What is DeepRank? Selection, Representation & the Deeprank Protocol

As more people ask AI assistants for recommendations, the question is no longer just “do I rank?” but “am I correctly selected and represented?” The Deeprank protocol is a way to declare your business identity, who you’re for, who you’re not for, and how you want to be described—so AI systems can select and represent you accurately.

Understanding DeepRank AI

DeepRank AI is the company behind the Deeprank protocol and the platform at deeprank.ai. We help businesses get correctly selected and represented when users ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other AI systems for recommendations. That means: being chosen when you’re a good fit, and not being recommended when you’re not (using clear exclusions, e.g. wrong_choice_when).

The idea behind DeepRank

People increasingly ask AI “who should I choose for X?” or “what’s the best Y for my situation?”. If your identity, fit, and exclusions aren’t clear, AI may:

• Skip you when you are a good fit
• Recommend you when you’re not (wrong audience)
• Describe you in generic or inaccurate ways

DeepRank’s mission: make it easy to declare who you are, who you’re for, who you’re not for, and how you want to be represented—so AI can select and represent you correctly.

What is the Deeprank protocol?

The Deeprank protocol (see deeprank.org) is a methodology for selection and representation in AI systems. It focuses on:

1. Identity – What your business is and what it does
2. Fit – Who you’re the right choice for
3. Exclusions – When you are not the right choice (e.g. wrong_choice_when)
4. Representation – How AI should describe and present you

It is not “SEO for AI” or “ranking in ChatGPT.” It’s about being correctly selected when relevant, and correctly represented (and excluded when not relevant).

Why it matters

• Users ask AI for recommendations in natural language
• AI synthesizes answers from many sources
• If your positioning is vague or missing, you’re left out or misrepresented
• Clear identity, fit, and exclusions help AI select and cite you appropriately

The solution: Follow the Deeprank protocol: declare identity, fit, exclusions, and preferred representation so AI can correctly select and represent your business.

Three pillars of the Deeprank approach

1. Discovery & structure

So your site can be found and understood:

• Fast loading and mobile-friendly pages
• Sensible meta tags and structured data
• Clear headings and information hierarchy
• Crawlability (e.g. sitemap, robots.txt)

This supports both traditional discovery and AI systems that read your site.

2. AI selection & representation

So AI chooses and describes you correctly:

• Clear identity – Who you are and what you offer
• Fit – Who you’re the right choice for
• Exclusions – When not to recommend you (wrong_choice_when)
• Structured, parseable content – So AI can extract and use your claims accurately

3. Content quality & clarity

• Precise, factual claims that AI can cite
• Complete coverage of your offer and audience
• Clear structure (headings, lists, Q&A) so both humans and AI understand you

How DeepRank differs from “traditional SEO”

Traditional focus	Deeprank protocol focus
Ranking in SERPs	Being correctly selected by AI
Keywords & links	Identity, fit, exclusions
Technical crawlability	Structure + machine-readable
Visibility in search	Representation in AI answers

DeepRank builds on solid discovery and structure but adds a clear framework for selection and representation in AI (see deeprank.org).

DeepRank tools and services

Site Check (free)

• Run a free Site Check to see how your site looks to AI
• Includes basic checks and, for full audits, the AI Readiness Audit (16 checks)

Canonical Business Profile (CBP)

• Single source of truth for your business identity, fit, and exclusions
• Feeds into Content Generator, Distribution Snippets, and AI Snapshots

DeepSeeker

• Test how AI systems answer queries that should (or shouldn’t) mention you
• See if you’re selected and how you’re represented

Other tools

• Content Generator – CBP-derived content (e.g. canonical Q&A, About Us)
• AI Snapshots – How AI understands your business over time
• Distribution Snippets – CBP-derived text for LinkedIn, directories, etc.

Core principles

• Declare identity – Be explicit about what you do and for whom.
• Declare fit – Who you’re the right choice for.
• Declare exclusions – When you’re not the right choice (wrong_choice_when).
• Write for clarity – So both people and AI can understand and cite you accurately.
• Structure for machines – Clear headings, lists, and semantics.

Who benefits from DeepRank?

• Businesses that want to be correctly selected when users ask AI for recommendations
• Teams that want to control how they’re represented (and when they’re excluded)
• Anyone building a Canonical Business Profile and CBP-derived content

Getting started

1. Site Check – Run a free Site Check to see current state.
2. Read the protocol – Visit deeprank.org for the full methodology.
3. Build your CBP – Define identity, fit, and exclusions in the app.
4. Use DeepSeeker – Test real queries and see how AI selects and represents you.

Conclusion

DeepRank AI supports the Deeprank protocol (deeprank.org): a way to declare your identity, fit, and exclusions so AI systems correctly select and represent your business. It’s not about “ranking” in AI—it’s about being chosen when you’re relevant and represented accurately (and not recommended when you’re not).

Visit deeprank.ai to run a free Site Check and explore the Deeprank protocol.