How your brand appears across ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Gemini, and Perplexity. Based on 100 iterations per query across 24 prompts.
[Brand] has strong AI search visibility in UK-focused [sector] queries — particularly around [key message] — but lags behind competitors in [theme] leadership narratives, and risks being anchored to an outdated product story.
[Brand] appears in a top-3 position in the majority of tested queries on ChatGPT and Perplexity. But the narrative accompanying those mentions is thinner than it should be — heavy on [key message], light on [theme], and almost absent of [key message 3] outside direct queries. Google AI Mode is a particular blind spot: its list-style format places [brand] in results without amplifying its strongest messages.
The audit was conducted using a UK IP address, incognito mode, on desktop — designed to reflect what a typical UK user would see, free from personalisation or prior search history. Each of the 24 queries was run 100 times to produce statistically meaningful results, not snapshots.
[Brand] surfaced strongly in ChatGPT and Perplexity across generic [sector] queries. In ChatGPT, where [brand] was mentioned it was often the top-cited brand. Perplexity consistently included [brand] but typically placed it after key competitors. Google AI Mode showed the weakest results, leaning on list-style buyer guides that reference [brand] without narrative depth.
| Generic sector queries | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Google AI Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best [product] in the UK | 78% | 52% | 71% | 28% |
| Top-rated [sector] brands | 61% | 33% | 58% | 44% |
| Which [product] should I buy? | 82% | 49% | 76% | 31% |
| [Theme] queries | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Google AI Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best [theme] [product] | 74% | 68% | 55% | 70% |
| [Theme] options for [audience] | 48% | 41% | 29% | 50% |
| Most [theme] [product] brands | 69% | 34% | 57% | 46% |
| [Audience group] queries | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity | Google AI Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Product] for [audience] | 80% | 55% | 60% | 73% |
| Best [product] for [audience use case] | 67% | 31% | 52% | 48% |
| [Audience] buying guide | 58% | 44% | 38% | 41% |
High (>65%) Medium (35–65%) Low (<35%)
Across all four platforms, [brand] is most consistently associated with [key message 1] and [key message 2]. Google AI Mode is the outlier: its list-style format groups [brand] with competitors without expanding on its strongest narratives.
Distance from centre = frequency of message appearance across 100 iterations. Google AI Mode (red) consistently scores lower across all themes due to its list-first output format.
[Brand]'s AI search presence is concentrated around its [product type] line-up, with secondary mentions of [other models]. [Newer model] has started appearing in Perplexity and Google AI Mode. But the legacy [model] continues to dominate across all platforms — for reasons set out below.
Legacy [model] continues to surface above newer flagships due to the volume of high-authority indexed content from 2018–2021.
[Competitors] were identified by [brand] as key players to analyse. The clear takeaway: [brand]'s positioning in Google AI Mode is less about competing with [main competitor] and more about outperforming mainstream European rivals in [theme] narratives.
The dataset shows a clear weighting towards [source] and [source] sites across all platforms, though the mix varies considerably. Notably, no major UK national news outlets — BBC, Guardian, Telegraph, Times, FT, Independent — were cited in responses across any of the four platforms across 2,400 data points. This is a significant earned media gap.
Perplexity cites [brand].com directly at a much higher rate (217 citations) than other platforms. Google AI Mode shows a heavy weighting towards commercial/listing sources. UK national press is absent across all four platforms.
The audit is clear: [brand] is visible in AI search, but it is not in control of its own story. The models are reaching for whatever content exists — and right now that means legacy reviews, competitor comparisons, and commercial listing sites. A PR-led GEO strategy changes that. It puts [brand]'s strongest messages into the sources AI actually trusts.
Here is how that strategy works in practice, built around the specific gaps this audit identified in the UK electric vehicle market.
How AI search actually works for EV brands
When someone asks ChatGPT "what's the best electric car to buy in the UK", the model doesn't browse the web in real time. It draws on a training set built from indexed content — reviews, features, comparisons, expert commentary — weighted by source authority and recency. The brands that dominate those answers are the ones whose story has been told repeatedly, credibly, and in the right places. PR is the mechanism that makes that happen.
What this looks like as a programme
Months 1–3
Foundation
Media briefings with motoring press. Range anxiety feature pitches. [Brand].com content audit and schema markup. Spokesperson positioning brief.
Months 4–6
Activation
Long-form placements live in specialist and national press. Sustainability data story placed. Expert commentary programme running. Flagship model comparison pieces published.
Months 7–12
Measurement
Re-audit against original 24 queries. Track shift in citation sources, message inclusion rates, and first-mention position across all four platforms. Iterate.
Third City can take these findings forward through targeted PR, content, and GEO optimisation work — helping [brand] move from a recognised [sector] presence to a consistently cited authority in the age of AI search.