That Marketing Buddy

Software Index · AI snapshot, 2026-10-22

Who people search for, and who AI recommends

The TMB Software Index tracks two things for 65 SEO, GEO and email marketing tools: how many people search for each brand by name, and how often ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode recommend it when a buyer asks without naming a brand.

Use it to:

  • Build a shortlistSee which tools AI already suggests for a business like yours, so you know what your options are before you compare them.
  • Spot the gapsFind tools that AI recommends far more, or far less, than their popularity would suggest.
  • Check your own brandIf you sell one of these tools, see where AI names you and which sites it cites instead of yours.

What it is not: a quality ranking. A tool AI names often is not automatically the right one for you. For that, read the hands-on reviews and comparisons.

tools tracked for AI visibility
65

tools tracked for AI visibility

buyer questions, no brand names
120

buyer questions, no brand names

AI engines asked
3

AI engines asked

answers read
359

answers read

failed requests, excluded
1

failed requests, excluded

By Joonas Rotko. AI snapshot 2026-10-22.

SearchApiAI answers collected with SearchApi’s ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode endpoints on 2026-10-22. SearchApi is a paid partner of this site.
DataForSEOSearch volume from DataForSEO.

At a glance

The headline of each category: who AI recommends most, who people search for most, and who AI recommends more than its search demand predicts. Open a category for the full picture.

Percentages: share of the category’s AI answers that name the tool. Points: its share of AI mentions minus its share of search demand.

Category 1 of 5

SEO suites

10 tools with AI data, 11 tracked for search demand. 24 questions × 3 engines = 72 answers, 71 usable.

People search for the topic: seo tools 368k/mo · rank tracker 15k/mo · keyword research tool 15k/mo (worldwide Google searches)

01 · Who AI recommends

Semrush is named in 90% of the 72 answers and also has the most search demand (673k/mo).

02 · Where AI and search disagree

SE Ranking gets 20% of the AI mentions from 5% of the search demand (+15 pts). The reverse: Semrush (-19 pts).

03 · Detail changes the answer

Mangools is named in 47% of answers to short questions but 14% when the buyer describes their business, budget and problem.

04 · Engines disagree

Ubersuggest is named in 46% of Gemini answers but 13% of Google AI Mode answers, so no single engine tells the whole story.

Who has the most search demand?

Estimated searches per month

  • Semrush673k
  • Ahrefs301k
  • Ubersuggest246k
  • Moz135k
  • SE Ranking74k
  • BrightLocal27k

Who is gaining or losing attention?

Search change, last 3 months vs the 3 before

  • SE Ranking+15%
  • Moz+7%
  • Seobility-18%
  • Ubersuggest-18%
  • Keysearch-32%
  • Morningscore-34%

Who does AI recommend?

Named in this share of the 72 answers

  • Semrush90%
  • Ahrefs75%
  • SE Ranking69%
  • Mangools31%
  • Ubersuggest28%
  • BrightLocal23%

SEO suites leaderboard

Ranked by TMB AI Visibility. Search demand and its trend sit beside it, and the detail columns are there when you want the reasoning behind a rank.

Main signalsMore detail
#SoftwareSearches/moSearch trendTMB AI VisibilityAI Share of VoiceOwn site citedAI vs Search
1Semrush673k▼ 13%90%26%18%-19
2Ahrefs301k▼ 7%75%21%11%+1
3SE Ranking74k▲ 15%69%20%6%+15
4Mangools15k▼ 12%31%9%3%+8
5Ubersuggest246k▼ 18%28%8%1%-9
6BrightLocal27k▼ 18%23%6%6%+5
7Moz135k▲ 7%18%6%0%-4
8Keysearch4.4k▼ 32%10%3%1%+3
9Morningscore2.4k▼ 34%4%1%4%+1
10Seobility18k▼ 18%1%0%0%-1

* name can mean something else, only qualified searches are counted, so its demand is a floor and its AI vs Search figure is not shown. TMB AI Visibility is measured on the TMB benchmark of fixed buyer questions, not across all ChatGPT or Gemini users.

Named by AI but not tracked here

Tools that answers list in bold and that are not in my tracked set (counted in 2 or more answers, a rough text match):

AgencyAnalytics 4 answersLocal Falcon 3 answersSurfer SEO 3 answersWhitespark 2 answersSISTRIX 2 answersMajestic 2 answers

Search demand against TMB AI Visibility

Where the two disagree is the interesting part. Top left: AI recommends it although few people search for it by name. Bottom right: lots of people search for it, but AI rarely names it.

AI favourite, little search demandSearched for and recommendedQuiet on bothSearched for, rarely recommended0%25%50%75%100%1.0k10k100k1.0MSearch demand (estimated searches per month, log scale)TMB AI VisibilitySemrush: 673k searches/mo, AI visibility 90%Ahrefs: 301k searches/mo, AI visibility 75%SE Ranking: 74k searches/mo, AI visibility 69%Mangools: 15k searches/mo, AI visibility 31%Ubersuggest: 246k searches/mo, AI visibility 28%BrightLocal: 27k searches/mo, AI visibility 23%Moz: 135k searches/mo, AI visibility 18%Keysearch: 4.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 10%Morningscore: 2.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 4%Seobility: 18k searches/mo, AI visibility 1%SemrushAhrefsSE RankingMangoolsUbersuggestBrightLocalMozKeysearchMorningscoreSeobility

Dashed lines: the median demand and the median TMB AI Visibility of the tools shown, so the corners read as above or below the typical tool here. Icons that would overlap are nudged sideways a few pixels. Dashed orange ring and * = the name can mean something else, so only qualified searches are counted and its true position is probably further right.

AI recommends it more than its search demand predicts

  • SE Ranking: 5% of the demand, 20% of the AI mentions (+15 pts)
  • Mangools: 1% of the demand, 9% of the AI mentions (+8 pts)
  • BrightLocal: 2% of the demand, 6% of the AI mentions (+5 pts)

Searched for far more than AI recommends it

  • Semrush: 45% of the demand, 26% of the AI mentions (-19 pts)
  • Ubersuggest: 16% of the demand, 8% of the AI mentions (-9 pts)
  • Moz: 9% of the demand, 6% of the AI mentions (-4 pts)

Where the three engines agree and disagree

Share of answers naming each tool, per engine. The spread column is the gap between the highest and the lowest engine.

SoftwareChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI ModeAverageSpread
Semrush83%100%87%90%17 pts
Ahrefs67%92%65%75%26 pts
SE Ranking54%71%83%69%28 pts
Mangools29%42%22%31%20 pts
Ubersuggest25%46%13%28%33 pts
BrightLocal21%25%22%23%4 pts
Moz21%8%26%18%18 pts
Keysearch13%8%9%10%4 pts
Morningscore4%4%4%4%0 pts
Seobility0%4%0%1%4 pts

Does a detailed question change the answer?

Half the questions are short, half describe a real buyer’s situation, budget and problem. The columns show how often each tool is named inside each slice, so you can see who AI recommends to a small business owner and who it recommends to an agency or consultant.

SoftwareShort questions36 answersDetailed questions35 answersSmall business asking39 answersAgency or consultant asking17 answers
Semrush94%86%87%88%
Ahrefs81%69%67%76%
SE Ranking78%60%49%94%
Mangools47%14%33%29%
Ubersuggest39%17%44%6%
BrightLocal17%29%31%24%
Moz28%9%15%6%
Keysearch8%11%5%18%
Morningscore3%6%5%0%
Seobility0%3%3%0%

Each slice has fewer answers than the headline, so a single answer moves these numbers more. Read big differences, not small ones.

Named is not the same as cited

Filled dot: share of answers that name the tool. Hollow dot: share of answers that also cite its own website as a source. The longer the line, the more AI recommends a tool while sending readers somewhere else.

0%25%50%75%100%Semrush: named in 90% of answers, own site cited in 18%SemrushAhrefs: named in 75% of answers, own site cited in 11%AhrefsSE Ranking: named in 69% of answers, own site cited in 6%SE RankingMangools: named in 31% of answers, own site cited in 3%MangoolsUbersuggest: named in 28% of answers, own site cited in 1%UbersuggestBrightLocal: named in 23% of answers, own site cited in 6%BrightLocalMoz: named in 18% of answers, own site cited in 0%MozKeysearch: named in 10% of answers, own site cited in 1%Keysearch

Which sites AI cites most

Source domains listed across the 71 SEO suites answers (236 citations in total). Blue bars are a tracked tool’s own site; grey bars are third parties.

  • semrush.comofficial site of Semrush13
  • reddit.com10
  • zapier.com9
  • ahrefs.comofficial site of Ahrefs7
  • onelittleweb.com7
  • support.google.com6
  • morningscore.ioofficial site of Morningscore6
  • google.com6
  • technologyadvice.com4
  • techradar.com4

What I asked, and how an answer becomes a number

I never ask the AI about a brand. I ask the questions a buyer types before they know which tool to pick, like “best SEO software for small businesses”. Every question goes to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, once each, with no brand names in it.

Then I read every answer and write down which tools it names. A tool named in 8 of the 72 answers has an AI visibility of 8 ÷ 72 = 11%. A tool only counts against questions in its own category, so a GEO tracker is never marked down for missing from “best SEO software”.

The questions cover different buyers on purpose: beginners, small teams, agencies, tight budgets, specific jobs. Half are short search-box questions and half are detailed, the way people actually describe their problem to ChatGPT. Below, each question lists the tracked tools its answers named.

A real answer from Google AI Mode (scrolls)

“best SEO software for small businesses”

The best SEO tool for your small business depends entirely on your current budget and growth strategy. For most small businesses, the absolute best starting option is Google Search Console, which provides direct search performance data straight from Google at zero cost. If you are ready to invest in a paid platform, Semrush is the top-tier all-in-one suite for aggressive growth, while SE Ranking and Mangools offer the best budget-friendly alternatives for beginners. Essential Free Tools (The Baseline) You do not need an expensive subscription to start ranking. Experts recommend maxing out these free tools before spending money: - Google Search Console: Best for tracking index health, technical site errors, and the exact keywords driving your organic traffic. - Google Business Profile: The foundational tool for brick-and-mortar storefronts or service area businesses to show up in Google Maps and the "Local Pack". - Google Keyword Planner: Excellent for zero-cost keyword volume research and identifying search trends. Comparison of Paid SEO Tools for Small Businesses When you need deeper competitor intelligence, backlink data, or automated tracking, a paid tool becomes necessary. Tool · Best For · Key Advantage · Starting Price Semrush · Comprehensive growth & competitive analysis · Massive keyword databases, deep competitor tracking, and a robust local SEO toolkit. · From $139.95/mo (Limited free plan available) SE Ranking · Great value on a mid-sized budget · Delivers premium core features (rank tracking, audits, competitor data) without enterprise pricing. · From $129/mo (Offers lower-tier starter plans) Mangools · Solo business owners & beginners · Incredibly clean interface with easy-to-understand metrics like keyword difficulty. · From $37.70/mo BrightLocal · Purely local & brick-and-mortar SEO · Affordable local rank tracking grids, citation audits, and review management. · From $39/mo (Estimated) Surfer · Content optimization & blogging · AI-driven content editors that tell you exactly what words to include to beat ranking competitors. · From $49/mo What the SEO Community Thinks On forums like Reddit, users have mixed opinions regarding when to jump from free to paid platforms. If you operate on a very tight budget, community consensus leans heavily toward pairing Google's free suite with cheap, hyper-focused utilities like Keywords Everywhere for browser-based research, or SERP Robot for low-cost rank tracking. - Are you trying to pull in local foot traffic (like a cafe or plumber) or national/web traffic (like an e-commerce store)? - What is your realistic monthly budget for marketing tools? - Do you have a dedicated person handling this, or are you looking for the easiest learning curve? [[0] - 10 Best SEO Tools for Small Business Growth in 2026 - Devenup Agency](https://devenup.com/blog/10-best-seo-tools-for-small-businesses) [[1] - Best SEO Tools for Small Businesses: Complete Guide for 2026](https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESdgHrOzAV8MztRv7kmBfdmu_HbxMH2RC1bR2V3c0e1JE30o9bZEGYHWnKwwKq4jarRsWX1zq4UUKomGvZ7dl-8tEOyigDob8nYUPJFYHPllayEtz76kUU_sSWrgY6YIJ508Rcx2FqqLlqsZnT-0C_e9XGO59YoB0) [[2] - The 11 Best SEO Tools in 2026 · Zapier](https://zapier.com/blog/best-seo-tools/) [[3] - Best SEO Software for Small Businesses in 2026](https://morningscore.io/best-seo-software-for-small-businesses/) [[4] - SEO Tools for Small Businesses That Deliver Results](https://rohringresults.com/cost-effective-seo-tools/) [[5] - 7 Best Local SEO Tools to Boost Your Local Rankings](https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESbAHrOzAVLZsLgXS8lfjwCta6z0pT2xopBAuVrI6WH_d2meFV0RPfb9ztVgTIAj-GSIXK-A3Jt-EAKccjenSML5JRmqjBGCGeWi39pAReVeLL68HD3jqaaBAPS6G4XtTPEqOsVckly1be6JJU5w) [[6] - 20 SEO Tools Your Small Business Needs](https://www.lendio.com/guides/seo-tools) [[7] - 17 Most Effective SEO Tools for Small Businesses](https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESggEB6zswFR30lIrFmv2eUy1yw8dnY4xrwd4VIwUAFk6Ka2zBMIEGlQv1r6qQIQvZ3floTn6pJIM4GAuPypFF8X8gXQbC36F5-b_bp-HscjwpJ_KplR-Z5x9iBNoXEC5iqWT3ynao2nty7iG47PXg9DumHBkJIEWyRO5v09cKNqS80WMK) [[8] - Best SEO tools if your company has very small budget? - Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1gekocy/best_seo_tools_if_your_company_has_very_small/) [[9] - Best Local SEO Software for Small Businesses MUST WATCH!](https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESZgHrOzAVuVgQ6_q0Ldsr7O6ta6vD3abnTUeFrfo486eMiSQUs5rSWsbIAb1Zr5L9M6mCVb6-n9t14iBLSpJqskOKk4r3ZEoQnWtqISaC5CjCyxqWaUBJEjW-ApfDI2QAwK2DxnB_cg) ...

Tools I counted from the full answer:

SemrushSE RankingMangoolsBrightLocal
ChatGPT · Gemini · Google AI Mode
  1. Small business260 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best SEO software for small businesses”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiMangoolsnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeUbersuggestnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiBrightLocalnamed by Gemini, Google AI Mode
  2. All-in-one50 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best all-in-one SEO software”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMoznamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMangoolsnamed by ChatGPT
  3. Small team

    “best SEO software for a small marketing team”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeMoznamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeMangoolsnamed by Gemini
  4. Beginner

    “easiest SEO software for beginners”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMangoolsnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeUbersuggestnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiAhrefsnamed by Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by Google AI ModeMoznamed by ChatGPT
  5. Low budget

    “affordable SEO software for small businesses”

    Ahrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeUbersuggestnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeMangoolsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiBrightLocalnamed by GeminiMoznamed by GeminiKeysearchnamed by ChatGPTMorningscorenamed by Gemini
  6. Low budget

    “best SEO tool under $100 per month”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMangoolsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiUbersuggestnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeKeysearchnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeMoznamed by ChatGPT
  7. Agency390 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best SEO software for agencies”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeBrightLocalnamed by ChatGPT
  8. Freelancer

    “best SEO software for freelancers and consultants”

    Semrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMangoolsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiUbersuggestnamed by Gemini

Each chip is a tracked tool that the answer named. The three dots are ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode: filled means that engine named it. Blue chips were named by all three. Tools are sorted by how many engines named them. A searches/mo tag is the worldwide Google search volume for that exact question. Most questions have none: buyers phrase them in many ways, and only the most common wordings register in Google’s keyword data.

Category 2 of 5

Technical SEO

14 tools with AI data, 10 tracked for search demand. 24 questions × 3 engines = 72 answers, 72 usable.

People search for the topic: website crawler 22k/mo · seo audit tool 6.6k/mo · site audit tool 2.9k/mo (worldwide Google searches)

01 · Who AI recommends

Screaming Frog is named in 89% of the 72 answers, while Semrush has the most search demand (673k/mo).

02 · Where AI and search disagree

Screaming Frog gets 26% of the AI mentions from 6% of the search demand (+20 pts). The reverse: Semrush (-41 pts).

03 · Detail changes the answer

Botify is named in 31% of answers to short questions but 6% when the buyer describes their business, budget and problem.

04 · Engines disagree

Sitebulb is named in 75% of Gemini answers but 42% of Google AI Mode answers, so no single engine tells the whole story.

Who has the most search demand?

Estimated searches per month

  • Semrush673k
  • Ahrefs301k
  • Screaming Frog74k
  • SE Ranking74k
  • Botify18k
  • Seobility18k

Who is gaining or losing attention?

Search change, last 3 months vs the 3 before

  • SE Ranking+15%
  • Botify+6%
  • Screaming Frog-7%
  • Semrush-13%
  • Seobility-18%
  • Sitechecker-28%

Who does AI recommend?

Named in this share of the 72 answers

  • Screaming Frog89%
  • Sitebulb58%
  • Semrush56%
  • Ahrefs49%
  • Lumar25%
  • JetOctopus22%

Technical SEO leaderboard

Ranked by TMB AI Visibility. Search demand and its trend sit beside it, and the detail columns are there when you want the reasoning behind a rank.

Main signalsMore detail
#SoftwareSearches/moSearch trendTMB AI VisibilityAI Share of VoiceOwn site citedAI vs Search
1Screaming Frog74k▼ 7%89%26%19%+20
2Sitebulb5.4k▲ 0%58%17%11%+16
3Semrush673k▼ 13%56%16%10%-41
4Ahrefs301k▼ 7%49%14%6%-12
5Lumarn/dn/d25%7%3%n/a
6JetOctopus720▼ 7%22%6%3%+6
7SE Ranking74k▲ 15%18%6%1%-1
8Botify18k▲ 6%18%5%0%+3
9Oncrawln/dn/d7%2%1%n/a
10Sitechecker6.6k▼ 28%1%0%0%0
11Seobility18k▼ 18%1%0%0%-1
12Alli AIn/dn/d0%0%0%n/a
13Crawly*n/dn/d0%0%0%n/a
14Seodisias100%0%0%0

* name can mean something else, only qualified searches are counted, so its demand is a floor and its AI vs Search figure is not shown. TMB AI Visibility is measured on the TMB benchmark of fixed buyer questions, not across all ChatGPT or Gemini users.

Named by AI but not tracked here

Tools that answers list in bold and that are not in my tracked set (counted in 2 or more answers, a rough text match):

SEOptimer 4 answersContentKing 2 answers

Search demand against TMB AI Visibility

Where the two disagree is the interesting part. Top left: AI recommends it although few people search for it by name. Bottom right: lots of people search for it, but AI rarely names it.

AI favourite, little search demandSearched for and recommendedQuiet on bothSearched for, rarely recommended0%25%50%75%100%101001.0k10k100k1.0MSearch demand (estimated searches per month, log scale)TMB AI VisibilityScreaming Frog: 74k searches/mo, AI visibility 89%Sitebulb: 5.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 58%Semrush: 673k searches/mo, AI visibility 56%Ahrefs: 301k searches/mo, AI visibility 49%JetOctopus: 720 searches/mo, AI visibility 22%SE Ranking: 74k searches/mo, AI visibility 18%Botify: 18k searches/mo, AI visibility 18%Sitechecker: 6.6k searches/mo, AI visibility 1%Seobility: 18k searches/mo, AI visibility 1%Seodisias: 10 searches/mo, AI visibility 0%Screaming FrogSitebulbSemrushAhrefsJetOctopusSE RankingBotifySitecheckerSeobilitySeodisias

Dashed lines: the median demand and the median TMB AI Visibility of the tools shown, so the corners read as above or below the typical tool here. Icons that would overlap are nudged sideways a few pixels. Dashed orange ring and * = the name can mean something else, so only qualified searches are counted and its true position is probably further right. Not plotted, no demand data: Lumar, Oncrawl, Alli AI, Crawly.

AI recommends it more than its search demand predicts

  • Screaming Frog: 6% of the demand, 26% of the AI mentions (+20 pts)
  • Sitebulb: 0% of the demand, 17% of the AI mentions (+16 pts)
  • JetOctopus: 0% of the demand, 6% of the AI mentions (+6 pts)

Searched for far more than AI recommends it

  • Semrush: 57% of the demand, 16% of the AI mentions (-41 pts)
  • Ahrefs: 26% of the demand, 14% of the AI mentions (-12 pts)

Where the three engines agree and disagree

Share of answers naming each tool, per engine. The spread column is the gap between the highest and the lowest engine.

SoftwareChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI ModeAverageSpread
Screaming Frog92%88%88%89%4 pts
Sitebulb58%75%42%58%33 pts
Semrush50%63%54%56%13 pts
Ahrefs50%63%33%49%29 pts
Lumar17%46%13%25%33 pts
JetOctopus33%25%8%22%25 pts
SE Ranking8%17%29%18%21 pts
Botify8%33%13%18%25 pts
Oncrawl4%8%8%7%4 pts
Sitechecker0%0%4%1%4 pts
Seobility4%0%0%1%4 pts
Alli AI0%0%0%0%0 pts
Crawly0%0%0%0%0 pts
Seodisias0%0%0%0%0 pts

Does a detailed question change the answer?

Half the questions are short, half describe a real buyer’s situation, budget and problem. The columns show how often each tool is named inside each slice, so you can see who AI recommends to a small business owner and who it recommends to an agency or consultant.

SoftwareShort questions36 answersDetailed questions36 answersSmall business asking24 answersAgency or consultant asking12 answers
Screaming Frog97%81%75%100%
Sitebulb64%53%46%92%
Semrush67%44%50%75%
Ahrefs58%39%46%42%
Lumar36%14%0%42%
JetOctopus33%11%0%33%
SE Ranking25%11%25%50%
Botify31%6%0%17%
Oncrawl14%0%0%0%
Sitechecker0%3%4%0%
Seobility3%0%4%0%
Alli AI0%0%0%0%
Crawly0%0%0%0%
Seodisias0%0%0%0%

Each slice has fewer answers than the headline, so a single answer moves these numbers more. Read big differences, not small ones.

Named is not the same as cited

Filled dot: share of answers that name the tool. Hollow dot: share of answers that also cite its own website as a source. The longer the line, the more AI recommends a tool while sending readers somewhere else.

0%25%50%75%100%Screaming Frog: named in 89% of answers, own site cited in 19%Screaming FrogSitebulb: named in 58% of answers, own site cited in 11%SitebulbSemrush: named in 56% of answers, own site cited in 10%SemrushAhrefs: named in 49% of answers, own site cited in 6%AhrefsLumar: named in 25% of answers, own site cited in 3%LumarJetOctopus: named in 22% of answers, own site cited in 3%JetOctopusSE Ranking: named in 18% of answers, own site cited in 1%SE RankingBotify: named in 18% of answers, own site cited in 0%Botify

Which sites AI cites most

Source domains listed across the 72 Technical SEO answers (228 citations in total). Blue bars are a tracked tool’s own site; grey bars are third parties.

  • screamingfrog.co.ukofficial site of Screaming Frog14
  • zapier.com11
  • semrush.comofficial site of Semrush8
  • sitebulb.comofficial site of Sitebulb8
  • theseodesk.com5
  • barracudaseo.com5
  • onelittleweb.com5
  • ahrefs.comofficial site of Ahrefs4
  • reddit.com4
  • shila.so3

What I asked, and how an answer becomes a number

I never ask the AI about a brand. I ask the questions a buyer types before they know which tool to pick, like “best technical SEO audit tool”. Every question goes to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, once each, with no brand names in it.

Then I read every answer and write down which tools it names. A tool named in 8 of the 72 answers has an AI visibility of 8 ÷ 72 = 11%. A tool only counts against questions in its own category, so a GEO tracker is never marked down for missing from “best SEO software”.

The questions cover different buyers on purpose: beginners, small teams, agencies, tight budgets, specific jobs. Half are short search-box questions and half are detailed, the way people actually describe their problem to ChatGPT. Below, each question lists the tracked tools its answers named.

A real answer from Google AI Mode (scrolls)

“best technical SEO audit tool”

When it comes to technical SEO audits, there isn't a single "best" tool because the right choice depends on your site’s size, your budget, and whether you prefer a desktop crawler or a cloud-based suite. The top technical SEO audit tools are categorized below by their core strengths: - Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Best for Deep, Granular Technical Audits) - The gold standard desktop crawler. It crawls millions of URLs like a search engine would, uncovering broken links, redirect chains, canonical errors, and missing meta data. It offers a free tier (up to 500 URLs) and an annual license that is unmatched for raw diagnostic power. - Semrush Site Audit (Best All-in-One Platform) - Excellent for continuous, cloud-based monitoring. It categorizes issues by severity (errors, warnings, notices), tracks health scores over time, and integrates smoothly with on-page data, keyword tracking, and backlink profiles. - Sitebulb (Best for Visual Site Architecture) - A desktop crawler that stands out for its visual reporting. It translates complex crawl data into intuitive graphs, node diagrams of site architecture, and prioritized hints on how to fix structural bottlenecks. - Lumar (formerly DeepCrawl) (Best for Enterprise-Scale Sites) - Built for massive, enterprise-level websites with millions of pages. It handles heavy JavaScript rendering, advanced log file analysis, and deep scalability monitoring faster and more stably than standard tools. - Google Search Console (Best Free Baseline Tool) - Indispensable and 100% free. While it isn’t a traditional crawler, it shows you real indexing errors, core Web Vitals performance, mobile usability issues, and explicit security/manual actions straight from Google. - What is the approximate size of the website (number of pages)? - Are you looking for a free tool, desktop software, or a cloud suite? [[0] - Best SEO Audit Tools Backed by 1,200+ Website Tests](https://onelittleweb.com/top-tools/best-seo-audit-tools-2/) [[1] - 10 best SEO audit tools for 2026 (tested) - HubSpot Community](https://community.hubspot.com/t/10-best-seo-audit-tools-for-2026-tested/149826/4) [[2] - The 10 Best SEO Audit Tools in 2026 · Zapier](https://zapier.com/blog/best-seo-audit-tools/) [[3] - 15 Best SEO Audit Companies in 2026 · NEWMEDIA.COM](https://newmedia.com/blog/best-seo-audit-companies)

Tools I counted from the full answer:

Screaming FrogSemrushSitebulbLumar
ChatGPT · Gemini · Google AI Mode
  1. General

    “best technical SEO audit tool”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeLumarnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiJetOctopusnamed by ChatGPT
  2. Crawler

    “best website crawler for SEO”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiLumarnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeJetOctopusnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiBotifynamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeOncrawlnamed by Google AI Mode
  3. Small business

    “best technical SEO tool for small businesses”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiSE Rankingnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by Gemini
  4. Beginner

    “easiest technical SEO audit tool for beginners”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiSemrushnamed by ChatGPTSE Rankingnamed by Google AI Mode
  5. Low budget

    “affordable SEO site audit software”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiSE Rankingnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by GeminiSeobilitynamed by ChatGPT
  6. Free

    “best free website crawler for SEO audits”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by Gemini, Google AI Mode
  7. Agency

    “best technical SEO audit tool for agencies”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiAhrefsnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeSE Rankingnamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeLumarnamed by GeminiJetOctopusnamed by ChatGPT
  8. Freelancer

    “best SEO crawler for freelance SEO consultants”

    Screaming Frognamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSitebulbnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSemrushnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAhrefsnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeLumarnamed by GeminiJetOctopusnamed by GeminiSE Rankingnamed by Google AI ModeBotifynamed by Gemini

Each chip is a tracked tool that the answer named. The three dots are ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode: filled means that engine named it. Blue chips were named by all three. Tools are sorted by how many engines named them. A searches/mo tag is the worldwide Google search volume for that exact question. Most questions have none: buyers phrase them in many ways, and only the most common wordings register in Google’s keyword data.

Category 3 of 5

GEO / AI visibility

12 tools with AI data, 36 tracked for search demand. 24 questions × 3 engines = 72 answers, 72 usable.

People search for the topic: ai visibility tools 2.4k/mo · generative engine optimization tools 1.3k/mo · ai search visibility 880/mo (worldwide Google searches)

01 · Who AI recommends

Otterly.AI is named in 82% of the 72 answers, while Peec AI has the most search demand (18k/mo).

02 · Where AI and search disagree

Otterly.AI gets 36% of the AI mentions from 12% of the search demand (+24 pts). The reverse: Peec AI (-28 pts).

03 · Detail changes the answer

Profound is named in 58% of answers to short questions but 25% when the buyer describes their business, budget and problem.

04 · Engines disagree

Profound is named in 54% of Gemini answers but 29% of Google AI Mode answers, so no single engine tells the whole story.

Who has the most search demand?

Estimated searches per month

  • Peec AI18k
  • Otterly.AI4.4k
  • Scrunch AI3.6k
  • PromptWatch3.6k
  • AthenaHQ2.4k
  • Conductor920*

Who is gaining or losing attention?

Search change, last 3 months vs the 3 before

  • Peec AI+40%
  • Otterly.AI+21%
  • Profound+18%
  • Conductor+11%
  • AthenaHQ-6%
  • SE Visible-17%
  • Rankshift-28%

Who does AI recommend?

Named in this share of the 72 answers

  • Otterly.AI82%
  • Peec AI53%
  • Profound42%
  • Scrunch AI17%
  • AthenaHQ14%
  • Rankscale6%

GEO / AI visibility leaderboard

Ranked by TMB AI Visibility. Search demand and its trend sit beside it, and the detail columns are there when you want the reasoning behind a rank.

Main signalsMore detail
#SoftwareSearches/moSearch trendTMB AI VisibilityAI Share of VoiceOwn site citedAI vs Search
1Otterly.AI4.4k▲ 21%82%36%28%+24
2Peec AI18k▲ 40%53%23%10%-28
3Profound*280▲ 18%42%18%14%n/a
4Scrunch AI3.6k▲ 7%17%7%1%-3
5AthenaHQ2.4k▼ 6%14%6%1%-1
6Rankscalen/dn/d6%2%3%n/a
7Conductor*920▲ 11%6%2%1%n/a
8Goodie*n/dn/d6%2%0%n/a
9PromptWatch3.6k▲ 9%4%2%0%-8
10LLM Pulse880▲ 0%3%1%0%-1
11SE Visible590▼ 17%3%1%1%0
12Rankshift720▼ 28%0%0%0%-2

* name can mean something else, only qualified searches are counted, so its demand is a floor and its AI vs Search figure is not shown. TMB AI Visibility is measured on the TMB benchmark of fixed buyer questions, not across all ChatGPT or Gemini users.

Named by AI but not tracked here

Tools that answers list in bold and that are not in my tracked set (counted in 2 or more answers, a rough text match):

ZipTie 7 answersYext Scout 2 answersLocal Falcon 2 answersZipTie.dev 2 answers

Search demand against TMB AI Visibility

Where the two disagree is the interesting part. Top left: AI recommends it although few people search for it by name. Bottom right: lots of people search for it, but AI rarely names it.

AI favourite, little search demandSearched for and recommendedQuiet on bothSearched for, rarely recommended0%25%50%75%100%1001.0k10k100kSearch demand (estimated searches per month, log scale)TMB AI VisibilityOtterly.AI: 4.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 82%Peec AI: 18k searches/mo, AI visibility 53%Profound: 280 searches/mo (qualified searches only, name can mean something else), AI visibility 42%Scrunch AI: 3.6k searches/mo, AI visibility 17%AthenaHQ: 2.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 14%Conductor: 920 searches/mo (qualified searches only, name can mean something else), AI visibility 6%PromptWatch: 3.6k searches/mo, AI visibility 4%SE Visible: 590 searches/mo, AI visibility 3%LLM Pulse: 880 searches/mo, AI visibility 3%Rankshift: 720 searches/mo, AI visibility 0%Otterly.AIPeec AIProfound*Scrunch AIAthenaHQConductor*PromptWatchSE VisibleLLM PulseRankshift

Dashed lines: the median demand and the median TMB AI Visibility of the tools shown, so the corners read as above or below the typical tool here. Icons that would overlap are nudged sideways a few pixels. Dashed orange ring and * = the name can mean something else, so only qualified searches are counted and its true position is probably further right. Not plotted, no demand data: Rankscale, Goodie.

AI recommends it more than its search demand predicts

  • Otterly.AI: 12% of the demand, 36% of the AI mentions (+24 pts)

Searched for far more than AI recommends it

  • Peec AI: 51% of the demand, 23% of the AI mentions (-28 pts)
  • PromptWatch: 10% of the demand, 2% of the AI mentions (-8 pts)
  • Scrunch AI: 10% of the demand, 7% of the AI mentions (-3 pts)

Where the three engines agree and disagree

Share of answers naming each tool, per engine. The spread column is the gap between the highest and the lowest engine.

SoftwareChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI ModeAverageSpread
Otterly.AI75%83%88%82%13 pts
Peec AI67%50%42%53%25 pts
Profound42%54%29%42%25 pts
Scrunch AI17%21%13%17%8 pts
AthenaHQ13%25%4%14%21 pts
Rankscale8%4%4%6%4 pts
Conductor4%13%0%6%13 pts
Goodie0%13%4%6%13 pts
PromptWatch4%4%4%4%0 pts
LLM Pulse0%8%0%3%8 pts
SE Visible0%4%4%3%4 pts
Rankshift0%0%0%0%0 pts

Does a detailed question change the answer?

Half the questions are short, half describe a real buyer’s situation, budget and problem. The columns show how often each tool is named inside each slice, so you can see who AI recommends to a small business owner and who it recommends to an agency or consultant.

SoftwareShort questions36 answersDetailed questions36 answersSmall business asking27 answersAgency or consultant asking15 answers
Otterly.AI86%78%93%80%
Peec AI67%39%44%67%
Profound58%25%19%40%
Scrunch AI25%8%7%7%
AthenaHQ17%11%11%7%
Rankscale8%3%15%0%
Conductor3%8%0%20%
Goodie8%3%0%0%
PromptWatch6%3%4%0%
LLM Pulse3%3%0%7%
SE Visible3%3%4%7%
Rankshift0%0%0%0%

Each slice has fewer answers than the headline, so a single answer moves these numbers more. Read big differences, not small ones.

Named is not the same as cited

Filled dot: share of answers that name the tool. Hollow dot: share of answers that also cite its own website as a source. The longer the line, the more AI recommends a tool while sending readers somewhere else.

0%25%50%75%100%Otterly.AI: named in 82% of answers, own site cited in 28%Otterly.AIPeec AI: named in 53% of answers, own site cited in 10%Peec AIProfound: named in 42% of answers, own site cited in 14%ProfoundScrunch AI: named in 17% of answers, own site cited in 1%Scrunch AIAthenaHQ: named in 14% of answers, own site cited in 1%AthenaHQRankscale: named in 6% of answers, own site cited in 3%RankscaleConductor: named in 6% of answers, own site cited in 1%ConductorGoodie: named in 6% of answers, own site cited in 0%Goodie

Which sites AI cites most

Source domains listed across the 72 GEO / AI visibility answers (296 citations in total). Blue bars are a tracked tool’s own site; grey bars are third parties.

  • otterly.aiofficial site of Otterly.AI16
  • zapier.com15
  • semrush.com14
  • reddit.com12
  • google.com12
  • tryprofound.comofficial site of Profound11
  • technologyadvice.com9
  • peec.aiofficial site of Peec AI7
  • measure.co6
  • help.otterly.aiofficial site of Otterly.AI6

What I asked, and how an answer becomes a number

I never ask the AI about a brand. I ask the questions a buyer types before they know which tool to pick, like “best AI visibility software”. Every question goes to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, once each, with no brand names in it.

Then I read every answer and write down which tools it names. A tool named in 8 of the 72 answers has an AI visibility of 8 ÷ 72 = 11%. A tool only counts against questions in its own category, so a GEO tracker is never marked down for missing from “best SEO software”.

The questions cover different buyers on purpose: beginners, small teams, agencies, tight budgets, specific jobs. Half are short search-box questions and half are detailed, the way people actually describe their problem to ChatGPT. Below, each question lists the tracked tools its answers named.

A real answer from Google AI Mode (scrolls)

“best AI visibility software”

AI visibility software - often tied to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or AI Engine Optimization (AEO) - tracks how your brand, products, or links appear within responses from LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. The top-rated AI visibility and tracking platforms on the market fall into distinct categories depending on your budget and workflow needs: Top Dedicated AI Visibility & GEO Tools 1. - Best for: Budget-friendly and entry-level tracking. - Core features: Prompt tracking, citation detection, backlink analysis, and competitor visibility. - Pricing: Starts around $29/month. 2. Best for: Budget-friendly and entry-level tracking. 3. Core features: Prompt tracking, citation detection, backlink analysis, and competitor visibility. 4. Pricing: Starts around $29/month. 5. - Best for: Clean, modern user interface and smart optimization suggestions. - Core features: Tracks prompt performance, model citations, and competitor movements with smooth reporting. - Pricing: Starts around $95/month. 6. Best for: Clean, modern user interface and smart optimization suggestions. 7. Core features: Tracks prompt performance, model citations, and competitor movements with smooth reporting. 8. Pricing: Starts around $95/month. 9. - Best for: Deep analytics and granular reporting. - Core features: Comprehensive share-of-voice metrics and deep-dive conversation tracking across major AI engines. - Pricing: Starts around $35.63/month. 10. Best for: Deep analytics and granular reporting. 11. Core features: Comprehensive share-of-voice metrics and deep-dive conversation tracking across major AI engines. 12. Pricing: Starts around $35.63/month. Best Integrated SEO & AI Toolkits 1. - Best for: Marketers already utilizing a traditional SEO workflow. - Core features: Combines classic SEO metrics with AI prompt tracking, brand sentiment analysis, and competitor benchmarking. - Pricing: Starts around $99/month. 2. Best for: Marketers already utilizing a traditional SEO workflow. 3. Core features: Combines classic SEO metrics with AI prompt tracking, brand sentiment analysis, and competitor benchmarking. 4. Pricing: Starts around $99/month. 5. - Best for: Large-scale data benchmarking and tracking massive visibility datasets. - Pricing: Starts around $199/month. 6. Best for: Large-scale data benchmarking and tracking massive visibility datasets. 7. Pricing: Starts around $199/month. Action-Oriented & Content Platforms 1. - Best for: Teams looking to couple visibility tracking directly with content creation and actionable fix workflows. 2. Best for: Teams looking to couple visibility tracking directly with content creation and actionable fix workflows. (Note: User discussions on platforms like Reddit's r/GEO_optimization note that while the space is evolving rapidly, some tools function mostly as basic prompt monitors, so choosing a platform with actionable source-tracing is key.) - What is your monthly budget? - Are you looking strictly for monitoring/tracking, or do you need content creation and optimization features built-in? [[0] - Best GEO Tools for Tracking AI Search Visibility? : r/GEO_optimization](https://www.reddit.com/r/GEO_optimization/comments/1qxemvt/best_geo_tools_for_tracking_ai_search_visibility/) [[1] - The 9 best AI visibility tools in 2026 · Zapier](https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-visibility-tool/) [[2] - Guide to AI Brand Visibility Tracking Tools in 2026 : r/SaaS - Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/SaaS/comments/1vo4r4a/guide_to_ai_brand_visibility_tracking_tools_in/) [[3] - Best SEO / AI Visibility Tools (2026)](https://www.stylefactoryproductions.com/blog/best-seo-ai-visibility-tools) [[4] - Best AI Visibility Tools / Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in 2026](https://www.reddit.com/r/b2bmarketing/comments/1qb1n8h/best_ai_visibility_tools_generative_engine/)

Tools I counted from the full answer:

none of the tracked tools
ChatGPT · Gemini · Google AI Mode
  1. General

    “best AI visibility software”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, GeminiPeec AInamed by ChatGPT, GeminiProfoundnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiScrunch AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini
  2. General

    “best GEO software”

    Peec AInamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeGoodienamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeOtterly.AInamed by GeminiProfoundnamed by GeminiScrunch AInamed by GeminiAthenaHQnamed by Gemini
  3. ChatGPT tracking

    “best ChatGPT visibility tracker”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModePeec AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeProfoundnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeAthenaHQnamed by GeminiLLM Pulsenamed by Gemini
  4. Brand tracking

    “best software for tracking brand visibility in AI search”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeProfoundnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModePeec AInamed by ChatGPT, Google AI Mode
  5. Brand tracking

    “best AI search monitoring tools”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeScrunch AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeProfoundnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiAthenaHQnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiPeec AInamed by ChatGPT
  6. Small business

    “best AI visibility tool for small businesses”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModePeec AInamed by Gemini, Google AI Mode
  7. Low budget

    “affordable AI search visibility tracker”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeRankscalenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModePeec AInamed by ChatGPT, GeminiPromptWatchnamed by Gemini
  8. Agency

    “best AI visibility tracking tool for agencies”

    Otterly.AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModePeec AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeProfoundnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini

Each chip is a tracked tool that the answer named. The three dots are ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode: filled means that engine named it. Blue chips were named by all three. Tools are sorted by how many engines named them. A searches/mo tag is the worldwide Google search volume for that exact question. Most questions have none: buyers phrase them in many ways, and only the most common wordings register in Google’s keyword data.

Category 4 of 5

SEO autopilot

13 tools with AI data, 20 tracked for search demand. 24 questions × 3 engines = 72 answers, 72 usable.

People search for the topic: ai seo tools 5.4k/mo · automated seo 4.4k/mo · ai blog writer 1.6k/mo (worldwide Google searches)

01 · Who AI recommends

Koala AI is named in 24% of the 72 answers, while AutoSEO has the most search demand (2.9k/mo).

02 · Where AI and search disagree

RankYak gets 6% of the AI mentions from 2% of the search demand (+4 pts). The reverse: AutoSEO (-23 pts).

03 · Detail changes the answer

BlogSEO is named in 0% of answers to short questions but 11% when the buyer describes their business, budget and problem.

04 · Engines disagree

RankYak is named in 13% of Gemini answers but 0% of ChatGPT answers, so no single engine tells the whole story.

Who has the most search demand?

Estimated searches per month

  • AutoSEO2.9k
  • Arvow2.9k
  • BabyLoveGrowth2.4k
  • RankPill2.4k
  • SEObot1.0k
  • Distribb390

Who is gaining or losing attention?

Search change, last 3 months vs the 3 before

  • Distribb+310%
  • AutoSEO+44%
  • BabyLoveGrowth+30%
  • RankPill+23%
  • Outrank-6%
  • SEObot-27%
  • RankYak-43%

Who does AI recommend?

Named in this share of the 72 answers

  • Koala AI24%
  • BlogSEO6%
  • Arvow6%
  • RankYak4%
  • SEObot4%
  • TheStacc4%

SEO autopilot leaderboard

Ranked by TMB AI Visibility. Search demand and its trend sit beside it, and the detail columns are there when you want the reasoning behind a rank.

Main signalsMore detail
#SoftwareSearches/moSearch trendTMB AI VisibilityAI Share of VoiceOwn site citedAI vs Search
1Koala AIn/dn/d24%48%3%n/a
2BlogSEO*n/dn/d6%10%3%n/a
3Arvow2.9k▲ 10%6%13%1%-10
4RankYak260▼ 43%4%6%0%+4
5SEObot1.0k▼ 27%4%6%0%-2
6TheStaccn/dn/d4%9%4%n/a
7SEO.ain/dn/d3%4%0%n/a
8Outrank*370▼ 6%1%2%0%n/a
9Distribb390▲ 310%1%2%1%-1
10Soro*n/dn/d0%0%0%n/a
11BabyLoveGrowth2.4k▲ 30%0%0%0%-19
12RankPill2.4k▲ 23%0%0%0%-19
13AutoSEO2.9k▲ 44%0%0%0%-23

* name can mean something else, only qualified searches are counted, so its demand is a floor and its AI vs Search figure is not shown. TMB AI Visibility is measured on the TMB benchmark of fixed buyer questions, not across all ChatGPT or Gemini users.

Only 38 mentions of the tracked tools across 72 answers, so the shares in this category swing a lot on a single mention. Read the ranking order, not the exact percentages.

Named by AI but not tracked here

Tools that answers list in bold and that are not in my tracked set (counted in 2 or more answers, a rough text match):

Surfer SEO 9 answersFrase 7 answersByword 7 answersSEOWriting.ai 4 answersJasper 3 answersSEOwind 3 answersAirOps 2 answersFrizerly 2 answers

Search demand against TMB AI Visibility

Where the two disagree is the interesting part. Top left: AI recommends it although few people search for it by name. Bottom right: lots of people search for it, but AI rarely names it.

AI favourite, little search demandSearched for and recommendedQuiet on bothSearched for, rarely recommended0%5%10%15%20%25%1001.0k10kSearch demand (estimated searches per month, log scale)TMB AI VisibilityArvow: 2.9k searches/mo, AI visibility 6%RankYak: 260 searches/mo, AI visibility 4%SEObot: 1.0k searches/mo, AI visibility 4%Outrank: 370 searches/mo (qualified searches only, name can mean something else), AI visibility 1%Distribb: 390 searches/mo, AI visibility 1%BabyLoveGrowth: 2.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 0%RankPill: 2.4k searches/mo, AI visibility 0%AutoSEO: 2.9k searches/mo, AI visibility 0%ArvowRankYakSEObotOutrank*DistribbBabyLoveGrowthRankPillAutoSEO

Dashed lines: the median demand and the median TMB AI Visibility of the tools shown, so the corners read as above or below the typical tool here. Icons that would overlap are nudged sideways a few pixels. Dashed orange ring and * = the name can mean something else, so only qualified searches are counted and its true position is probably further right. Not plotted, no demand data: BlogSEO, Soro, TheStacc, SEO.ai, Koala AI.

AI recommends it more than its search demand predicts

  • RankYak: 2% of the demand, 6% of the AI mentions (+4 pts)

Searched for far more than AI recommends it

  • AutoSEO: 23% of the demand, 0% of the AI mentions (-23 pts)
  • RankPill: 19% of the demand, 0% of the AI mentions (-19 pts)
  • BabyLoveGrowth: 19% of the demand, 0% of the AI mentions (-19 pts)

Where the three engines agree and disagree

Share of answers naming each tool, per engine. The spread column is the gap between the highest and the lowest engine.

SoftwareChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI ModeAverageSpread
Koala AI25%21%25%24%4 pts
BlogSEO4%8%4%6%4 pts
Arvow8%0%8%6%8 pts
RankYak0%13%0%4%13 pts
SEObot0%13%0%4%13 pts
TheStacc8%0%4%4%8 pts
SEO.ai0%8%0%3%8 pts
Outrank0%4%0%1%4 pts
Distribb0%4%0%1%4 pts
Soro0%0%0%0%0 pts
BabyLoveGrowth0%0%0%0%0 pts
RankPill0%0%0%0%0 pts
AutoSEO0%0%0%0%0 pts

Does a detailed question change the answer?

Half the questions are short, half describe a real buyer’s situation, budget and problem. The columns show how often each tool is named inside each slice, so you can see who AI recommends to a small business owner and who it recommends to an agency or consultant.

SoftwareShort questions36 answersDetailed questions36 answersSmall business asking42 answersAgency or consultant asking9 answers
Koala AI28%19%21%22%
BlogSEO0%11%7%0%
Arvow6%6%7%11%
RankYak6%3%2%0%
SEObot3%6%2%0%
TheStacc6%3%5%0%
SEO.ai3%3%5%0%
Outrank3%0%0%0%
Distribb0%3%0%0%
Soro0%0%0%0%
BabyLoveGrowth0%0%0%0%
RankPill0%0%0%0%
AutoSEO0%0%0%0%

Each slice has fewer answers than the headline, so a single answer moves these numbers more. Read big differences, not small ones.

Named is not the same as cited

Filled dot: share of answers that name the tool. Hollow dot: share of answers that also cite its own website as a source. The longer the line, the more AI recommends a tool while sending readers somewhere else.

0%25%50%75%100%Koala AI: named in 24% of answers, own site cited in 3%Koala AIBlogSEO: named in 6% of answers, own site cited in 3%BlogSEOArvow: named in 6% of answers, own site cited in 1%ArvowRankYak: named in 4% of answers, own site cited in 0%RankYakSEObot: named in 4% of answers, own site cited in 0%SEObotTheStacc: named in 4% of answers, own site cited in 4%TheStaccSEO.ai: named in 3% of answers, own site cited in 0%SEO.aiOutrank: named in 1% of answers, own site cited in 0%Outrank

Which sites AI cites most

Source domains listed across the 72 SEO autopilot answers (235 citations in total). Blue bars are a tracked tool’s own site; grey bars are third parties.

  • reddit.com10
  • autoblogging.ai9
  • eesel.ai8
  • google.com7
  • get-ryze.ai5
  • blawgy.com5
  • thestacc.comofficial site of TheStacc4
  • frase.io4
  • docs.surferseo.com4
  • wordpress.org4

What I asked, and how an answer becomes a number

I never ask the AI about a brand. I ask the questions a buyer types before they know which tool to pick, like “best SEO autopilot software”. Every question goes to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, once each, with no brand names in it.

Then I read every answer and write down which tools it names. A tool named in 8 of the 72 answers has an AI visibility of 8 ÷ 72 = 11%. A tool only counts against questions in its own category, so a GEO tracker is never marked down for missing from “best SEO software”.

The questions cover different buyers on purpose: beginners, small teams, agencies, tight budgets, specific jobs. Half are short search-box questions and half are detailed, the way people actually describe their problem to ChatGPT. Below, each question lists the tracked tools its answers named.

A real answer from Google AI Mode (scrolls)

“best SEO autopilot software”

The top-performing solutions for automated and "set-it-and-forget-it" workflows include Rankpilot, AirOps, and RankRobin.io, which streamline everything from content generation to technical oversight. The best tools for automated or autopilot SEO vary by budget and required depth: 1. Rankpilot (Best for Affordable All-in-One Automation) - Core Focus: Combines automated content generation, direct publishing, and backlink exchange features. - Why it stands out: It is tailored for small businesses or lean teams looking to minimize the manual grind of outreach and content workflows without paying hundreds of dollars a month for enterprise suites. 2. AirOps (Best for Scaling Enterprise Workflows) - Core Focus: Advanced, customizable AI workflows and operational scaling for larger teams. - Why it stands out: Recommended by growth managers handling substantial scale, it allows heavy customization across data analysis, content operations, and programmatic SEO execution. 3. RankRobin.io (Best for Hands-off Content Publishing) - Core Focus: Automated keyword research, content planning, and daily article publishing. - Why it stands out: It acts as a dedicated engine for maintaining a consistent publishing cadence without manual intervention. 4. OpenSEO + DataforSEO API (Best Budget & Technical Option) - Core Focus: Open-source architecture hosted via GitHub combined with data APIs. - Why it stands out: As discussed on Reddit, power users set up cron jobs with this combination to handle heavy analytics and automated content creation at a fraction of commercial costs. - What is your monthly budget? - Are you looking to automate content creation and publishing or technical audits and tracking? [[0] - What SEO tasks can realistically be automated in 2026? Tools ...](https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1rjtgnz/what_seo_tasks_can_realistically_be_automated_in/) [[1] - What's the best SEO autopilot tool in 2026/2027?](https://www.reddit.com/r/GrowthHacking/comments/1x5kd3i/whats_the_best_seo_autopilot_tool_in_20262027/)

Tools I counted from the full answer:

none of the tracked tools
ChatGPT · Gemini · Google AI Mode
  1. General

    “best SEO autopilot software”

    RankYaknamed by GeminiSEObotnamed by Gemini
  2. Auto-publishing

    “best AI tool that writes and publishes SEO blog posts automatically”

    Koala AInamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeTheStaccnamed by ChatGPTOutranknamed by Gemini
  3. Small business

    “best automated SEO content tool for small businesses”

    SEO.ainamed by Gemini
  4. Beginner

    “best SEO autopilot tool for beginners”

    Koala AInamed by ChatGPTArvownamed by ChatGPT
  5. Low budget

    “affordable AI blog automation software”

    Koala AInamed by ChatGPT, Google AI Mode
  6. WordPress

    “best AI SEO tool that publishes to WordPress automatically”

    Koala AInamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeTheStaccnamed by ChatGPT
  7. Agency

    “best SEO content automation platform for agencies”

    Arvownamed by Google AI Mode
  8. End to end

    “best AI blog writer that handles keyword research and publishing”

    Koala AInamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode

Each chip is a tracked tool that the answer named. The three dots are ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode: filled means that engine named it. Blue chips were named by all three. Tools are sorted by how many engines named them. A searches/mo tag is the worldwide Google search volume for that exact question. Most questions have none: buyers phrase them in many ways, and only the most common wordings register in Google’s keyword data.

Category 5 of 5

Email marketing

20 tools with AI data, 14 tracked for search demand. 24 questions × 3 engines = 72 answers, 72 usable.

People search for the topic: email marketing software 301k/mo · email marketing platforms 50k/mo · email marketing tools 15k/mo (worldwide Google searches)

01 · Who AI recommends

MailerLite is named in 69% of the 72 answers, while Mailchimp has the most search demand (1.2M/mo).

02 · Where AI and search disagree

MailerLite gets 17% of the AI mentions from 8% of the search demand (+9 pts). The reverse: Mailchimp (-27 pts).

03 · Detail changes the answer

ActiveCampaign is named in 53% of answers to short questions but 25% when the buyer describes their business, budget and problem.

04 · Engines disagree

Omnisend is named in 38% of Gemini answers but 8% of ChatGPT answers, so no single engine tells the whole story.

Who has the most search demand?

Estimated searches per month

  • Mailchimp1.2M
  • Brevo550k
  • Constant Contact301k
  • Klaviyo301k
  • MailerLite246k
  • ActiveCampaign91k

Who is gaining or losing attention?

Search change, last 3 months vs the 3 before

  • Brevo+6%
  • Mailchimp-18%
  • Selzy-19%
  • Moosend-24%
  • HubSpot-37%

Who does AI recommend?

Named in this share of the 72 answers

  • MailerLite69%
  • Brevo64%
  • Mailchimp47%
  • ActiveCampaign39%
  • Klaviyo35%
  • Kit29%

Email marketing leaderboard

Ranked by TMB AI Visibility. Search demand and its trend sit beside it, and the detail columns are there when you want the reasoning behind a rank.

Main signalsMore detail
#SoftwareSearches/moSearch trendTMB AI VisibilityAI Share of VoiceOwn site citedAI vs Search
1MailerLite246k▲ 0%69%17%18%+9
2Brevo550k▲ 6%64%16%18%-2
3Mailchimp1.2M▼ 18%47%12%13%-27
4ActiveCampaign91k▼ 18%39%10%4%+7
5Klaviyo301k▲ 0%35%9%6%-1
6Kit*9.4k▼ 8%29%7%1%n/a
7Omnisend50k▲ 0%22%5%1%+4
8Constant Contact301k▲ 0%18%4%0%-5
9EmailOctopus8.1k▼ 6%18%4%3%+4
10beehiiv74k▼ 13%14%3%1%+1
11HubSpot*39k▼ 37%13%3%0%n/a
12Sender*1.1k▼ 11%8%2%1%n/a
13Campaign Monitor33k▼ 12%8%2%4%+1
14GetResponse74k▼ 18%6%1%1%-1
15Moosend9.9k▼ 24%6%1%0%+1
16Flodesk91k▼ 6%6%1%3%-2
17Zoho Campaigns41k▼ 13%3%1%1%-1
18AWeber12k▼ 7%0%0%0%0
19Benchmark Email6.6k▼ 18%0%0%0%0
20Selzy1.9k▼ 19%0%0%0%0

* name can mean something else, only qualified searches are counted, so its demand is a floor and its AI vs Search figure is not shown. TMB AI Visibility is measured on the TMB benchmark of fixed buyer questions, not across all ChatGPT or Gemini users.

Named by AI but not tracked here

Tools that answers list in bold and that are not in my tracked set (counted in 2 or more answers, a rough text match):

Substack 2 answersGhost 2 answersBigMailer.io 2 answersGoHighLevel 2 answers

Search demand against TMB AI Visibility

Where the two disagree is the interesting part. Top left: AI recommends it although few people search for it by name. Bottom right: lots of people search for it, but AI rarely names it.

AI favourite, little search demandSearched for and recommendedQuiet on bothSearched for, rarely recommended0%25%50%75%100%1.0k10k100k1.0M10.0MSearch demand (estimated searches per month, log scale)TMB AI VisibilityMailerLite: 246k searches/mo, AI visibility 69%Brevo: 550k searches/mo, AI visibility 64%Mailchimp: 1.2M searches/mo, AI visibility 47%ActiveCampaign: 91k searches/mo, AI visibility 39%Klaviyo: 301k searches/mo, AI visibility 35%Kit: 9.4k searches/mo (qualified searches only, name can mean something else), AI visibility 29%Omnisend: 50k searches/mo, AI visibility 22%EmailOctopus: 8.1k searches/mo, AI visibility 18%Constant Contact: 301k searches/mo, AI visibility 18%beehiiv: 74k searches/mo, AI visibility 14%HubSpot: 39k searches/mo (qualified searches only, name can mean something else), AI visibility 13%Sender: 1.1k searches/mo (qualified searches only, name can mean something else), AI visibility 8%Campaign Monitor: 33k searches/mo, AI visibility 8%Moosend: 9.9k searches/mo, AI visibility 6%GetResponse: 74k searches/mo, AI visibility 6%Flodesk: 91k searches/mo, AI visibility 6%Zoho Campaigns: 41k searches/mo, AI visibility 3%Selzy: 1.9k searches/mo, AI visibility 0%Benchmark Email: 6.6k searches/mo, AI visibility 0%AWeber: 12k searches/mo, AI visibility 0%MailerLiteBrevoMailchimpActiveCampaignKlaviyoKit*OmnisendEmailOctopusConstant ContactbeehiivHubSpot*Sender*Campaign MonitorMoosendGetResponseFlodeskZoho CampaignsSelzyBenchmark EmailAWeber

Dashed lines: the median demand and the median TMB AI Visibility of the tools shown, so the corners read as above or below the typical tool here. Icons that would overlap are nudged sideways a few pixels. Dashed orange ring and * = the name can mean something else, so only qualified searches are counted and its true position is probably further right.

AI recommends it more than its search demand predicts

  • MailerLite: 8% of the demand, 17% of the AI mentions (+9 pts)
  • ActiveCampaign: 3% of the demand, 10% of the AI mentions (+7 pts)
  • EmailOctopus: 0% of the demand, 4% of the AI mentions (+4 pts)

Searched for far more than AI recommends it

  • Mailchimp: 39% of the demand, 12% of the AI mentions (-27 pts)
  • Constant Contact: 10% of the demand, 4% of the AI mentions (-5 pts)

Where the three engines agree and disagree

Share of answers naming each tool, per engine. The spread column is the gap between the highest and the lowest engine.

SoftwareChatGPTGeminiGoogle AI ModeAverageSpread
MailerLite71%67%71%69%4 pts
Brevo75%67%50%64%25 pts
Mailchimp58%42%42%47%17 pts
ActiveCampaign33%42%42%39%8 pts
Klaviyo33%46%25%35%21 pts
Kit25%42%21%29%21 pts
Omnisend8%38%21%22%29 pts
Constant Contact13%17%25%18%13 pts
EmailOctopus17%21%17%18%4 pts
beehiiv4%21%17%14%17 pts
HubSpot4%17%17%13%13 pts
Sender13%8%4%8%8 pts
Campaign Monitor8%4%13%8%8 pts
GetResponse4%4%8%6%4 pts
Moosend4%0%13%6%13 pts
Flodesk4%8%4%6%4 pts
Zoho Campaigns4%0%4%3%4 pts
AWeber0%0%0%0%0 pts
Benchmark Email0%0%0%0%0 pts
Selzy0%0%0%0%0 pts

Does a detailed question change the answer?

Half the questions are short, half describe a real buyer’s situation, budget and problem. The columns show how often each tool is named inside each slice, so you can see who AI recommends to a small business owner and who it recommends to an agency or consultant.

SoftwareShort questions36 answersDetailed questions36 answersSmall business asking48 answersAgency or consultant asking12 answers
MailerLite81%58%71%50%
Brevo64%64%69%42%
Mailchimp44%50%60%8%
ActiveCampaign53%25%15%83%
Klaviyo44%25%33%25%
Kit42%17%23%50%
Omnisend31%14%25%0%
Constant Contact28%8%17%0%
EmailOctopus17%19%25%0%
beehiiv17%11%15%8%
HubSpot19%6%4%8%
Sender14%3%13%0%
Campaign Monitor8%8%0%42%
GetResponse3%8%6%8%
Moosend6%6%4%8%
Flodesk6%6%4%17%
Zoho Campaigns3%3%4%0%
AWeber0%0%0%0%
Benchmark Email0%0%0%0%
Selzy0%0%0%0%

Each slice has fewer answers than the headline, so a single answer moves these numbers more. Read big differences, not small ones.

Named is not the same as cited

Filled dot: share of answers that name the tool. Hollow dot: share of answers that also cite its own website as a source. The longer the line, the more AI recommends a tool while sending readers somewhere else.

0%25%50%75%100%MailerLite: named in 69% of answers, own site cited in 18%MailerLiteBrevo: named in 64% of answers, own site cited in 18%BrevoMailchimp: named in 47% of answers, own site cited in 13%MailchimpActiveCampaign: named in 39% of answers, own site cited in 4%ActiveCampaignKlaviyo: named in 35% of answers, own site cited in 6%KlaviyoKit: named in 29% of answers, own site cited in 1%KitOmnisend: named in 22% of answers, own site cited in 1%OmnisendConstant Contact: named in 18% of answers, own site cited in 0%Constant Contact

Which sites AI cites most

Source domains listed across the 72 Email marketing answers (227 citations in total). Blue bars are a tracked tool’s own site; grey bars are third parties.

  • mailerlite.comofficial site of MailerLite13
  • help.brevo.comofficial site of Brevo11
  • zapier.com10
  • mailchimp.comofficial site of Mailchimp9
  • google.com6
  • reddit.com5
  • youtube.com5
  • mailercloud.com4
  • emailtooltester.com4
  • campaignmonitor.comofficial site of Campaign Monitor4

What I asked, and how an answer becomes a number

I never ask the AI about a brand. I ask the questions a buyer types before they know which tool to pick, like “best email marketing software for small businesses”. Every question goes to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode, once each, with no brand names in it.

Then I read every answer and write down which tools it names. A tool named in 8 of the 72 answers has an AI visibility of 8 ÷ 72 = 11%. A tool only counts against questions in its own category, so a GEO tracker is never marked down for missing from “best SEO software”.

The questions cover different buyers on purpose: beginners, small teams, agencies, tight budgets, specific jobs. Half are short search-box questions and half are detailed, the way people actually describe their problem to ChatGPT. Below, each question lists the tracked tools its answers named.

A real answer from Google AI Mode (scrolls)

“best email marketing software for small businesses”

Choosing the best email marketing platform for your small business depends entirely on how your business generates revenue - whether you sell products online, offer services, or build an audience through content. MailerLite, Klaviyo, and Brevo stand out as top-tier choices across different small business needs due to their excellent balance of features, ease of use, and predictable scaling. Best for General Value & Simplicity These platforms are ideal for service-based businesses, local shops, and beginners who need a straightforward way to design clean newsletters and basic automations without a steep learning curve. - MailerLiteThe Vibe: Best overall value for standard marketing. It features an exceptionally clean, intuitive drag-and-drop editor that doesn't feel cluttered.Standout Features: Strong deliverability reputation, built-in landing page and website builder, and an easy-to-use visual automation workflow builder.Pricing: Free plan supports up to 500 subscribers and 12,000 monthly emails. Paid plans scale affordably based on contact size, starting at $9/month. - Constant ContactThe Vibe: Exceptionally beginner-friendly with robust customer support.Standout Features: Unique built-in tools for event management (invitations and registrations), native surveys, and a simplified AI content generator to quickly spin up text.Pricing: No permanent free plan, but paid plans offer a predictable starting point at $12/month. Best for E-Commerce & Retail If you run an online storefront, you need deep behavioral integrations that track what customers view, what they abandon in their carts, and what they buy. - KlaviyoThe Vibe: The gold standard for deep e-commerce data and automation, especially for Shopify users.Standout Features: Predictive analytics, precise customer lifetime value tracking, and hyper-granular segmentation (e.g., targeting customers who spent over $100 but haven't bought in 30 days).Pricing: Free plan includes 250 contacts. Paid tiers start at $20/month and scale up quickly as your list expands. - OmnisendThe Vibe: A highly accessible alternative to Klaviyo designed specifically for agile, growing online stores.Standout Features: Excellent pre-built multi-channel workflows combining email, SMS, and web push notifications out of the box to curb cart abandonment.Pricing: Free plan covers up to 250 subscribers and 500 email sends. Paid plans start around $16/month. Best All-in-One CRM Platforms For businesses looking to consolidate their operations, these systems house your email broadcast engine directly alongside your sales pipelines and customer databases. - BrevoThe Vibe: Best for volume senders and multi-channel sales teams on a strict budget.Standout Features: Includes a fully operational sales CRM, transactional email delivery (for receipts/password resets), and SMS marketing capabilities.Pricing: Uniquely charges per email sent rather than per contact stored. The free plan allows 300 emails/day to unlimited contacts, while starter paid tiers begin at a modest $9/month. - HubSpotThe Vibe: A premium, powerhouse marketing ecosystem best suited for established, growing B2B or service businesses that want deep sales-marketing alignment.Standout Features: Unified customer timelines that show sales reps exactly which marketing campaigns a prospect interacted with, backed by powerful AI-driven reporting tools.Pricing: Offers baseline free tools, but robust marketing and CRM bundles scale steeply, starting around $50/month and climbing rapidly as your contact volume grows. Best for Creators & Digital Products If your business focuses on newsletters, digital downloads, coaching, courses, or building a personal brand, you require platforms optimized for audience engagement and community building. KitThe Vibe: Tailor-made for bloggers, podcasters, authors, and course creators (formerly known as ConvertKit).Standout Features: Built-in digital product checkout infrastructure, subscriber recommendation networks to grow your list organically, and automated content delivery funnels.Pricing: Generous free plan accommodates up to 10,000 subscribers for basic list growth and unlimited broadcasting. Paid automation features begin at $25/month. - What type of business do you run (e-commerce, local service, consulting, content creation)? - Approximately how many email subscribers do you currently have? - Do you need advanced features like automated follow-up sequences, or just a simple way to send monthly newsletters? [[0] - Best Email Marketing Platform For Small Business ROI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv-N-6qnqUc&t=624) [[1] - The 6 Best Email Marketing Platform For A Small Business](https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESlQEB6zswFbFNt2GlDViRlwEPkJMYvx4vefO9BwuYF_744N7U9ngh2ojtK9yULTPpkLDlg8LzJgVCQBt_Dw_524Jl86YE5V06NQUafZFkqLLBmgJAkyhTYFnQKfmDh3BhWDZAiB1ojUmfLz5zqwkZ_RNWhEjAs1X7ebIcSyTbu8BpNqP-Q61bBqjwGiolERXgNQsW3YMB1Q) [[2] - The 8 Best Free Email Marketing Services in 2026 · Zapier](https://zapier.com/blog/free-email-marketing-software/) ...

Tools I counted from the full answer:

MailerLiteKlaviyoBrevo
ChatGPT · Gemini · Google AI Mode
  1. Small business210 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best email marketing software for small businesses”

    MailerLitenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeBrevonamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeKlaviyonamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeActiveCampaignnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiMailchimpnamed by ChatGPTKitnamed by GeminiOmnisendnamed by GeminiConstant Contactnamed by Gemini
  2. General1,900 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best email marketing platform”

    MailerLitenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeBrevonamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeActiveCampaignnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMailchimpnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiKlaviyonamed by ChatGPT, GeminiOmnisendnamed by Gemini, Google AI Modebeehiivnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeHubSpotnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeKitnamed by Gemini
  3. Beginner

    “easiest email marketing tool for beginners”

    MailerLitenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMailchimpnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeBrevonamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeKitnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiConstant Contactnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeOmnisendnamed by Gemini
  4. Free50 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best free email marketing software”

    MailerLitenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeBrevonamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeMailchimpnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeSendernamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeKitnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiEmailOctopusnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiOmnisendnamed by GeminiZoho Campaignsnamed by Google AI Mode
  5. Low budget

    “cheapest email marketing service for a small list”

    MailerLitenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeEmailOctopusnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeBrevonamed by ChatGPT, GeminiSendernamed by ChatGPT, GeminiMailchimpnamed by Google AI Modebeehiivnamed by GeminiMoosendnamed by Google AI Mode
  6. Ecommerce

    “best email marketing for Shopify stores”

    Klaviyonamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeOmnisendnamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeMailerLitenamed by Google AI ModeMailchimpnamed by ChatGPT
  7. Automation70 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best email automation software”

    MailerLitenamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeActiveCampaignnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeKlaviyonamed by ChatGPT, GeminiKitnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeOmnisendnamed by Gemini, Google AI ModeHubSpotnamed by ChatGPT, GeminiBrevonamed by ChatGPTEmailOctopusnamed by Google AI ModeMoosendnamed by Google AI Mode
  8. Agency10 searches/mo for this exact wording

    “best email marketing software for agencies”

    Brevonamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeActiveCampaignnamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeKlaviyonamed by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI ModeCampaign Monitornamed by ChatGPT, Google AI ModeMailchimpnamed by ChatGPTHubSpotnamed by Google AI Mode

Each chip is a tracked tool that the answer named. The three dots are ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode: filled means that engine named it. Blue chips were named by all three. Tools are sorted by how many engines named them. A searches/mo tag is the worldwide Google search volume for that exact question. Most questions have none: buyers phrase them in many ways, and only the most common wordings register in Google’s keyword data.

Search demand

Every category, by search demand

The full demand view for every category in the index, including AI content SEO. Open a card for the whole tool list, or go to the category page. These cards use the original Demand Score, which scales a name’s search volume down unless people also search for its pricing or alternatives. Very new tools can therefore show close to zero here, while the tables above count their plain brand-name searches.

Compare tools across the whole index

Line up any tools you are deciding between, whichever category they are filed under, and compare their search demand, trend and country split side by side.

Pick up to 4 tools to compare (2/4):

*Demand Score: worldwide bare-name search volume, scaled down when a name collides with a common word or another product (see the methodology note above for why). Momentum compares the last 3 months of that score to the 3 months before.

Method

How it is measured, and what it cannot tell you

Search demand

Estimated worldwide searches per month for the brand name, with the change over the last 3 months. Demand share is a brand’s figure divided by the summed figure of every tracked tool in its category.

TMB AI Visibility

The percentage of relevant tracked buyer prompts where this software appeared: usable answers that name the tool ÷ usable answers to the benchmark questions for its category. The headline is the equal-weight average of the three engines. It describes the TMB benchmark, a fixed set of buyer questions, not all ChatGPT, Gemini or Google AI Mode users.

AI Share of Voice and AI vs Search

Share of voice is the tool’s mentions ÷ all mentions of the tracked tools in that category. AI vs Search is AI Share of Voice minus tracked search demand share, in percentage points. Positive means the tool over-indexes in AI answers compared with its search demand, negative means it under-indexes. It is a raw difference and not a score.

Data sources

SearchApiAI answers collected with SearchApi’s ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode endpoints on 2026-10-22. SearchApi is a paid partner of this site.
DataForSEOSearch volume from DataForSEO.
  • Run 2026-10-22 via SearchApi. Models seen: ChatGPT (gpt-6), Gemini (3.6 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite). Google AI Mode reports no model. Queried from the US, in English.
  • Questions are fixed and versioned (v2); none contains a brand name. Failed or empty requests are excluded, never counted as “not mentioned” (1 in this snapshot).
  • Share of voice counts only the tracked tools (10 SEO suites, 14 Technical SEO, 12 GEO / AI visibility, 13 SEO autopilot, 20 Email marketing). Answers also name others, which each category lists under “named by AI but not tracked”.
  • A tool counts as named when it appears in the answer text. Names that are also ordinary words or other products (Outrank, BlogSEO, Soro, Koala AI, Crawly, Profound, Conductor, Goodie, Sender, Kit) count only in a heading, bold item, table row, list item or link.
  • A tool can be tracked in more than one category. Semrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking and Seobility sell site audits, so they are also scored on the technical SEO questions, separately from their SEO suite score.
Why do the questions never name a brand?+

A brand ranking first for its own name says almost nothing. A buyer who has not picked a tool yet asks a category question, and that is the moment AI recommends something. Every question here is of that kind.

Why is the headline an average of three engines?+

ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode disagree a lot. A tool can be named in 92% of ChatGPT answers and 0% of Gemini answers. The average is equal-weight and the per-engine numbers and the spread are always shown beside it.

Why are some questions short and some long?+

Half of each category's questions are short, the way people type into a search box. The other half are detailed: the buyer describes their business, budget and problem, the way people actually talk to ChatGPT. The two halves often produce different recommendations, so each category shows both side by side.

What is TMB AI Visibility?+

The percentage of relevant tracked buyer prompts where a software appeared. I ask a fixed set of buyer questions that name no brand to ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode and count which tools each answer names. It describes that benchmark. It is not the share of all ChatGPT or Gemini users who see the tool.

What does AI vs Search mean?+

AI Share of Voice minus tracked search demand share, in percentage points. A positive number means the software shows up in AI answers more than its search demand would suggest (over-indexing in AI). A negative number means it is searched for more than AI recommends it (under-indexing).

Why do some names have a star and a smaller search number?+

Some names are also ordinary words or other products (Conductor, Goodie, Profound, Kit), and some brands are searched for far more than the one product in this category (HubSpot is mostly searched as a CRM). Their plain name volume is mostly unrelated, so only long-tail searches that can only be about the software (pricing, alternatives, review, api) are counted. Their real demand is higher than shown.

Is this market share?+

No. Search demand share is share of tracked branded search interest. AI Share of Voice is share of mentions among the tools I track. Neither says anything about customers or revenue.

How fresh is it, and how stable?+

This is one snapshot from the run date shown. AI answers change from run to run, so treat differences of a few points as noise. There is no schedule yet; a repeat run is the way to measure stability.

What does 'own site cited' mean?+

Whether the answer lists the tool's own website among its sources. A tool can be recommended without its own site being cited, because AI often cites review sites and listicles instead.

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