CitationTrail

Sample report

A demonstration,
not a client.

Northline is fictional. The numbers below show the shape of a CitationTrail audit. They are not a result we achieved for a customer.

AI Visibility Audit

Northline — project management software

Demonstration · Page 01

Engines

4

Prompts in this excerpt

3 of 42

Competitors

3

Read by

Analyst

Engines in this engagement: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. There is no single visibility score.

02 · AI visibility baseline

  • Mention rate27%63%
  • Recommendation rate20%57%
  • Citation rate13%41%
  • Competitive share18%44%
  • Narrative accuracy84%91%

03 · Prompt 14 · ChatGPT · Observed answer

What's the best project management tool for small businesses?

Observed opening: “Here are the best options for small businesses.” The answer then names Competitor A, Competitor B, and Competitor C. Northline is not mentioned.

Interpretation: the model is assembling a shortlist from review roundups and comparison pages, not from Northline's own site. Absence here is a source problem, not a missing homepage keyword.

04 · Sources the answer relied on

  • G2 category roundupNames A, B, and C. Northline is absent.
  • Capterra comparisonNames A and B. Northline is absent.
  • Independent buyer guideCites A. Describes the category Northline sells into, without naming it.

05 · Prompt 14 · Who appears

  • ChatGPT

    A Named · B Named · C Named · Northline Absent

  • Gemini

    A Named · B Named · C Absent · Northline Absent

  • Perplexity

    A Named · B Cited · C Named · Northline Absent

  • Google AI Overviews

    A Named · B Named · C Absent · Northline Absent

06 · Prompt 22 · Gemini · Observed answer

Which project management tools integrate with Slack and are built for teams under 50?

Northline is named once, in a list of “also considered.” The recommendation sentence belongs to Competitor A. The description of Northline says it is an enterprise suite. That is wrong.

Interpretation: being mentioned is not the same as being recommended, and a wrong entity description can keep the brand out of the shortlist even when the name appears.

07 · Prompt 31 · Perplexity · Observed answer

What do reviewers say is the best simple alternative to Competitor A?

The answer cites two review pages and recommends Competitor B. Northline does not appear. Both cited pages compare A and B and do not list Northline.

Interpretation: Perplexity is following the sources, not inventing a preference. Inclusion on those pages is the work, not a new homepage paragraph.

08 · Narrative accuracy

  • CategoryCorrect when named. Often omitted entirely.
  • BuyerDescribed as enterprise. Northline sells to small teams.
  • IntegrationsSlack is missing from two of three descriptions.
  • PricingNot stated. Competitors’ published prices are repeated.

09 · Priority actions

  • Publish a structured comparison against the two brands AI already namesImpact HighConfidence HighEffort Medium
  • Correct the product entity: category, integrations, and who it is forImpact HighConfidence MediumEffort Low
  • Pursue inclusion in the review and comparison pages AI is citingImpact HighConfidence HighEffort Medium
  • Add customer evidence with a measurable outcome, on a page AI can extractImpact MediumConfidence MediumEffort Medium

These labels are judgments an analyst can defend. They are not a forecast that visibility will rise by a stated percent.

10 · Method and limits

  • Prompt set42 buying questions, written for this category. This page shows 3.
  • EnginesChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews. Each prompt run once in this demonstration.
  • DateDemonstration only. A paid audit records the dates of the runs.
  • LimitAnswers move. One run is a reading, not a permanent ranking.

A paid audit includes the full prompt set, the observed answers, and the source list for your real brand. This page is the demonstration of that document.

The screen is shorter than this.

Five questions, reviewed by a person. The audit in this demonstration is the paid engagement, from $500.