About These Examples
These are businesses we'd love to work with, not ones we currently work with. Each analysis uses our real AVS methodology on publicly available AI responses. Real client AVS audits involve significantly more depth and are fully tailored to each business's specific market and competitive landscape.
Real case studies from paying clients coming soon. If you'd like to see what a full audit looks like, get in touch and we'll walk you through a complete sample report.
Example AVS Audits
Real businesses, analysed using our AVS methodology. These demonstrate the format and process of a full audit.
Octopus Energy EMERGING
The UK's most-recommended energy supplier in AI—but comparison sites are capturing the primary recommendation. A structural problem no amount of content can fully solve.
What we found
Octopus leads among UK energy suppliers in AI recommendations. But comparison sites (Uswitch, MoneySuperMarket, Compare the Market) capture 52% of transactional query recommendations. The LLMs point people to comparison sites first, then Octopus appears within those results. Strong on customer service and green tariffs; weaker on business energy and international expansion.
Key competitors in AI
The insight
In comparison-driven categories, LLMs default to intermediaries. Which? and MoneySavingExpert drive the editorial citations. The business wins within the comparison—but the comparison site captures the primary recommendation. This is a structural challenge, not a content gap.
One thing they could do today
Create bespoke content answering specific comparison queries (e.g., "Octopus vs British Gas green tariffs") to rank independently of comparison sites.
Sage EMERGING
UK's most recognised accounting business. Third choice in AI. And 9.7% of queries return results about the herb, not the software.
What we found
Sage has the strongest business recognition in UK accounting software. But when people ask AI which accounting tool to use, Xero comes first (61.3% citation rate), then QuickBooks (48.1%), then Sage (22.8%). Strong on payroll and mid-market ERP, but GHOST for startup/sole trader accounting. And a disambiguation problem: nearly 1 in 10 queries return information about the herb sage, not the software.
Key competitors in AI
The insight
Business recognition and AI recommendation are different things. Forbes Advisor ranks Sage third. Trustpilot shows 3.6/5 versus Xero's 4.5/5. LLMs weight these third-party signals heavily. The disambiguation issue is addressable with structured data—the broader competitive gap requires a content strategy shift toward the specific purchase-decision queries where Sage is losing.
One thing they could do today
Develop thought leadership content addressing "modern accounting practices" and "accounting software for small businesses" to compete on these terms.
Darktrace VISIBLE
AI-native cybersecurity business with strong news coverage. But news doesn't drive AI recommendations—buyer guides do. And Darktrace appears in 2 of 7.
What we found
Darktrace has strong business awareness and news coverage. But when AI is asked for cybersecurity recommendations, CrowdStrike dominates (68.7% citation rate). Darktrace's strongest pillar is AI/ML security (EMERGING), but it's GHOST on cloud security, zero trust, and threat intelligence. The gap: buyer guides. CrowdStrike appears in 7 of 7 major buyer guides. Darktrace appears in 2.
Key competitors in AI
The insight
News coverage and AI recommendation are not the same thing. LLMs weight buyer guide formats (SC Magazine, Gartner MQ) far more heavily than news articles when generating purchase recommendations. Darktrace has the news; it needs the guides.
One thing they could do today
Get featured in 2–3 key buyer guides (Gartner, Forrester, independent reviewers) to shift the recommendation pattern.
Capgemini VISIBLE
Global consulting giant with 74% self-citations and 26% third-party. LLMs weight earned endorsement over owned content. That ratio is the problem.
What we found
Capgemini produces a lot of content. But 74% of its citations come from its own domain—the worst owned-to-earned ratio in the dataset. LLMs weight third-party endorsement far more heavily. Accenture dominates (57.3% citation rate) with stronger analyst coverage and media presence. Capgemini is EMERGING on digital transformation, but GHOST on cybersecurity consulting, sustainability/green IT, and manufacturing/Industry 4.0.
Key competitors in AI
The insight
Self-citation doesn't work in AI. Publishing thought leadership on your own blog is not the same as being cited by Gartner, Computer Weekly, or HFS Research. The 74/26 owned-to-earned split tells the whole story. Capgemini needs more third-party voices saying what Capgemini currently says about itself.
One thing they could do today
Build a third-party case study library with named client outcomes and publish on industry analyst platforms.
Hotwire GHOST
Global tech PR agency. 91% news coverage, 0% buyer-format coverage. The AI recommendation gap is an industry-wide problem—and an opportunity.
What we found
Hotwire has strong news coverage from PRWeek, Campaign, and PRCA. But when AI is asked to recommend tech PR agencies, Hotwire doesn't appear. Neither do most agencies—Weber Shandwick leads at just 18.4% citation rate, with Edelman at 16.2%. The entire PR agency sector is effectively invisible to AI. 100% whitespace on "best tech PR agencies UK", "AI/emerging tech PR", and "B2B technology communications".
Key competitors in AI
The insight
This is a sector-wide problem. All leading PR agencies are GHOST or VISIBLE in AI. The ones getting mentioned earn it from Clutch/Provoke Media directory-style content, not news. First-mover advantage is real here—the agency that builds AI visibility first owns the recommendation.
One thing they could do today
Develop buyer-format content (whitepapers, guides, buyer toolkits) and place them on industry sites to create LLM-discoverable content.
Pip & Nut GHOST
50,000 Instagram followers. Zero AI visibility. Social media presence does not equal AI recommendation. Food editorial drives LLM citations.
What we found
Pip & Nut has strong social media presence (50k+ Instagram followers) and a loyal community. But when AI is asked about peanut butter recommendations, it doesn't mention them. Whole Earth (38.4% citation rate), Meridian (29.1%), and Justin's (22.4%) capture the AI recommendations. Every pillar scored GHOST. "Best peanut butter UK" returns 100% whitespace for Pip & Nut.
Key competitors in AI
The insight
Social followers don't drive AI citations. BBC Good Food (38 citations), Women's Health Magazine (18 citations), and Olive Magazine (14 citations) are what LLMs reference. Pip & Nut needs food editorial coverage—getting featured in the publications that AI actually reads—not more Instagram posts. Trustpilot rating (4.2/5) is a positive signal but insufficient on its own.
One thing they could do today
Pitch the brand story to food editorial outlets that LLMs cite (e.g., food blogs, nutrition publications, mainstream food media).
Legl GHOST
Legal tech startup in AML compliance. 3.1% mention rate. But the niche is uncontested in AI—a genuine first-mover opportunity.
What we found
Legl is a legal tech startup focused on AML compliance and client onboarding for UK law firms. AI doesn't know they exist—4 mentions out of 128 queries. All 8 pillars scored GHOST. But the bigger picture: the AML compliance space for UK law firms is genuinely uncontested in AI. Clio (62.5% citation rate) and LexisNexis (48.1%) dominate broader legal tech queries, but nobody owns the AML niche.
Key competitors in AI
The insight
Low scores aren't always bad news. For Legl, the GHOST status across the sector means nobody owns the AI recommendation for AML compliance tools for UK law firms. The citation sources are clear: Law Society Gazette (31 citations), LegalTechnology.com (24), The Lawyer (18), Capterra UK (28). Get featured in those publications and Legl could own this space. First-mover advantage is real when nobody else is playing.
One thing they could do today
Become a regular expert contributor to Law Society Gazette or similar legal tech publications to build cited authority.
Marriott Hotels EMERGING
The world's largest hotel chain by rooms — but AI recommends Hilton first in 3 out of 4 markets tested. Brand recognition doesn't guarantee AI visibility across borders.
What we found
Marriott is the largest hotel group globally by room count, but AI visibility tells a different story. Across 4 markets (UK, US, France, UAE), Hilton leads AI recommendations in 3. Marriott's strongest market is the US (41.2% citation rate), but drops to 28.1% in the UK and 19.4% in France. The per-market pillar analysis reveals very different competitive dynamics: luxury positioning is strong in the US and UAE but weak in Europe, where Accor and IHG dominate editorial citations.
Key competitors in AI (cross-market)
The insight
International brands can't assume uniform AI visibility. Marriott's score varies by 22 points across the four markets tested. The quarterly tracking shows which markets are improving and which are drifting. In hospitality, travel editorial (Condé Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure, The Points Guy) drives citation rates far more than brand-owned content. Market-specific PR and editorial strategies are essential.
One thing they could do today
Create country-specific content addressing local hotel search intent (e.g., "best hotels in [city]") and optimise for local markets individually.
Score estimates are indicative and based on our analysis of typical GEO factors. AI recommendation patterns change frequently and outcomes are not guaranteed. We measure, we advise, we track — but we don't control what AI platforms choose to recommend.