I tested 6 top AI mode SEO analysis tools: Here’s what actually works in 2026

The game of search has completely changed. In 2026, landing the #1 spot on Google's traditional results page isn't the guaranteed win it used to be. Why? Users are getting their answers directly from Google's AI Overviews and conversational engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. The click is being replaced by the citation.

This shift means your brand's visibility now hinges on being mentioned within these AI-generated summaries. This is the era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), a new field that requires a new set of tools. This post is a hands-on comparison of the top AI mode SEO analysis tools out there today. I’ve gone through the marketing fluff to show you what actually works based on real testing.

As you'll find out, there are two ways to handle this new reality. You can reactively track your visibility after the fact, or you can proactively create content designed to be cited by AI from the start. While most tools are focused on monitoring, platforms like the eesel AI blog writer are built to generate content that's optimized for AI citations right out of the box.

What exactly are AI mode SEO analysis tools?

Simply put, AI mode SEO analysis tools are specialized platforms built to track your brand's presence in the answers given by Large Language Models (LLMs) and conversational search engines. This is often called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or, more accurately, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).

These are a world away from traditional SEO tools, which are obsessed with keyword rankings, backlinks, and technical audits for that classic list of ten blue links. In this new landscape, we need to monitor a different set of metrics that actually matter:

• Brand Mentions: How often your brand is named as an authority in AI-generated answers.

• URL Citations: Whether your web pages are used as direct, linked sources for the information.

• Share of Voice: Your visibility compared to your competitors for key topics.

• Sentiment Analysis: The context of your mentions, are they positive, neutral, or negative?

The goal isn't just to "rank first" anymore. It's about becoming the definitive source that AI engines trust enough to cite.

My criteria for choosing the best AI mode SEO analysis tools

To give you a credible review, I set up a clear method for testing each platform. Here’s what I was looking for:

• Hands-on Testing: I didn't just read their websites. I actually used each tool to track a set of queries to see how it performed in a real-world scenario.

• Core Feature Set: The tool had to track brand visibility across the most important AI platforms, including Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.

• Actionable Insights: Raw data is useless. The platform needed to provide real insights into competitor performance, citation sources, and content gaps to help shape a strategy. For example, understanding how to get real-time SEO recommendations can dramatically speed up your optimization workflow.

• Usability: A tool is only good if you actually use it. The interface had to be straightforward and easy to fit into a modern marketing workflow without a steep learning curve.

• Value Proposition: The price had to line up with the features offered, providing a clear return on investment for different business sizes.

A quick comparison of the top AI mode SEO analysis tools

Before we get into the details, here’s a quick overview of the tools I tested to help you get your bearings.

Tool	Best For	Starting Price	Key Platforms Covered
eesel AI blog writer	Proactively creating AEO-optimized content	$99 for 50 blogs	All (content-focused)
SE Ranking	Teams wanting an all-in-one SEO and GEO platform	$95.20/month (Pro Plan, annual)	Google AI Overviews & AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini
Rankscale	Data analysts and teams needing a flexible budget	$20/month (Credit-based)	Google AI Overviews & AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and more
Writesonic	Marketers needing integrated content creation and GEO tracking	$199/month (Professional Plan, annual)	Google AI Overviews & AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and more
Otterly AI	Agencies and teams already using Semrush	$27/month (via Semrush App Center)	Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity
SE Visible	Enterprise organizations needing scalable AI visibility tracking	$189/month (Core Plan)	Google AI Mode, ChatGPT (more coming soon)

The 6 best AI mode SEO analysis tools I tested in 2026

Here’s my detailed breakdown of each tool, including its strengths, weaknesses, and who it’s really for.

1. eesel AI blog writer

The eesel AI blog writer takes a different approach. Instead of just tracking your visibility in AI search, it focuses on proactively creating content that’s optimized to be cited from day one. This is the exact strategy eesel used to grow its own site from 700 to 750,000 daily impressions in just three months.

It turns a single keyword and your website URL into a complete, publish-ready blog post. The AI researches the topic and automatically includes elements that answer engines love, like structured data, comparison tables, infographics, and relevant quotes from real people on forums like Reddit.

• Key Features: Its best features are context-aware research that adapts to the blog type, automatic inclusion of assets (AI images, charts), and the integration of social proof from sources like Reddit and YouTube. It’s one of the few tools with a clear focus on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) built directly into the content creation process.

• Pricing: The pricing is refreshingly simple: $99 gets you 50 complete, optimized blog posts.

• Pros and Cons: The main advantage is its efficiency. It combines research, writing, optimization, and asset creation into one step. It’s built to help you get ahead of the curve, not just watch it. The trade-off is that it’s a content generation platform first, not a real-time GEO tracker for minute-by-minute performance analysis.

• Best for: Content teams and SEO managers who need to scale the production of high-quality, AEO-optimized articles without hiring more people.

2. SE Ranking

SE Ranking is a well-known name in the SEO space, and it has done a good job of adding AI search tracking to its already feature-rich platform. If you're looking for one tool to handle all your traditional and modern SEO needs, this is a strong choice.

• Key Features: The AI Visibility Tracker is the main attraction here. It monitors your brand mentions and links across Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. You can compare your performance against competitors and even see cached AI responses to know exactly what users saw.

• Pricing: Basic AI tracking is included in the Pro plan, which is $95.20 per month when billed annually. However, the more advanced AI search features, like deeper analytics, require a separate add-on.

• Pros and Cons: The biggest plus is having everything in one place. You can manage rank tracking, site audits, and GEO performance in a single platform with daily data updates. The main drawback is that the best AI-specific features are locked behind more expensive plans or add-ons, which can drive up the cost.

• Best for: SEO agencies and in-house marketing teams that need a complete toolkit covering everything from keyword research to AI visibility monitoring.

3. Rankscale

Rankscale is made for data-focused marketers who want flexibility without being stuck in a pricey monthly subscription. Its credit-based system offers flexibility and makes it accessible for teams of any size.

• Key Features: Its pay-as-you-go model is a big draw, but its platform coverage is just as good, spanning ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and more. It offers detailed tracking, including sentiment analysis and citation source mapping, so you know exactly where your mentions are coming from and in what context.

• Pricing: The Essentials plan starts at just $20 per month for 120 credits. This makes it the most affordable tool on this list for targeted analysis or just getting started with GEO.

• Pros and Cons: Its strengths are obvious: it's affordable, has deep analytical features, and uses a flexible credit system that puts you in control. The trade-off is that it’s a specialized GEO tool. It doesn't have the broader SEO features of a platform like SE Ranking, so you'll need other tools for keyword research or technical site audits.

• Best for: Freelancers, SEO consultants, and data analysts who need precise, deep-dive data on AI visibility without committing to an expensive annual contract.

4. Writesonic

Writesonic is another solid all-in-one solution that combines a mature AI content writer with a growing set of GEO tools. It's built for teams that want a smooth workflow from finding an opportunity to acting on it.

• Key Features: Its AI Visibility Tracking covers over 10 platforms, including all the major ones like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Its most interesting feature is AI Traffic Analytics, which uses a Cloudflare integration to spot website visits from AI crawlers that tools like Google Analytics often miss.

• Pricing: GEO features are available on the Professional plan, which starts at $199 per month with annual billing.

• Pros and Cons: The integrated workflow is a huge plus; you can go from tracking an opportunity to creating content to address it, all within one platform. It's also enterprise-ready with SOC 2 compliance. On the other hand, the platform is powerful but can feel a bit complex, and its key GEO features are in a higher price tier.

• Best for: Larger marketing teams and enterprises that want a single, compliant platform to handle content research, writing, optimization, and AI visibility tracking in one place.

5. Otterly AI

Otterly AI is an integration-focused tool designed for the thousands of teams already working inside the Semrush ecosystem. It's less about reinventing the wheel and more about adding a critical new feature to a workflow you already use.

• Key Features: Its main selling point is its deep integration into the Semrush App Center. This lets you manage your GEO efforts without ever leaving the Semrush interface. It offers good brand citation monitoring and a useful GEO Audit tool that reviews your on-page elements to suggest improvements for increasing citation chances.

• Pricing: You can subscribe via the Semrush App Center, with plans starting at $27 per month for three search prompts after a 7-day free trial.

• Pros and Cons: The seamless Semrush integration is convenient for existing users. It also provides valuable sentiment analysis to add context to your mentions. A current limitation mentioned in its own documentation is that data is refreshed weekly, which might not be fast enough for some industries.

• Best for: Digital marketing agencies and SEO professionals who are heavily invested in Semrush and want to add AI search monitoring without changing their existing tech stack.

6. SE Visible

From the same people who made SE Ranking, SE Visible is a dedicated AI visibility platform built from the ground up for large organizations that need robust data, collaboration, and scale.

• Key Features: It's built for teamwork, offering unlimited user seats on all plans. It tracks brand visibility and sentiment across Google AI Mode and ChatGPT, with plans to add Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity soon. The whole interface is designed for high-level strategic oversight, not daily tactical checks.

• Pricing: The Core plan starts at $189 per month and includes tracking for 450 prompts across 5 brands.

• Pros and Cons: SE Visible provides a clean, executive-level dashboard that’s perfect for agencies managing multiple clients or CMOs tracking brand health. It excels at high-level reporting and competitor benchmarking. However, its higher price point and more focused feature set make it less ideal for smaller teams or individual consultants.

• Best for: Large agencies and data-driven marketing departments that need a scalable and collaborative platform to manage brand presence in AI search for multiple clients or business units.

How to choose the right AI mode SEO analysis tools for your team

With a few strong options, the right choice really comes down to your specific goals and resources. Here's a simple way to think about it.

• Figure out your main goal: Are you trying to react to performance or proactively create it? If your objective is to track existing content and competitor activity, a dedicated tracker like Rankscale or SE Ranking is a great fit. If your goal is to generate optimized content from scratch to win citations, a platform like the eesel AI blog writer is designed for that exact purpose.

• Consider your budget and scale: For targeted analysis on a tight budget, Rankscale's flexible credit model is hard to beat. For teams that need an all-in-one platform and are willing to invest in a subscription, tools like SE Ranking or Writesonic provide excellent long-term value.

• Check platform coverage: Know where your audience is getting answers. While most tools cover the big players, some, like Rankscale, offer broader coverage of emerging AI engines. Make sure your chosen tool aligns with where you need to be seen.

• Evaluate workflow integration: How will a new tool fit into your team's current process? If you live in Semrush, Otterly AI is a no-brainer. If you want to streamline the entire content lifecycle from idea to optimized article, the eesel AI blog writer offers a powerful end-to-end workflow.

To get a better sense of how these tools work in practice, it can be helpful to see them in action. The following video provides a great overview of the top AI visibility tools on the market, breaking down their features and demonstrating how they can be used to dominate the AI layer of search.

A video breaking down the top 5 best AI visibility tools, which are a key category of AI mode SEO analysis tools.

The future is now: Your next move with AI mode SEO analysis tools

The shift to AI-driven search isn't on the horizon, it's already here. The companies that adapt now will build a lasting competitive advantage, while those who wait will be left wondering where their traffic disappeared to.

While tracking tools are vital for monitoring your performance and keeping an eye on competitors, a proactive content strategy is what can make a significant difference in performance. Creating content that is built for AI answers is the most effective way to secure your brand's place in this new landscape. The eesel AI blog writer was built to do exactly that.

Don’t just track the change, lead it. Try the eesel AI blog writer for free and generate your first publish-ready, AEO-optimized article in minutes.