How to Detect If Your Competitor Is Using Black Hat GEO Against You

## The Threat Is Real

In February 2026, Reboot Online published research proving that LLMs can be influenced to surface false, reputationally damaging information about brands. Competitor sabotage through AI manipulation isn't theoretical — it's happening.

## Red Flags to Watch For

### 1. Sudden Negative AI Mentions

If AI tools suddenly start mentioning negative aspects of your brand that don't reflect reality, someone may be seeding misinformation.

How to detect: Set up regular AI monitoring — ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini about your brand monthly and track changes.

### 2. Fake Review Networks

Look for patterns of negative reviews appearing simultaneously across multiple platforms, often with similar language patterns or from accounts with limited history.

How to detect: Use review monitoring tools and look for clustering patterns — multiple reviews appearing within the same time window using similar phrasing.

### 3. Negative SEO Content Targeting Your Brand

Competitors may publish content specifically designed to be picked up by AI models as negative signals about your brand.

How to detect: Set up Google Alerts and AI-specific monitoring for your brand name + negative keywords.

### 4. Schema Hijacking

Competitors can use structured data to associate their products with your brand name or to create misleading comparisons.

How to detect: Regularly search for your brand in structured data testing tools and monitor how your brand appears in rich snippets.

## Defense Playbook

### Immediate Actions

1. Audit your AI presence — check how all major AI models describe your brand RIGHT NOW
2. Document everything — screenshot and date-stamp all AI responses mentioning your brand
3. Establish a baseline — you can't detect anomalies without knowing what "normal" looks like

### Ongoing Defense

1. Build overwhelming positive signals — real reviews, real mentions, real authority
2. Monitor regularly — weekly checks across all major AI platforms
3. Respond quickly — address misinformation at its source
4. Legal preparation — consult with IP/defamation attorneys about AI-specific issues

### Advanced Detection

1. Server log analysis — unusual AI bot crawl patterns may indicate competitor reconnaissance
2. Backlink monitoring — sudden appearance of negative content linked to your domain
3. Citation tracking — monitor which sources AI models cite when discussing your brand

## When to Escalate

If you detect a coordinated black hat GEO attack:

1. Document comprehensively — evidence, timestamps, patterns
2. Report to AI platforms — ChatGPT, Google, Perplexity all have content issue reporting
3. Legal action — if material damage can be demonstrated
4. PR response — proactive communication to stakeholders

Part of our Defense series on protecting your brand in the AI search era.