations change as engines update their indexes and algorithms. This relates closely to what we cover in Why JavaScript Kills Your AI Visibility.
What if a competitor has thousands more reviews than me?
Focus on what you can control faster — content quality, technical GEO, and schema markup. Reviews accumulate over time, but technical and content improvements can close citation gaps within weeks. For more on this, see our guide to GEO for Local Businesses: Getting AI to Recommend You.
Should I copy competitor content strategies?
Study their approach, but don’t copy. Create content that’s more comprehensive, more specific, or covers angles they miss. AI rewards unique value, not duplication.