METHODOLOGY · REVISED SEPTEMBER 2026
How we separate research from scores
A source-checked product review and a scored panel answer different questions. Each needs a visible date and evidence trail.
The July score model
Share of our observed panel citations the tool surfaced: per-prompt detail, competitor visibility, sentiment, and alerting latency.
First-class tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot — not just one engine with extrapolation.
Does the tool tell you what to do — and does doing it work? Measured by the 8-week lift test below.
Capability per dollar at the entry and mid tiers, including prompt caps and seat limits.
Setup time, export quality, integrations, and whether a non-specialist can read the dashboard.
These are the published July 2026 rubric weights. The underlying reviewer sheets are not currently available on this site, so the numeric scores cannot be independently recalculated.
Monthly panel publication standard
A new monthly scored edition requires a dated, fixed prompt set; the engine responses and citations; tool exports; reviewer scores; and a change log. We will identify the run window, engines and settings, sample size, missing observations, scoring version, and limits. No August or September 2026 scored rerun is published while those records are unavailable.
14
Historical July scored entries
5
Published scoring criteria
1
Dated edition in archive
0
Verified later editions
Evidence for outcome claims
Claims that a recommendation caused a citation lift require dated baseline and follow-up measurements, an appropriate comparison, the actual changed pages, and a clear account of confounding factors. The site's earlier lift numbers lack linked underlying records, so they are not used as evidence for a current recommendation.
Publication rules going forward
- Date every scored edition and keep previous editions accessible.
- Publish a new score only after the prompt-run exports and reviewer score sheet are checked.
- Label source-checked product reviews without a panel run as unscored.
- Show source dates and correct material product changes on the affected review.
- Disclose commercial relationships near relevant recommendations.
Disclosure and evidence status
Some outbound links may be partner links. The July 2026 scores are historical and their underlying prompt and reviewer records are not currently published. See the disclosure page and panel archive for more detail.