Every cell on the map is scored on the majority of several asks, because the same question to the same engine does not always get the same answer. That gives four possible readings, and the map uses the same four words everywhere: on the grid, in the Diagnosis status pills (You are named, Competitor held, Open territory, Partly visible), and in the monthly email.
The one to read twice is split. A 1/3 looks like a near miss and is really the most useful cell on the map, because the engine has shown it can name you and usually chooses not to. Why a one-in-three mention is not a win is about exactly that.
How to read it
What the screen is telling you.
- Won. The cell says You with a green dot. That engine named you in the majority of asks this month, at least two of three. Win is a map word: it is what the map says about a cell, not a promise about the future.
- Lost. The cell shows a competitor's name with a red dot. That engine named them in the majority of asks and did not name you. Buyers who ask that engine that question are sent there today.
- Open. A hollow dot. No business was named consistently. The engine answered in general terms, named nobody, or named a different business every time. Open cells are the cheapest ground to take, because nobody holds them yet.
- Split. A count such as 2/3 or 1/3 on the cell. The engine answered differently across repeated asks. The cell is scored on the majority, so 1/3 is not a win, and the split itself is the diagnosis: open the answers and read what differed.
Questions
People ask.
- Is Won the same as recommended?
- Nearly. Won means you were named in the majority of asks. Recommended first, on the Overview, is narrower: answers where you were the first business named. A cell can be won with you third on the list.
- What does the confidence label under a cell mean?
- How many asks agreed. High confidence means nearly every ask said the same thing. Moderate means most did. Split means they disagreed. Single ask means the question was asked once on that engine this month, so treat the cell as provisional.
- Can a cell be lost to someone who is not a competitor?
- Yes. A directory, a listicle or a public body can hold a cell. Your Competitors lets you record what each named business is to you (competitor, directory, partner, affiliate) so the diagnosis and the lens treat it correctly.