Brand Source Map Worksheet
10 Mar, 2026 • 2mins read
Identify the Sources AI Uses When Buyers Research Your Brand
Objective: Identify the third-party and owned sources LLMs cite when buyers research your brand.
This worksheet helps teams map the sources that shape how AI systems describe, evaluate, and compare their brand. The goal is to identify where your narrative originates—and where it may be distorted.
Map the Three Core AI Buyer Query Types
Definitional Queries
Example query: “What is [brand]?"
AI systems often prioritize brand-controlled definitions and structured descriptions.
| Source Type | Example Pages | Citation Frequency | Accuracy | Owner | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand website definition page | /about /what-is | Brand / SEO | |||
| Product overview pages | Core product pages | Product Marketing | |||
| Wikipedia / Knowledge panels | Wikipedia, Wikidata | PR / Comms | |||
| Industry directories | G2, Crunchbase | Marketing Ops | |||
| Analyst descriptions | Gartner, Forrester | PR / Analyst Relations |
Key Question:
Does the AI model extract your official brand definition from your site?
Sentiment & Evaluation Queries
Example queries:
“Is [brand] good?”
“Should I buy [brand]?”
AI systems tend to prioritize review platforms and reputation sources.
| Source Type | Example Pages | Citation Frequency | Sentiment | Owner | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer review platforms | G2, Trustpilot, Capterra | Customer Marketing | |||
| Reddit / community discussions | Subreddits, forums | Community | |||
| Employee reviews | Glassdoor, Blind | HR / Employer Brand | |||
| YouTube / creator reviews | Influencers, tutorials | Social / Partnerships | |||
| Media commentary | Industry press | PR |
Key Question:
Which sources are shaping AI sentiment summaries about your brand?
Category & Comparison Queries
Example queries:
“Best [category] tools”
“[Brand] vs [Competitor]”
AI systems often prioritize editorial rankings and comparison pages.
| Source Type | Example Pages | Citation Frequency | Ranking Position | Owner | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial rankings | “Best tools for X” | PR / SEO | |||
| Analyst reports | Gartner MQ, IDC | Analyst Relations | |||
| Comparison articles | “Brand vs Competitor” | Content / SEO | |||
| Affiliate review sites | Software review blogs | Partnerships | |||
| Your comparison pages | /brand-vs-x | Product Marketing |
Key Question:
Are you present and accurately represented in the editorial and analyst sources AI relies on?
Identify the Most Influential Sources
Source Influence Ranking
Identify which sources appear first in AI answers, since early citations shape the narrative.
| Query Example | Source #1 | Source #2 | Source #3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What is [brand]? | ||||
| Is [brand] good? | ||||
| Best tools for [category]? | ||||
| [Brand] vs competitor |
Find Narrative Gaps
Narrative Gaps
Identify where the narrative diverges from your brand positioning.
| Source | Issue | Impact | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Placeholder] | |||
| [Placeholder] |
Examples:
- outdated product description
- competitor framing the category
- negative employee sentiment
- inaccurate pricing or positioning
Prioritize Fixes
Action Plan
Prioritize sources to influence or correct.
| Priority | Source | Action | Owner | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | ||||
| Medium |
Optional: Score Your Brand’s AI Source Coverage
Scoring Section
Evaluate how well your brand manages its AI citation ecosystem.
| Category | Score (0–2) |
|---|---|
| Definitional control | |
| Sentiment visibility | |
| Editorial presence | |
| Comparison coverage | |
| Narrative accuracy |
Total Score: /10
💡 Tip for teams:
Update this map quarterly by running brand queries across ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.