We Built a Prompt Library for Auditing Competitors’ AI Search Presence

Your competitors may be appearing in AI search while your brand is nowhere in the answer.

So, how do you find out?

When we onboard a new client, we test their top 3 competitors in ChatGPT and Perplexity using a standard set of prompts. We record the results and look for visibility gaps.

Here are 15 prompts you can use yourself.

15 Prompts to Audit Competitors

Discovery

1. Best [category] for [use case]
2. Top [category] companies for [audience]
3. Recommended [category] for [industry/location]
4. Who are the leading [category] providers?
5. What are the best solutions for [specific need]?

Comparison

1. [Competitor A] vs [Competitor B]
2. [Competitor] vs [Your Brand]
3. Alternatives to [Competitor]
4. Best alternatives to [Competitor] for [use case]
5. Which is better: [Competitor A] or [Competitor B]?

Trust & Reputation

1. Is [Competitor] legitimate?
2. What do customers say about [Competitor]?
3. What are the pros and cons of [Competitor]?
4. Is [Competitor] worth it for [use case]?
5. What should I know before choosing [Competitor]?

How to Run the Audit

Run these prompts in ChatGPT and Perplexity and record:

• Which brands are mentioned?
• Which websites are cited?
• Does your brand appear?
• How are competitors described?
• Are the results consistent?

Repeat the test after about a week. AI-generated answers can change between sessions, so one test may not tell the whole story.

What Should You Look For?

Don't just count how often competitors are mentioned.

Look for visibility gaps:

• Competitors appearing for queries where you don't
• Competitors being cited as trusted sources
• Questions your website doesn't answer
• Incorrect or incomplete descriptions of your brand
• Topics where competitors have stronger content

These gaps can help shape your AEO, content, and AI visibility strategy.

A simple template to record results

Use a spreadsheet with one row per prompt and per AI tool. Suggested columns:

• Date and AI tool (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI Mode)
• Prompt used
• Brands mentioned, in order
• Was your brand mentioned? (Yes/No, and position)
• Sources or websites cited
• How each competitor was described (key phrases)
• Notes on errors or outdated information

After two or three rounds, calculate a simple "share of voice": the percentage of prompts in which each brand appears. It's not a precise metric, but it shows direction over time.

Tips for fair, repeatable testing

• Use a clean session. Log out or use a private window so personal history and memory don't influence answers.
• Keep the wording identical between rounds so changes reflect the AI's answer, not your prompt.
• Add location when it matters. For local businesses, include the city ("best CA firm in Noida").
• Test in more than one tool. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's AI features often cite different sources.
• Save screenshots as evidence, since answers can change.

Turning gaps into actions

Each type of gap points to a different fix:

• Competitor appears, you don't: check whether you have a clear page that answers that exact question. If not, create one.
• Competitor's site is cited as a source: study that page's structure. Clear definitions, comparison tables and FAQs are easier for AI tools to quote. See our guide to citation-ready content.
• Third-party sites are cited (review platforms, directories, Reddit threads, news articles): work on being listed and discussed on those sites, not just on your own.
• Your brand is described incorrectly: update your About page, service pages and business profiles with clear, consistent facts.

How often to repeat the audit

For most businesses, a monthly check with the same prompt set is enough. Add new prompts when you launch a service or when competitors change their positioning. Over a quarter, the trend matters more than any single result.

What this audit can't tell you

AI answers vary by user, location and session, and the tools don't publish search volumes for prompts. Treat the audit as a qualitative signal of visibility, and combine it with Search Console data and referral traffic from AI tools in your analytics. For a fuller strategy, read how to get cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity.

The Bottom Line

You don't need an expensive tool to get a first look at your competitive position in AI search.

Run the prompts. Record the results. Find the gaps. Then create content that helps close them.

Read Also : Real Estate Listings Are Invisible to AI Search Engines. Here's the Fix.