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Queries

See which questions lead to citations about your brand - and find content opportunities you're missing.

5 min readUpdated Mar 15, 2026
What you'll achieve
  • See which search queries trigger citations about your brand
  • Understand user intent behind different query patterns
  • Find content gaps where competitors get cited and you don't
  • Turn high-value queries into tracked prompts

Sources shows you where you're cited. Queries shows you why - what questions people ask that lead AI to mention your brand.

This is content strategy gold. You see exactly which user questions result in your brand being recommended (or ignored).


What Queries reveals

Every citation exists in context. Someone asked a question, an AI model searched for answers, and a source got cited. Queries reverse-engineers that process.

When you see:

QueryYour statusTop sources
"best CRM for small business"Position 2G2, Capterra, Forbes
"Salesforce alternatives"MissingG2, Software Advice
"HubSpot vs Salesforce"Position 1TechRadar, G2

You learn:

  • You're strong on direct comparisons but missing from "alternatives" content
  • G2 is crucial - it appears across multiple query types
  • There's a content gap: no one is citing you for "alternatives" queries

The queries table

Each row is a query pattern that triggered citations in your category.

Query - The actual question or search pattern.

Intent - What the searcher is trying to accomplish. Trakkr classifies these automatically:

IntentWhat it meansExample
DiscoveryExploring options, no specific brand in mind"best running shoes for marathons"
ComparisonEvaluating specific alternatives"Nike vs Adidas for trail running"
EvaluationAssessing a specific brand"is Nike Vaporfly worth the price"
Best ForLooking for fit with specific needs"best running shoes for flat feet"
AlternativeSeeking options to replace something"alternatives to Nike Vaporfly"

Your status - Are you cited for this query?

StatusWhat it means
AppearingYou're cited - green checkmark
GapCompetitors are cited, you're not - red indicator
MissingNo one is strongly cited - opportunity

Top sources - Which sites get cited most for this query.


Why intent matters

Different intents require different responses.

Discovery intent - "best project management software"

These searchers are early in the journey. They want roundups, comparisons, lists. If you're not cited, you're not in the consideration set.

Action: Get included in list articles, roundup posts, "best of" content on authoritative sites.

Comparison intent - "Notion vs Confluence"

Direct head-to-head. The searcher is actively deciding between options. Citations here heavily influence purchase decisions.

Action: Create comparison content. Ensure G2, Capterra, and similar sites have favorable comparisons.

Evaluation intent - "is Notion good for small teams"

They're almost ready. They want validation or concerns addressed. This is high-intent, close-to-conversion traffic.

Action: Build review presence. Ensure your product pages address common concerns.

Alternative intent - "alternatives to Confluence"

They've rejected or are moving away from something. You want to be the destination.

Action: Create "alternative to X" content. Get mentioned in competitor comparison content.


Expanding a query row

Click any query to see the full picture:

All sources - Every site cited for this query, with authority scores. Shows which publications dominate.

Your mentions vs competitors - Side-by-side coverage. Are you cited more, less, or equally?

Citation context - Actual quotes. What exactly does each source say when cited for this query?

Related queries - Similar patterns. If you're missing from "best CRM software," you might also check "top CRM tools" and "CRM recommendations."


Finding content opportunities

The highest-value queries are usually in one of these categories:

Near-wins

Queries where you appear but not prominently. Position 3-5 instead of 1-2.

Why they matter: You're already in the consideration set. A small push - better source coverage, improved positioning - can flip you to the top.

Competitor-only gaps

Queries where competitors are cited and you're not.

Why they matter: These are customers asking questions where AI recommends your competition. Every one is potential revenue you're losing.

High-intent queries

Comparison and evaluation queries close to purchase decisions.

Why they matter: Even if volume is lower, conversion is higher. Being cited when someone asks "is [Your Brand] worth it" directly impacts sales.

Tip
Use the filter tabs: Appearing shows your strengths. Gaps shows your opportunities. New shows recently discovered query patterns. Start with Gaps, sorted by intent = Comparison or Evaluation.

From queries to prompts

Found a query that matters? Track it.

Click any query row and hit Add as Prompt. The query becomes a tracked prompt in your Prompts page.

Why this matters:

  • Queries show a snapshot. Prompts track over time.
  • See if your changes actually improve visibility
  • Get alerts when competitors gain or you lose position

This creates a feedback loop: discover queries in Citations, track them as prompts, measure improvement, repeat.


A practical workflow

Week 1: Discovery

  1. 1Open Queries, filter to "Gaps"
  2. 2Note the top 5 gap queries by relevance to your business
  3. 3For each, expand and identify which sources dominate
  4. 4Add the most important 2-3 as tracked prompts

Week 2: Analysis

  1. 1Open Sources, filter to the sources you identified
  2. 2Read what they actually say about competitors
  3. 3Identify why they cite competitors but not you

Week 3: Action

  1. 1Create content addressing the gap (comparison pages, guides)
  2. 2Reach out to publications for review or inclusion
  3. 3Update existing content to better match query intent

Week 4+: Measure

  1. 1Run research again
  2. 2Check if your gap queries improved
  3. 3Review new queries that emerged
  4. 4Repeat

Next steps

For the competitive big picture:

View the Heatmap

See your entire citation landscape vs competitors in one grid.

Ready to act on your gaps?

Plan Outreach

Prioritize which sources to approach and track your progress.

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