Coupa wins on ChatGPT.
Not Zycus.
An independent API-based 40-query audit of Zycus’s visibility in AI-powered search platforms. We tested the exact questions CPOs, Procurement Directors, and Procurement VPs ask when evaluating source-to-pay solutions — with temperature=0 for fully reproducible results.
Zycus is invisible in AI-powered buyer discovery. Across all three platforms, Zycus appears on only 28% of buyer-intent queries on average.
When a CPO asks ChatGPT “Which S2P platforms should I evaluate?” — Coupa, SAP Ariba, GEP, and Ivalua get cited. Zycus doesn’t. On Claude — only 18% visibility with zero Tier 1 placements. That’s not a branding problem. That’s a pipeline problem.
Methodology
How we conducted this Xtrusio AEO/GEO Audit
This assessment combines Semrush AI Visibility data with API-based buyer-intent testing across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to reveal the real competitive landscape for Zycus — going beyond automated scores to test what decision-makers actually ask.
AI platforms are non-deterministic — the same question asked twice can produce different vendor rankings. Setting temperature=0 makes responses near-deterministic, ensuring reproducibility. The top 4–5 vendors (Coupa, SAP Ariba, GEP, Ivalua, JAGGAER) appear consistently across platforms — that core set doesn’t change. What our audit measures is whether Zycus breaks into that core set, and how often.
Why Semrush AI Visibility Fails for Niche B2B
Automated scores hide a critical problem: brand dilution
Semrush AI Visibility gives Zycus a score of 5/100. That sounds concerning — and it is. But the deeper problem is that Semrush isn’t even tracking the right queries. It measures brand awareness across generic topics, not buyer-intent visibility during procurement discovery.
Zycus scores just 5/100 on Semrush AI Visibility. The topics tracked are generic procurement terms like “Procure-to-Pay” and “Spend Analysis” — not the nuanced buyer-intent questions that drive actual vendor selection. Semrush’s automated approach misses the discovery-phase queries where Zycus needs to appear.
Coupa leads at 26/100 but even its score is driven by broad brand awareness, not buyer-specific queries. GEP sits at 14/100 while JAGGAER matches Zycus at 5/100. The real differentiator isn’t automated scores — it’s who appears when a CPO asks a buying question on ChatGPT.
Semrush AI Visibility is a directional signal — not a buyer-intent metric. This is why we use Xtrusio’s API-based buyer-intent methodology to test what real decision-makers actually ask during discovery, with reproducible results.
Platform Scorecard
Who wins the buyer’s attention — platform by platform
We tested 40 buyer-intent queries via API (temperature=0) across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Here’s how often each platform cited Zycus, and at what ranking tier.
| Platform | Cited | Tier 1 (#1-3) | Tier 2 (#4-7) | Tier 3 (#8+) | Not Cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 15/40 (38%) | 1 | 12 | 2 | 25 |
| Gemini | 11/40 (28%) | 3 | 7 | 1 | 29 |
| Claude | 7/40 (18%) | 0 | 3 | 4 | 33 |
The Claude Gap
Where Zycus goes invisible during buyer discovery
Claude is Zycus’s worst-performing platform: only 7 of 40 queries (18%) cite Zycus, with zero Tier 1 placements. When a CPO asks Claude for vendor recommendations, Zycus is essentially invisible.
“We’re a Fortune 500 company evaluating AI-powered procurement solutions. What are the most innovative platforms?”
17 of the 40 queries (43%) resulted in zero citations across all three platforms. These aren’t edge cases — they’re core procurement discovery questions about AI innovation, risk management, healthcare procurement, financial services, and M&A consolidation.
Only 2 queries see Zycus cited on all 3 platforms: Q26 (procurement consultant RFP) and Q40 (conference/emerging vendors). Every other question has at least one platform blind spot. The gap isn’t platform-specific — it’s systemic.
Zycus’s content exists. Its case studies, whitepapers, and product pages cover these exact topics. But AI platforms don’t know they exist. With an average citation rate of just 28% across all platforms and zero Tier 1 placements on Claude, Zycus is being eliminated from buyer shortlists before the conversation even starts.
AI Positioning Audit
All 40 buyer-intent queries — click to expand full question
Each row shows whether Zycus was cited and its rank position. Click any row to see the exact question tested. Tier 1 = top 3, Tier 2 = #4–7, Tier 3 = #8+.
| # | Query Topic | Cluster | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL CITED | 15/40 (38%) | 11/40 (28%) | 7/40 (18%) |
Topic Cluster Heatmap
Where Zycus wins and where it disappears — by topic
Citation rates aggregated by topic cluster. Green = 40%+ visibility, Yellow = 20–39%, Red = below 20%.
Recommendations
Closing the AI visibility gap — a phased approach
- Publish structured content targeting “agentic AI in procurement,” “GenAI procurement use cases,” and “autonomous procurement agents” — the exact queries where Zycus scores 0% across all platforms
- Create comparison-style pages: “Zycus vs Coupa,” “Zycus vs GEP” with structured data AI platforms can cite
- Add structured FAQ schemas addressing the 17 “zero citation” queries directly on the Zycus website
- Publish dedicated industry pages for pharma, healthcare, financial services, energy, retail, and CPG procurement — the verticals where Zycus is invisible (17% average)
- Create case studies formatted for AI citation: customer name, industry, quantified results, specific modules used
- Target third-party citations: analyst reports, G2 reviews, procurement community mentions that AI platforms index
- Address the Claude gap specifically: Claude relies heavily on structured, authoritative web content — create technical documentation and API-focused content Claude indexes well
- Replicate P2P success (100% on ChatGPT) to Gemini and Claude by cross-platform content distribution
- Run quarterly Xtrusio audits to track improvement — set target: 50%+ citation rate on all platforms within 6 months
The Gap is Fixable. The Window is Now.
Before Coupa and GEP widen the lead, let’s discuss how to own your narrative in AI search.
