Genezio detects competitors from the answers. It reads each conversation to find the brands that the answer names as alternatives to your brand. Then it collects these brands across the runs. For information about the mechanism, see Extracting competitors.

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Why does Genezio not use only a list?

You can use a list. Genezio monitors each competitor that you add. But a list alone does not show the most useful part. The brands that an answer engine shows next to your brand are not always your commercial competitors. Answer engines show brands according to how well sources support them. Thus, the list frequently contains a name that your sales team does not know. This is a finding, not an error. A brand that appears in AI answers today usually appears in your sales deals later.

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Why does a brand that is not a competitor appear?

There are three usual causes:
  • Adjacent categories. An answer engine that gives a general answer can name tools for a related problem.
  • Parent or sibling brands. The answer names a product together with its parent company.
  • Name collisions. The name of a brand is also a common word. Thus, Genezio counts it too many times.
Remove these brands. They make Share of Voice incorrect, because Share of Voice divides the conversation among all brands on the list.

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How often must I examine the list?

For most categories, one time each quarter is sufficient. The set of brands that answer engines show as alternatives changes slowly. A list that you do not change after the setup slowly becomes an incorrect description of your real market.