What Can Signal Actually Tell Me About My Business?

Signal tests how 7 AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek) describe your business when buyers search for solutions. You get a 15 minuteute diagnostic showing exactly what AI says about you vs competitors.

Surmado does not sell AI placements and cannot submit your site to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Meta AI, Grok, or DeepSeek. No one can. We test how these systems already talk about you and give you a plan to improve.

Reading time: 12 minutes

What you’ll learn:

• The 4 core metrics Signal measures: Presence Rate (how often mentioned), Authority Score (confidence level), Ghost Influence (features stolen by competitors), and competitive rankings
• How platform-specific performance reveals over-reliance: ChatGPT 72% vs Meta AI 12% means you’re vulnerable if users shift platforms
• Real example: “24/7 emergency service” described by AI but attributed to competitors. Ghost Influence at work
• Persona-based testing that shows you dominate “emergency” queries but are invisible for “preventive maintenance” queries
• How Signal discovers unknown competitors AI considers alternatives (not just the competitors you track)

Core output: Presence Rate (how often you’re mentioned), Authority Score (how confidently you’re recommended), competitor rankings, and Ghost Influence (your features attributed to competitors).

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What Signal Tests

1. Presence Rate Across 7 AI Platforms

What it measures: How often AI platforms mention you when answering buyer queries.

How it works:

• Signal submits 50+ persona-based questions to ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Meta AI, Grok, DeepSeek
• Counts how many times you’re mentioned vs total queries
• Calculates percentage: “Mentioned in 35 of 50 queries = 70% Presence Rate”

What you learn:

• Are buyers using AI finding you? (70% = good, 30% = invisible)
• Which platforms recommend you most? (ChatGPT 80%, Claude 60%, etc.)
• Platform variance (are you over-reliant on one platform?)

Example finding:

“Your Presence Rate: 45% (mentioned in 23 of 51 queries). Competitor A: 72%. You’re losing 27 percentage points of AI share-of-voice.”

Why it matters: If buyers ask AI for recommendations and you’re not mentioned, you don’t exist in their consideration set.

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2. Authority Score (How Confidently AI Recommends You)

What it measures: AI’s confidence level when mentioning you (0-100 scale).

How it works:

• Analyzes language AI uses: “I recommend X” (high authority) vs “You might consider X” (low authority)
• Scores based on: Recommendation strength, context positioning, qualifiers/hedges
• Benchmarks against competitors in same queries

Authority levels:

• 80-100: Strong (“I recommend”, “best option”, “top choice”)
• 60-79: Moderate (“good option”, “consider”, “popular choice”)
• 40-59: Weak (“you might try”, “another option is”, hedging)
• 0-39: Very weak (mentioned but with caveats or doubts)

Example finding:

“Authority Score: 58. AI says ‘you might consider [Your Business]’ vs Competitor A (Score 82): ‘I recommend [Competitor A].’ Confidence gap costs you conversions.”

Why it matters: Being mentioned isn’t enough. AI needs to recommend you confidently or buyers skip to competitors.

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3. Competitive Positioning and Rankings

What it measures: Where you rank vs competitors when AI lists options.

How it works:

• Identifies which competitors AI mentions alongside you
• Tracks ranking position (1st mention, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
• Calculates competitive share-of-voice

Example finding:

“When AI recommends competitors, you rank #4 of 7 on average:

• #1: Competitor A (mentioned first 18 times)
• #2: Competitor B (mentioned first 12 times)
• #3: Competitor C (mentioned first 9 times)
• #4: You (mentioned first 6 times)

Competitive displacement: Buyers see 3 competitors before you.”

Why it matters: Ranking position affects click-through. Being 4th means buyers already evaluated 3 alternatives before considering you.

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4. Ghost Influence Detection

What it measures: When AI describes YOUR unique features but recommends competitors instead.

How it works:

• Identifies your differentiators (24/7 support, flat-fee pricing, veteran-owned)
• Searches AI responses for those features
• Flags when features are described but attributed to competitors

Example finding:

“Ghost Influence: 62%

AI described these features (yours) but recommended competitors:

• ‘24/7 emergency service’ (your differentiator) → AI recommended Competitor A
• ‘Transparent flat-fee pricing’ (your model) → AI mentioned Competitor B
• ‘Veteran-owned business’ (your story) → AI didn’t attribute to anyone

You’re educating the market. Competitors are capturing customers.”

Why it matters: High Ghost Influence means your marketing is working (AI knows your features) but your branding isn’t (AI doesn’t credit you).

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5. Platform-Specific Performance

What it measures: Performance variance across 7 AI platforms.

Platforms tested:

1. ChatGPT (60% of AI search market share)
2. Claude (professionals, researchers, technical users)
3. Perplexity (research-focused, citations-heavy)
4. Gemini (Google integration, Android users)
5. Meta AI (Facebook/Instagram, social discovery)
6. Grok (X/Twitter integration, real-time info)
7. DeepSeek (technical queries, developer-focused)

Example finding:

“Platform variance:

• ChatGPT: 72% Presence Rate (strong)
• Perplexity: 68% Presence Rate (strong)
• Claude: 45% Presence Rate (moderate)
• Gemini: 38% Presence Rate (weak)
• Meta AI: 12% Presence Rate (very weak)
• Grok: 8% Presence Rate (invisible)
• DeepSeek: 5% Presence Rate (invisible)

Diagnosis: Over-reliant on ChatGPT. Vulnerable if users shift platforms.”

Why it matters: Platform diversity protects against algorithm changes. If ChatGPT changes recommendation logic, you don’t lose 100% of AI visibility.

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6. Persona-Based Query Testing

What it measures: How AI responds to realistic buyer questions (not keyword searches).

How it works:

• You provide 3-5 custom personas (or Signal generates standard ones)
• Personas describe problems, not products: “I need emergency HVAC repair in Phoenix”
• Signal tests how AI responds to each persona

Example personas (HVAC company):

Persona 1 (Emergency):

“My AC stopped working and it’s 95 degrees. I need same-day repair in Phoenix. Who should I call?”

Persona 2 (Preventive):

“I want to schedule annual HVAC maintenance before summer. Which companies in Phoenix offer service plans?”

Persona 3 (New system):

“My furnace is 20 years old. What are the best HVAC companies in Phoenix for full system replacement?”

Example finding:

“Persona 1 (Emergency): You mentioned 8 of 10 times (strong) Persona 2 (Preventive): You mentioned 3 of 10 times (weak) Persona 3 (New system): You mentioned 1 of 10 times (very weak)

Diagnosis: Strong emergency positioning. Weak preventive/replacement positioning. Create content targeting preventive maintenance and system replacement queries.”

Why it matters: Different buyer types use different language. You might dominate “emergency” queries but be invisible for “preventive maintenance” queries (different revenue potential).

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7. Competitor Intelligence

What it measures: Who AI considers your competitors (may surprise you).

How it works:

• Tracks which businesses AI mentions when you’re mentioned
• Identifies competitors you didn’t know existed
• Analyzes competitor positioning language

Example finding:

“AI-identified competitors (8 total):

Known competitors (you already track):

• Competitor A (mentioned 18 times)
• Competitor B (mentioned 14 times)
• Competitor C (mentioned 9 times)

Unknown competitors (you weren’t aware):

• Regional Player D (mentioned 12 times) ← NEW THREAT
• Startup E (mentioned 8 times) ← NEW THREAT
• National Chain F (mentioned 6 times)

How AI describes them:

• Regional Player D: ‘Known for fast response times and competitive pricing’
• Startup E: ‘Newer company with modern scheduling app and transparent pricing’

Action: Research Regional Player D and Startup E. AI considers them serious alternatives.”

Why it matters: Competitive intelligence without expensive market research. AI reveals who you’re actually competing against (not who you think you compete with).

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What Signal Does NOT Do

Signal is NOT:

• SEO audit (use Scan for technical SEO, performance, accessibility)
• Social media monitoring (doesn’t track Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook mentions)
• Review aggregation (doesn’t collect Yelp, Google reviews)
• Sentiment analysis of existing customers (tests buyer discovery, not customer satisfaction)
• Brand awareness survey (measures AI platform visibility, not human recall)

Signal IS:

• AI visibility diagnostic (how platforms describe you to buyers)
• Competitor benchmarking (who AI recommends instead)
• Positioning audit (does AI understand your differentiation?)
• Discovery gap analysis (where are you invisible vs competitors?)

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Signal Report Output

What you receive (delivered in 15 minutes):

1. Executive Summary (1 page)

• Overall Presence Rate and Authority Score
• Key findings (top 3 strengths, top 3 gaps)
• Competitive positioning snapshot

2. Platform Breakdown (2 pages)

• Performance across all 7 AI platforms
• Platform-specific variance analysis
• Recommendations for platform optimization

3. Persona Analysis (2-3 pages)

• How AI responds to each persona query
• Presence Rate per persona
• Competitor mentions per persona
• Ghost Influence examples

4. Competitor Benchmarking (2 pages)

• Competitive rankings
• Share-of-voice comparison
• Competitor positioning language
• Unknown competitors revealed

5. Ghost Influence Report (1-2 pages)

• Features AI describes but doesn’t attribute
• Specific examples with AI quotes
• Ghost Influence percentage

6. Action Plan (1 page)

• Prioritized recommendations
• Quick wins (high impact, low effort)
• Long-term strategy (content, positioning, citations)

Total: 10-12 page PDF + structured JSON (Intelligence Token for automation)

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Practical Use Cases

Use Signal when you need to:

1. Validate positioning: Does AI “get” what makes you different?
2. Track visibility: Are buyers using AI finding you?
3. Benchmark competitors: Who dominates AI recommendations?
4. Find Ghost Influence: Are competitors stealing credit for your ideas?
5. Measure content ROI: Did new FAQs/blogs improve AI visibility?
6. Pre-launch testing: Will AI recommend new product in right category?
7. Crisis monitoring: Is negative press affecting AI recommendations?
8. Expansion validation: Should you enter new city/market?

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Pricing

Signal: $50 (one-time)

What’s included:

• 50+ persona queries across 7 AI platforms
• Presence Rate and Authority Score
• Competitor benchmarking
• Ghost Influence analysis
• PDF report + JSON Intelligence Token
• 7-day money-back guarantee

When to run:

• Baseline (establish visibility)
• Quarterly (track progress)
• Post-launch (validate new content)
• Pre-crisis (establish normal for comparison)

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The Bottom Line

Signal tells you how AI platforms describe your business when buyers search for solutions. You learn:

• If buyers using AI can find you (Presence Rate)
• How confidently AI recommends you (Authority Score)
• Who AI considers your competitors (Competitive Intelligence)
• If your differentiators are credited to you or competitors (Ghost Influence)

15 minutes, $50, 7 AI platforms tested. You get exact visibility into what buyers see when they ask AI for recommendations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How is Signal different from Googling my business?

Google: Shows what YOU find when you search for yourself Signal: Shows what BUYERS find when describing their problem to AI

Example:

• Google: “Best HVAC company Phoenix” (you rank #8, feel good)
• Signal: “My AC broke, need same-day repair Phoenix” (AI recommends 5 competitors, not you)

Signal tests realistic buyer language, not SEO keywords.

Can I test competitors with Signal?

Yes. Signal includes competitor benchmarking automatically. You can also run separate Signal reports on competitors to:

• Reverse-engineer their AI visibility strategy
• Identify content they have that you don’t
• Find gaps where you can outcompete them

How accurate is Signal?

Very accurate. Signal tests actual AI platforms in real-time:

• Not simulated (real API calls to ChatGPT, Claude, etc.)
• Not cached (fresh responses every time)
• Not sampled (tests 50+ queries, not 5-10)

Variance: ±3% on Presence Rate (statistical margin based on query count)

What if my Presence Rate is 0%?

Common for new businesses or local services. It means:

• AI platforms don’t have enough data about you yet
• Your website/content isn’t AI-friendly (no FAQs, schema, structured content)
• You’re in highly competitive category (100+ competitors, AI picks top 10)

Fix: Create AI-optimized content (FAQs, how-to guides, comparison pages), add schema markup, build Google Business Profile.

Re-test in 60-90 days to measure improvement.

How long does Signal take?

15 minutes from submission to delivery:

• You submit: Business info + personas (5 minutes)
• Signal processes: Tests 50+ queries across 7 platforms (10 minutes automated)
• You receive: PDF report + JSON Intelligence Token

Total time investment: 20 minutes (5 min setup + 15 min review)

Can I customize the personas Signal tests?

Yes. Two options:

Option 1: Use Signal’s standard personas (industry-specific templates)

• Example: HVAC gets emergency, preventive, replacement personas automatically

Option 2: Submit custom personas (your exact buyer language)

• Write 3-5 persona queries in natural language
• Signal tests those instead of standard templates

Custom personas recommended if you have specific buyer segments or unique positioning.

Does Signal work for B2B or just B2C?

Both. Signal tests differently based on business type:

B2B examples:

• “I need project management software for remote teams”
• “What CRM works best for SaaS companies under $1M ARR?”
• “Best fractional CFO for pre-Series A startups”

B2C examples:

• “Emergency plumber near me, burst pipe”
• “Best family dentist in Austin with weekend hours”
• “Where should I buy running shoes for flat feet?”

Signal adapts testing to your business model and buyer behavior.

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Ready to see how AI platforms describe your business? Run a Signal report ($50) and discover your Presence Rate, Authority Score, and Ghost Influence in 15 minutes.