AI is rewriting category leadership. Buyers don't open Google's blue-link page anymore. They ask Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or read Google AI Overviews. If your brand isn't named in those answers, you don't exist in the new top-of-funnel. This is what it costs to be invisible, and how we measure it.
AI search isn't a feature, it's a substrate. The brand that owns the first paragraph in Google AI Overviews owns the awareness-stage slot, exactly the way SEO worked in 2010, but with a different ranking function. The AI Search Diagnostic answers the six questions any CMO is already asking, in one overnight run, with every number traceable to a raw response in the appendix.
deterministic Every answer is computed from the captured run; no model in the scoring loop. Raw CSVs ship in the appendix of every brief.
For every benchmark we run the same ~360 prompts across all five AI surfaces in parallel, score every answer with a deterministic rubric, and roll up into a 5-KPI scorecard and an 8-page brief. The whole pipeline is reproducible: same inputs, same outputs.
| Layer | Signal | Source | Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | AI surfaces | Claude (Sonnet 4.5 + web_search) · ChatGPT (GPT-4.1 + web_search_preview) · Gemini (2.5 Flash + Google Search grounding) · Perplexity (sonar-pro) · Google AI Overviews (SerpAPI) | Native APIs |
| 02 | Prompt set | ~360 prompts, machine-generated and human-audited, spanning 4 buyer-journey stages: awareness · consideration · evaluation · purchase | Haiku promptgen |
| 03 | Peer set | 5–6 brands you choose as the competitive set. Optionally, the diagnostic also flags surprise competitors: brands AI named that you didn't list. | Customer-supplied |
| 04 | KPI scoring | Deterministic rubric over captured responses: mention rate, source diversity, citation frequency, sentiment, per-surface share | Pure-function lib/scoring.ts |
| 05 | Output | 8-page CMO brief + raw CSVs (responses, citations, sentiment, AI Overview share, discovered brands) | EJS + d3 SVG |
We ran the diagnostic on Scotts Miracle-Gro vs a six-brand peer set (Pennington · Spectracide · Milorganite · Espoma · Jonathan Green · Sunday). Below: three of the actual charts from the live brief, with the data live in this page. Hover any bar for the exact number; tap the explainer to decode it.
prompt_matrix.csv · 90 prompts × 4 surfaces × 7 brands.| Stage | Scotts | Peer avg | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | 0% | 0% | +0 pts |
| Problem identification | 0% | 0% | +0 pts |
| Safety / health | 9% | 4% | +4 pts |
| Product research | 36% | 11% | +25 pts |
| Comparison | 0% | 0% | +0 pts |
| Post-purchase | 10% | 0% | +10 pts |
What you're looking at: mention rate for Scotts (and three peers) at each Consumer Decision Journey stage, broken out by AI surface. The bottom table shows the stage-by-stage gap between Scotts and the peer average.
Why it matters: Scotts dominates product research (+25 pts vs peers) but is invisible at awareness and comparison. Marketing dollars going to awareness ad spend are landing in a stage AI doesn't even surface brands in. The fix is upstream content, not more ads.
citations.csv, geo_targets.csv · 2,640 URLs across 4 surfaces.citations.csv, joined with the scraped quote corpus."In today’s article I’ll compare Scotts vs Pennington lawn care products to help you determine which brand might be best for you in terms of grass seed, fertilizer, and the best weed and feed products."https://lawnchick.com/scotts-vs-pennington/
"We decided to test: * Scott’s EZ Seed * Pennington One Step Seed * Jaguar Tall Fescue Seed * 5 Way Blend Fescue Seed All products were purchased at a local store – we did not contact Scotts or Pennington."https://greensidelawncare.com/scotts-vs-pennington-review/
"The decision to purchase Scotts or Pennington’s grass seeds generally depends on what is it that you need and how knowledgeable and how much experience you have in lawn maintenance."https://www.freeplants.com/scotts-vs-pennington-grass-seed/
"Scotts Turf Builder is one of the most popular and economical fertilizer and weed control combination products available."https://www.bobvila.com/reviews/best-weed-and-feed-2026/
"Scotts My Lawn app : The My Lawn app from Scotts allows you to enter information about your grass type, lawn size, and your location, and then you will get recommendations on what you need and when to apply it."https://todayshomeowner.com/lawn-garden/guides/trugeen-vs-scotts/
citations.csv, joined with the scraped quote corpus."Save Share Reply Quote Like D dicko1 581 posts · Joined 2019 #3 · Sep 22, 2022 I dont know about their starter fertilizer but Scotts Turf Builder has all the nutrients in one granule."https://www.thelawnforum.com/threads/name-brand-vs-store-brand-fert.41531/
"If you buy Scotts then you are paying for all that smoke Scotts Blows up your Butt."https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/the-current-truth-about-scotts.354089/
"I saw the Scotts Turf Builder Halts Gabfrass Preventer Lawn Food (for early spring) and Scotts Turf Builder Plus Weed Control (for late spring)."https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1497717/is-scotts-the-best-for-the-annual-lawn…
citations.csv, joined with the scraped quote corpus."Another problem with Scotts 4 Step Lawn Care is that one application is probably not enough to prevent a weed that is as persistent and unceasing as crabgrass."https://www.oasisturf.com/blog/4-big-problems-with-the-scotts-4-step-lawn-care-a…
"Scotts Turf builder weed and feed is a terrific spring fertilizer application to promote grass growth and weed control,” says Manfredini."https://www.mensjournal.com/home-living/best-lawn-fertilizers
"A new class action lawsuit alleges The Scotts Company falsely advertises its Miracle-Gro organic soil and fertilizer products as organic when they contain synthetic, non-organic and harmful “forever chemicals” known as…"https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/miracle-gro-class-a…
"October 18, 2018 According to a proposed class action, mulch-grass seed product Scotts Turf Builder EZ Seed fails to live up to claims that it can grow “50% thicker with half the water” compared to “ordinary seed."https://www.classaction.org/news/category/the-scotts-miracle-gro-company-inc
"Scotts tried to dodge the bird seed class action lawsuit several times, arguing that consumers would not have considered bird seed laced with toxic chemicals, a factor in deciding to purchase the product."https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/scotts-agrees-…
citations.csv, joined with the scraped quote corpus."I ran out of seeds and thew down some Scotts EZ Seed in the back corner and it did not come up as nice or as full as the Pennington's."https://www.homedepot.com/p/reviews/Pennington-Smart-Seed-Sun-and-Shade-North-20…
"I have been plagued with fire ants in my lawn so I decided to try scotts Triple action it rained the evening after I applied and to my surprise ant mound dead."https://www.homedepot.com/p/reviews/Scotts-Turf-Builder-12-5-lbs-5-000-sq-ft-Dry…
"I applied the three in one seed recommended on the instructions with the Scotts spreader but I could not see that the spreader was dumping a stripe right in front so now my lawn has green dark lush stripes."https://www.homedepot.com/p/reviews/Scotts-Turf-Builder-Thick-R-Lawn-Sun-and-Sha…
"Applied about 3 or 4 weeks ago but didn't see much difference in clover reduction can I do a second application A Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed 3 does state on the product label it can be reapplied after 30…"https://www.domyown.com/scotts-turf-builder-weed-and-feed-questions-pq-16112.htm…
"asked on April 11, 2021 Showing 1-2 of 2 answers Pets and children should be removed from the area prior to an application of Scotts Turf Builder Triple Action."https://www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx1DH4WAUVM4SDE/
"Answer: Scotts Turf Builder Weed and Feed 3 is safe for pets when it is used according to the product label."https://www.domyown.com/will-scotts-turf-builder-weed-and-feed-harm-my-dog-qa-56…
citations.csv, joined with the scraped quote corpus."Scotts® Natural Lawn Food | ScottsMiracle-Gro US Skip to main content Skip to footer content Free Shipping on Orders Over $99!\* 💐 Spend $20 on AeroGarden or Miracle-Gro + Get a FREE Grow Light\* * Recent searches…"https://scottsmiraclegro.com/en-us/brands/scotts/products/fertilizer/47503.html
"Date published: 2024-07-10 Rated 5 out of 5 by Dave0708 from Learn how to properly take care of your lawn I've been using Scotts products for the past 40 years and swear by them."https://scottsmiraclegro.com/en-us/brands/scotts/products/fertilizer/scotts-turf…
"Spread the Good Stuff: Pour the product into your Scotts spreader, dial in the "New Lawn" setting, and apply it evenly."https://scottsmiraclegro.com/en-us/brands/scotts/products/grass-seed/scotts-turf…
"Our friends at Scotts have plenty of options to help you repair your lawn."https://scottsmiraclegro.com/en-us/learn/home-patio/how-to-kill-grassy-weeds.htm…
"Scotts Turf Builder Weed & Feed₅ | ScottsMiracle-Gro US Skip to main content Skip to footer content Free Shipping on Orders Over $99!\* 💐 Spend $20 on AeroGarden or Miracle-Gro + Get a FREE Grow Light\* * Recent…"https://scottsmiraclegro.com/en-us/brands/scotts/products/fertilizer/scotts-turf…
"Scotts® Turf Builder® Rapid Grass Sun & Shade Mix® is a great option with both seed and fertilizer to help grow new grass while feeding any areas that have some green left."https://scotts.com/en-us/scotts-lawn-care-plan-northern/scotts-lawn-care-plan-no…
SEO budgets target the slice Scotts owns directly. Generative engines pull most of their substance from affiliate review, UGC, publisher and retailer ecosystems. Each percentage point of UGC or affiliate citation share is leverage on AI visibility that classical SEO does not buy.
Range 0–100. High = AI sees the brand across the whole web; Low = AI knows it from one corner. Narrow source bases collapse when a single publisher reframes the brand.
| Brand | Source breadth |
|---|---|
| Spectracide | 95 |
| Pennington | 95 |
| Milorganite | 94 |
| Espoma | 93 |
| Jonathan Green | 92 |
| Scotts | 91 |
| Sunday | 81 |
How it's computed: normalized Shannon entropy of cited URLs across the 6 ownership classes — −Σ pi·log2(pi) / log2(6) × 100, where pi is the share of each class. 100 = perfectly even (16.7% in each class); 0 = every citation from a single class. From brand_scores.csv.
Cross-cut of the audited GEO target pages by (a) whether Scotts is on the page and (b) page-level sentiment toward whoever IS named. Click a cell to expand the top 5 URLs in that quadrant. From 212 audited pages. Sentiment via Haiku, page bodies via Bright Data.
Pages where AI is pulling negative framing about your brand. Highest leverage to correct — invest in alternative content that ranks for the same queries, or directly engage the page (response, correction).
Pages where competitors get favorable framing and your brand isn't named at all. Highest leverage to plant — sponsor placement, earn an edit, or build the comparable page yourself.
Sources where AI describes your brand favorably. Maintain the relationship; don't over-invest where you're already winning.
Pages where peers are described negatively and you're not on them. Trying to plant your brand here would associate it with the takedown — leave alone.
Full ranked list of every cited URL — class, surfaces, cite count, audit verdict — is in geo_targets.csv in the data folder.
What you're looking at: the full source-ownership ring for what AI cites about Scotts, with the actual top domains in each class. Toggle the brand switcher at the top to see how Scotts compares to peers.
Why it matters: Scotts owns just 4% of what AI says about it. The other 96% is third-party: review sites, YouTube/Reddit, retailers, publishers. Classical SEO budgets target the 4%. AI visibility is bought in the 96%. Each percentage point of UGC or affiliate share is leverage classical SEO can't buy.
brand_scores.csv.| Brand | Ambient | Adversarial | Resilience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectracide | 100 | 20 | -80 |
| Milorganite | 100 | 30 | -70 |
| Espoma | 100 | 42 | -58 |
| Scotts | 91 | 27 | -64 |
| Jonathan Green | 88 | 50 | -37 |
| Sunday | 75 | 40 | -35 |
| Pennington | 58 | 20 | -39 |
What you're looking at: each brand's sentiment under default AI prompts (ambient) vs. when AI is primed with negative framing (adversarial: lawsuits, complaints, product downsides). The "Resilience" column is the drop.
Why it matters: Every brand drops under adversarial prompts. How far it drops is the brand-fragility tell. Scotts drops 64 pts when AI is primed negatively. Pennington starts lower but holds up better. Resilience > 60-pt drop = a fragility risk worth flagging to comms/legal.
deterministic Numbers above are pulled live from the Scotts brief generated 2026-05-08 · 360 prompts × 4 surfaces · charts re-rendered natively in this page so they're searchable, copy-pasteable, and accessible. Full 8-page brief with raw CSVs: aisearchdiagnostic.com/output/lawn-care-scotts-focus-2026-05-08 →
Run a benchmark on your brand. Pick a peer set, pick a category, and we'll generate the same 8-page brief: same five surfaces, same scoring rubric, same auditable CSVs. ~24 hours from intake to delivered brief.