Generative AI is changing the way people are discovering things on the internet. Now that search engines are including AI-driven answers as part of search outcomes, brands are having to relearn how to stay top of mind. It is not merely a matter of being on page one anymore; it is about being within the AI-generated answer itself.
Why Visibility is Important for Generative AI
Alright, let’s talk about the “why” before we get into the “how.”
Generative AI changes search because:
- AI tools do not just list pages; they generate direct answers.
- Citations (the sources used by AI) are fewer than normal search results.
- Material that is clear, trustworthy, and packed with context has a higher likelihood of being part of AI summaries.
That means if your competitor’s material is getting into AI answers but yours isn’t, they’re getting visibility you’re not. Competitive analysis allows you to notice such gaps and fill them.
Step 1: Identify Who Your Competitors Actually Are
Here’s the twist: your AI visibility competition may not be who you’ve been battling in general SEO.
For example:
In a typical Google search, you are most probably competing with local shops or a blog site.
You can be competing with larger publishers or niche writers, or even with sources of knowledge such as Reddit and Quora, with AI-powered results.
So, the first step is tracking AI rivals. Enter your root keywords into Google’s AI-generated lists (or AI Summaries). See which pages get referenced, what type of content gets referenced, and how often.
Pro Tip: Don’t search just once. Enter the same search from different times and from different devices. AI results occasionally differ depending on context.
Step 2: Track What Content Gets Picked Up
All content types are not equal. Most of the time, AI-driven answers will cite:
- Simple “how-to” tutorials
- FAQ-style responses
- Advanced long content
- Sorted lists and comparisons
What this means is that your verbose competitor who writes step-by-step posts is likely beating your 500-word, well-written blog post.
Consider the following:
- Are others quoted because they sort out content better?
- Do they provide good definitions or overviews at the start of their articles?
- Are they using schema markup to provide context to search engines?
A legitimate SEO service company will be able to guide you through this, but even on your own, you can go through manually and compare what is being consumed vs. what is omitted.
