Type C (Comparative Query)
A comparative query — X versus Y, or the best tool for a job — where the engine weighs options against each other.
What is a Type C (comparative) query?
A Type C query is a comparative query — X versus Y, or best tool for a job. The engine weighs options against each other, so being included, and framed favourably, is what counts.
A Type C query is where deals are won or lost: the engine is literally ranking you against a rival in the buyer's decision moment.
Comparative queries ask the engine to evaluate alternatives — head-to-head matchups or best-for-a-use-case requests. The answer is a judgement: who is included, how each is characterised, and which is recommended for which need. Exclusion from the comparison is as costly as a poor framing within it.
Winning here depends on having content the engine can use to represent you fairly — clear positioning, honest comparison pages, and authority that earns you a seat in the consideration set. Comparative intent rewards brands that have published the comparison themselves.
In SkuLift's framework, Type C completes the set with Type A (branded) and Type B (unbranded). Comparative queries map directly to the buying decision, so movement here is closely watched in share of voice.