Intent Analysis
The Foundational Question
"When users want something specific, does AI bring your business into the answer?"
Intent examines why AI chooses certain businesses for specific user goals. Unlike AV which projects how AI would answer, Intent queries real AI platforms and analyzes actual responses to understand competitive positioning.
What Intent Measures
| Measurement | Description |
|---|---|
| Visibility | How often you appear when users ask intent-driven questions |
| Placement | Where you appear in responses (first recommendation vs. mentioned last) |
| Sentiment | How AI speaks about you (positive, neutral, or negative framing) |
| Competitors | Who AI recommends instead of you for the same user goals |
| Drop Reasons | Why you don't appear for certain intents |
How Intent Works
Intent queries real AI platforms with questions users actually ask:
- Real responses — Actual answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Grok
- Intent classification — Each question mapped to user goal categories
- Competitive extraction — Identifies who else appears in each response
- Gap analysis — Explains why you're missing from certain answers
Intent Categories
Intent classifies questions into seven user goal families:
| Category | What Users Want | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | Facts and knowledge | Hours, services, location |
| Transactional | Ready to take action | Booking, purchasing, reserving |
| Navigational | How to get there | Directions, parking, contact |
| Legitimacy | Trust verification | Reviews, ratings, reputation |
| Service-Specific | Specific offerings | "Do you offer X?" |
| Comparative | Comparing options | "Best X in area", "X vs Y" |
| Post-Purchase | Existing customers | Returns, support, warranty |
Why You Might Not Appear
When you're absent from AI responses, Intent explains why:
| Reason | What It Means | What To Fix |
|---|---|---|
| DataGap | AI lacks information about you | Complete your GBP and website data |
| LanguageGap | Content not in user's language | Add multilingual content |
| GeoGap | Outside the searched area | Update service area listings |
| OfferGap | AI can't see your services | Add services to GBP and website |
| AuthorityGap | Competitors have stronger signals | Build reviews and citations |
| Misclassification | AI misunderstands your category | Correct business category |
Key Insight
Intent explains the competition — not just whether AI knows you, but whether AI chooses you when users have specific goals.