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AI Leaderboard ​

Discover Which Podcasts AI Platforms Recommend ​

The AI Leaderboard shows you which podcasts are most frequently recommended by major AI assistants across hundreds of topics. Use this data to understand the competitive landscape and identify opportunities to improve your own AI visibility.

AI Leaderboard Dashboard

To access: Navigate to AI Visibility in the sidebar, then select the AI Leaderboards tab.

What You'll Find ​

The AI Leaderboard displays a ranking of podcasts that AI platforms recommend when users ask for podcast suggestions. PodSEO queries four major AI platforms regularly:

  • ChatGPT (OpenAI)
  • Claude (Anthropic)
  • Perplexity
  • Gemini (Google)

The leaderboard shows which podcasts appear most frequently in AI recommendations, giving you insight into what AI considers the "top" podcasts for any given topic.

How to Use the Leaderboard ​

Select a Topic Type ​

Topics are organized into categories to help you find relevant recommendations:

  • Genre — Podcast categories like Business, True Crime, Comedy, Technology
  • Audience — Target listeners like Entrepreneurs, Parents, Students, Professionals
  • Context — Listening situations like Commute, Workouts, Relaxation, Learning
  • Intent — Listener goals like Entertainment, Education, Inspiration, News
  • Format — Podcast styles like Interview, Solo, Narrative, Panel Discussion

Each category tab shows how many topics are tracked.

Choose a Specific Topic ​

After selecting a topic type, choose a specific topic from the dropdown to see its leaderboard. For example, under "Genre" you might select "Business Podcasts" or "True Crime Podcasts."

If PodSEO has identified topics specific to your podcast's niche, the dropdown groups them at the top under Your niche topics, with the rest listed under All topics. This makes it quick to check the leaderboards that matter most to your show.

Filter by AI Provider ​

Use the provider checkboxes to filter which AI platforms you want to include in the rankings. You can:

  • View recommendations from all four providers combined
  • Focus on a single provider to see its specific recommendations
  • Compare how different providers rank the same podcasts

Read the Leaderboard ​

Each entry in the leaderboard shows:

  • Podcast name and artwork — The recommended podcast
  • Frequency percentage — How often this podcast appears in AI recommendations (higher is better)
  • Provider indicators — Which specific AI platforms recommend this podcast

If your podcast appears in the leaderboard, it will be highlighted so you can quickly find your position.

The leaderboard lists up to 50 podcasts. When more podcasts have been recommended for a topic, a note at the bottom reads "Showing top 50 of N podcasts."

Understanding Frequency ​

AI assistants don't always give the same answer to the same question — ask one to recommend "the best business podcasts" a few times and the list can change. So a single recommendation isn't a reliable signal on its own. To account for this, the leaderboard looks at the last 4 weeks of results and measures frequency: how many of the possible weekly mentions a podcast actually received.

Each selected assistant can mention a podcast at most once per week. With all four assistants selected over 4 weeks, there are 16 possible mentions: a podcast mentioned by every assistant every week scores 100%, while one mentioned 12 times out of 16 scores 75%. If you filter to fewer assistants, the percentage is calculated against just those assistants.

Higher frequency means assistants reliably associate that podcast with the topic week after week, rather than surfacing it now and then — which is why the leaderboard ranks by frequency rather than by whether a podcast was ever mentioned at all. (On AI Mentions, frequency for your own topics is measured differently—as the share of the four assistants that mention you.)

Strategic Applications ​

Competitive Research ​

Use the AI Leaderboard to understand your competitive landscape:

  • See which podcasts dominate AI recommendations in your category
  • Identify competitors you may not have been aware of
  • Understand what topics your competitors are visible for

Topic Opportunity Discovery ​

Find topics where you could potentially gain visibility:

  • Browse topics related to your podcast's content
  • Look for topics with less competition
  • Identify adjacent topics where your podcast could be relevant

Provider-Specific Insights ​

Different AI platforms may favor different podcasts:

  • Notice which providers recommend which podcasts
  • Identify platforms where your competitors are weak
  • Understand each provider's apparent preferences

Track Changes Over Time ​

Regular visits to the leaderboard help you spot trends:

  • New podcasts entering the rankings
  • Shifts in which podcasts lead specific topics
  • Changes in your own podcast's position

Connection to AI Mentions ​

The AI Leaderboard shows the broader landscape, while AI Mentions shows your specific podcast's performance. Use both together:

  1. Use AI Leaderboard to research topics and competitors
  2. Use AI Mentions to track your own visibility metrics
  3. Apply insights from both to improve your positioning

Availability ​

The AI Leaderboard is available to all logged-in users. The data updates regularly as PodSEO queries AI platforms for fresh recommendations, and each leaderboard reflects the most recent 4 weeks.

Pro Tips ​

  • Check AI Mentions to see your own podcast's AI visibility metrics
  • Use Keyword Strategy to optimize for traditional podcast search alongside AI visibility
  • Look for topics where the leaderboard has fewer dominant podcasts — these represent easier opportunities to gain AI visibility
  • Compare provider-specific rankings to identify where your competitors are strongest and weakest