© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap

The registry · San Jose, CA

The best cosmetics stores in San Jose.

Ranked by one method — the same checks for every business. Never sold, never sponsored.

The seven on the map

Each pin is a business on this list, numbered by its rank and placed at its address. Drag the map and zoom in to see which of them are near you.

The read

The leaderboard for cosmetics stores in San Jose reveals a distinct dominance by Ulta Beauty, which claims the top three spots with AI scores ranging from 62 to 69. This consistency in performance highlights not only the brand's robust customer engagement but also its effective online presence and review management. Ulta's ability to maintain a strong foothold in the market is indicative of its comprehensive strategy, which includes leveraging customer feedback and optimizing its digital channels.

Meanwhile, Sephora manages to carve out a niche, landing in the fourth and fifth positions with scores of 61 and 50, respectively. The difference in performance between these two giants and the long tail of competitors indicates that while brand loyalty plays a significant role, factors such as review volume and responsiveness are pivotal. The stark contrast in the number of reviews, with Ulta boasting hundreds against Sephora's limited count, further emphasizes the importance of customer feedback in shaping the competitive landscape.

The named

Who's winning, and why.

  1. 1

    Leading with unmatched visibility

    Ulta Beauty stands out in San Jose's cosmetics scene with an impressive AI visibility score of 100, far exceeding the field average of 67. This remarkable visibility boosts their online presence, making them the go-to choice for beauty enthusiasts. Additionally, their retrieval grounding score of 75 highlights their strong performance in search relevance, compared to the field average of 42. These factors, combined with a solid 3.9-star rating from 286 reviews, position Ulta Beauty as the top destination for cosmetics in the area.

    Cited by

    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Perplexity
    Retrieval grounding
    75
    Off-property attestation
    40
    AI visibility
    100
    Reviews & response
    79
    Backlink & citation authority
    69
    Google Business Profile
    90
    Speed & mobile
    54
    Content freshness & schema
    100
  2. 2

    Ulta Beauty shines in visibility

    Ulta Beauty stands out in San Jose's cosmetics scene, boasting a remarkable AI visibility score of 100, significantly higher than the field average of 83. This visibility, combined with strong retrieval grounding at 75—well above the average of 46—demonstrates their effective online presence and accessibility. With 374 reviews averaging 3.9 stars, their customer engagement remains strong, reflecting a solid reputation in the community. These factors ensure that Ulta Beauty remains a go-to destination for beauty enthusiasts.

    Cited by

    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Perplexity
    Retrieval grounding
    75
    Off-property attestation
    40
    AI visibility
    100
    Reviews & response
    75
    Backlink & citation authority
    69
    Google Business Profile
    90
    Speed & mobile
    62
    Content freshness & schema
    —
  3. 3

    Leading the way in AI visibility

    Ulta Beauty stands out in San Jose's cosmetics scene with an impressive AI visibility score of 100, far surpassing the field average of 83. This exceptional visibility indicates a robust online presence and engagement across various platforms, making them a go-to destination for beauty enthusiasts. Additionally, their commitment to content freshness and schema optimization, also scoring 100, ensures they remain relevant and easily discoverable, further solidifying their position as a top choice among consumers.

    Cited by

    • ChatGPT
    • Gemini
    • Perplexity
    Retrieval grounding
    50
    Off-property attestation
    40
    AI visibility
    100
    Reviews & response
    78
    Backlink & citation authority
    69
    Google Business Profile
    90
    Speed & mobile
    54
    Content freshness & schema
    100

The record

Ranks 4–7.

How we ranked these

No pay-to-play. No sponsored spots. No kickbacks.

Every business is scored the same way, on the same eight signals. We don't take money to move rankings and we don't accept submissions. If you're on this list, the scoring pipeline put you there.

  1. S1Retrieval grounding26%
  2. S2Off-property attestation20%
  3. S3AI visibility14%
  4. S4Reviews & response12%
  5. S5Backlink & citation authority8%
  6. S6Google Business Profile8%
  7. S7Speed & mobile7%
  8. S8Content freshness & schema5%

Your turn

Run the same audit on yourself.

Free, thirty seconds. See how you score against this leaderboard.