AI search guides
Practical, sourced guides to generative engine optimization, answer engine optimization and AI visibility. Every claim links to its source.
What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
The definition, the Princeton research behind it, the tactics that hold up across engines and a 30-day plan.
AnalysisHow to get cited by ChatGPT and other AI engines
Which index ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Copilot each search, how many links they show, and the fix for each one.
ExplainerGEO vs AEO vs SEO: what's the difference?
Definitions, a side-by-side comparison and which one to prioritize for your company.
How-toHow to measure AI visibility
Prompt sets, mention and citation rate, share of voice, and the tools that track them.
ReferenceAI crawler user agents: the complete robots.txt list
Every major AI bot, who runs it, what it does, and copy-paste robots.txt recipes.
ExplainerWhat is llms.txt and does it help AI visibility?
The proposal, the format, who reads it, and an honest recommendation.
Original research
Buyer's guides
The best GEO agencies in 2026
Twelve agencies that do generative engine optimization, with pricing where published, who each suits, and the red flags to watch for.
Free toolsBest free AI visibility checkers
Ten free checkers compared on what they test, which engines they cover and what one check can't tell you.
SoftwareThe best AI visibility tools
Eleven platforms, from Profound and Peec AI to Semrush and Ahrefs Brand Radar, on engines tracked, price and limits.
AlternativesProfound alternatives
Eight tools and the situations where each one beats Profound, plus where Profound still wins.
More buyer's guides and playbooks
The best AEO agencies in 2026: 10 answer engine optimization firms compared
The best AEO agencies for 2026: 10 answer engine optimization firms compared on fit, published prices, contract terms and AI results, plus what AEO costs.
AgenciesThe best AI SEO agencies in 2026: 10 firms that optimize for Google and AI answers
The best AI SEO agencies for 2026: 10 firms that optimize for Google and AI answers, compared on fit, pricing, engines covered and real AI results.
AlternativesPeec AI alternatives: 8 tools and when each one beats Peec
Peec AI alternatives compared on vendor-published prices, engines and cost per AI answer: Scrunch, Profound, AthenaHQ, SE Ranking, ZeroRank and 3 more.
AlternativesAthenaHQ alternatives: 8 tools and the credit math behind the switch
AthenaHQ alternatives compared: what 3,600 credits really buy, then Peec AI, Scrunch, Profound, ZeroRank, Rankscale and 3 more on price, engines and fit.
TrackersAI Mode tracker: 11 tools that track Google AI Mode, checked on vendor pages
Which tools really track Google AI Mode? 11 AI Mode trackers checked on vendor pages, with prices, plan limits, how tracking works and what Search Console shows
TrackersAI Overview tracker: 11 tools to track Google AI Overviews, plus what Search Console shows free
AI Overview trackers compared: 11 tools checked on vendor pages, keyword vs prompt tracking, prices, and what Search Console's AI report shows for free.
TrackersChatGPT rank trackers: 11 tools that track your brand in ChatGPT, compared
ChatGPT rank trackers compared: 11 tools that track brand mentions, citations and position in ChatGPT, with prices, answer volumes and how each collects data.
TrackersPerplexity rank trackers: 11 tools that track your citations and brand in Perplexity
Perplexity rank trackers compared: 11 tools that track citations, source position and brand mentions in Perplexity, with prices, answer volumes and test tips.
PlaybookHow to rank in ChatGPT and get recommended for buyer prompts
How to rank in ChatGPT and get recommended for buyer prompts: how it picks brands, an 8-step plan with done criteria, a worked example and how to measure it.
ChecklistGEO audit checklist: 32 pass/fail checks for AI search visibility
A GEO audit checklist with 32 pass/fail checks for AI search: crawler access, indexing, citable pages, entity facts and measurement, with time and tools.
Reference
Where to start
If you're new to AI search, read the GEO pillar guide first, then the guide to getting cited by ChatGPT, which explains why the same page can be cited by Perplexity and ignored by ChatGPT. If your pages never show up in any engine, check the crawler list and the robots.txt study next, because the usual cause is a blocked search bot or a CDN rule. Measurement comes next, and the buyer's guides only matter once you know what you want to track or hand off.
AI Ranked is published by Arobis AI, an AI search demand generation agency for B2B SaaS. For benchmarks on how often SaaS brands get named in buyer prompts, see its State of AI Search Visibility report.