Your figures are only as good as the brand list behind them. These settings decide which brands are counted, which names and websites belong to each, and which words do not count as a mention.
Ignore a brand, or track only your list
On the Competitors page, the Suggested competitors card lists brands the engines named that you do not track. Each has Add and Ignore buttons.
- Ignore removes the brand from the suggestions and the most-named brands, and it is not suggested again.
- Ignored brands move to the Ignored card, each with a Restore button that brings the brand back.
- Track only listed competitors, a tick box on the Ignored card, shows only your brand and the competitors you list. Every other brand is left out. Add a brand to your list and it counts straight away.
A competitor you track, and your own brand, cannot be ignored.
Sub-brands
A sub-brand is a product line, series or edition of your brand. Each one counts as your brand in every figure and is also shown on its own.
In Settings, on the Brand tab, the Sub-brands card has one row per sub-brand:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | The sub-brand's name |
| Alternative names | Other names for it, separated by commas |
| Websites | Its websites, separated by commas. A page on any of them counts as your own site |
Choose New sub-brand to add a row, Remove to take one out, then save. Past answers are read again when you save.
The Sub-brands card on the Ranking tab of the Competitors page then shows each sub-brand's Visibility, Share of voice, Cited and Change, ordered by visibility. Your total comes first.
Other names and Advanced matching
Under Other names on the Brand tab, and for each competitor on the Competitors tab in Settings, Advanced matching has two rules:
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| Case sensitive matching | Only "Apple" counts, not "apple". Applies to the name and every other name |
| Not a mention | Phrases that contain the name but are not the brand, separated by commas, such as "apple pie" for a brand called Apple |
An On badge shows beside Advanced matching when a rule is set. Past answers are read again when you save.
Alternative domains
Use Alternative domains when a brand has more than one website. A cited page on any of its domains counts as that brand's. In Settings, the field is on the Brand tab under Website domain, and each competitor has its own on the Competitors tab.
| Entry | Matches |
|---|---|
| example.co.uk | That domain and every subdomain of it |
| *.example.com | Subdomains of example.com only, not example.com itself. List both to match both |
Auto-detect
Enter your website, then choose Auto-detect. It fills in your brand name and other names from the site, and your category when you create a project. Check the details, then save. You find it when you create a project and on the Brand tab in Settings.
What to do next
Add the competitors that matter, ignore the ones that do not, and add the names people use for your brand. Then see how you compare on Sources and competitors, and how each figure is worked out in What each figure means.