ChatGPT cites Cisco.
Not Whalebone.
An independent 40-query audit of Whalebone's visibility in AI-powered search platforms. We tested the exact questions telco procurement managers ask when evaluating DNS security solutions.
Whalebone dominates Gemini and Perplexity. But loses on ChatGPT—where 60% of B2B buyers research.
When a telco procurement manager asks ChatGPT "Which vendors offer network-based DNS security?"—Cisco Umbrella, Cloudflare, and DNSFilter get cited. Not Whalebone. That's not a branding problem. That's a pipeline problem.
Semrush shows 35 Whalebone pages getting cited by AI. But look at WHAT they're being cited for:
| Your Page Getting Cited | But For This Query | Brand Mentioned? |
|---|---|---|
| /post/o2-telefonica-germany-launches... | "Differences between Alice mail and O2 mail" | Missed |
| /post/o2-telefonica-germany-launches... | "How secure is O2 Cloud?" | Missed |
| /post/googles-zip-domain-names... | "Zipix and Zippik brand analysis" | Missed |
| /post/googles-zip-domain-names... | "Zip domains and TLDs" | Missed |
Why Automated Tools Fail for Niche B2B Brands
Semrush AI Visibility scores hide a critical problem: brand dilution
We started with Semrush AI Visibility—the industry-standard tool. What we found explains why automated scores are meaningless for niche B2B brands in the telco security space.
| Company | AI Score | Mentions | Cited Pages | ChatGPT | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whalebone | 14 | 56 | 35 | 8 | 22 |
| Allot | 15 | 76 | 112 | 15 | 15 |
| CUJO AI | 15 | 120 | 46 | 45 | 17 |
All three companies score 14-15/100. All marked "Low - Rarely mentioned in LLM outputs compared to competitors."
📊 Whalebone: AI Cites You for Wineries, Not Security
📊 Allot: AI Cites Generic Security Glossary
📊 CUJO AI: Cited for Gaming Consoles & Baby Monitors
Automated tools fail for niche B2B brands because they track word frequency, not buyer intent. A procurement manager asking "Which vendors offer network-based DNS security for telcos?" won't show up in Semrush's topic matching.
So we built a custom audit: 40 high-intent queries that real telco decision-makers ask when evaluating DNS security solutions. Tested manually across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Checking for Whalebone citations, competitor mentions, and source URLs.
Platform Scorecard
Whalebone citation rates across AI platforms
The ChatGPT Gap
Why Cisco and Cloudflare win on the platform that matters
When buyers ask ChatGPT about DNS security, they don't see Whalebone. They see Cisco Umbrella, Cloudflare, DNSFilter, and BlueCat. These companies own the "What is DNS security?" educational content layer that ChatGPT prefers to cite.
"The companies that own the educational content layer—'What is X?'—control the AI narrative. Whalebone needs a /dns-security-guide/ content hub to compete."
— Content Strategy Insight
AI Positioning Audit
40 decision-maker queries tested across ChatGPT, Gemini & Perplexity
We tested 40 high-intent queries that telco procurement managers typically ask AI assistants. The results reveal a critical positioning gap: Whalebone wins on telco-specific and branded queries but loses completely on generic DNS security questions.
| Query Tested | ChatGPT | Gemini | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. What DNS security solutions stop threats? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 2. Network-based security for telcos? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3. ISP security without app installation? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4. DNS protection for mobile operators? | ✗ | ~ | ~ |
| 5. How can telcos monetize security? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 6. Whalebone Aura features? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 7. Enterprise DNS security vendors? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 8. Zero-friction security for subscribers? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 9. DNS4EU security project providers? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 10. Whalebone vs Allot comparison? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hit Rate (40 queries) | 52% | 80% | 80% |
Click to view full screenshots of AI query testing conducted January 2026.
Visibility by Topic Cluster
Performance varies dramatically by topic—you own your brand but disappear on generic queries
O2 Case Study Test: 0/10 Citations
We tested 10 questions your own case study answers—AI cites competitors for every one
| Question (Your Case Study Answers This) | AI Cites Instead | Whalebone? |
|---|---|---|
| "How can telcos launch security as VAS?" | Allot, CUJO AI, F-Secure | ✗ |
| "Effective pricing for telco security?" | Generic advice | ✗ |
| "Network-based vs endpoint for telcos?" | Cisco Umbrella, Cloudflare | ✗ |
| "Monetize security without apps?" | Allot NetworkSecure | ✗ |
| "Security without installation?" | Cisco, Cloudflare, CUJO AI | ✗ |
| "Which telcos launched network security?" | Comcast, BT, Deutsche Telekom | ✗ |
| "GTM support from security vendors?" | Generic answer | ✗ |
| "Train sales to sell security?" | Generic advice | ✗ |
| "Barriers to mobile security adoption?" | Generic research | ✗ |
| "Deploy telco security at scale?" | Generic timeline | ✗ |
Google SEO Report Card
Does Whalebone rank on page 1 for buyer-intent searches?
| Query | Who Ranks on Google Page 1 | Whalebone? |
|---|---|---|
| "Network-based security for telcos" | Allot, Ericsson, Fidelis, AlgoSec | ✗ |
| "Telco cybersecurity solutions" | Cisco, Fortinet, IBM, Palo Alto | ✗ |
| "DNS protection for mobile operators" | Cisco, Akamai, Infoblox | ✗ |
| "ISP security without app installation" | Allot, vxSafenet, NordLayer | ✗ |
| "O2 Telefonica Germany security service" | Whalebone blog, Telecoms Tech News | ✓ |
Strategic Recommendations
Actionable steps to close the ChatGPT gap
- Target the 5 critical queries where Cisco/Cloudflare win
- Create /dns-security-guide/what-is-dns-security/ with schema markup
- Restructure O2 case study for AI discoverability
- Build content hub: "DNS filtering vs firewalls", "Protective DNS for telcos"
- Create comparison pages: "Whalebone vs Cisco Umbrella", "Whalebone vs Allot"
- Publish AEO-optimized FAQ schema on all product pages
- ChatGPT cites ENISA for EU cybersecurity queries—leverage DNS4EU consortium leadership
- Build citation network through industry reports and analyst content
- Monitor AI visibility monthly—track score progression against competitors
The Gap is Fixable. The Window is Now.
Before Cisco and Allot widen the lead, let's discuss how to own your narrative in AI search.
