The SEO world is moving at a breakneck pace. For a long time, the main goal was simple: get to the top of Google's blue links. But with AI shaking things up, that's only part of the story now. You also have to figure out how to get your brand noticed in AI search engines like Perplexity, Google's AI Overviews, and even ChatGPT.
People are calling this new game a few different things, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), but it all boils down to one thing: becoming the go-to source wherever people are looking for answers.
In this guide, we'll walk through the different kinds of SEO AI tools available. We'll explore what they do, point out their weak spots, and help you build a tech stack that actually gets things done, rather than just being another monthly charge on your credit card.
What are SEO AI tools?
SEO AI tools are software that uses artificial intelligence to help with or automate tasks related to search engine optimization. It's a wide umbrella, covering everything from keyword research and competitor analysis to on-page tweaks, technical site checks, and even tracking visibility in new AI-powered search engines.
You might be wondering, "Why can't I just use the free version of ChatGPT for all this?" It's a fair question. While you can get some decent ideas from a general AI writer, specialized SEO AI tools are a different beast. They're connected to live SERP data, they study what's already ranking, and they're built for one purpose: to boost your search performance. They offer a level of data-backed insight that a general chatbot just can't touch.
Content creation and optimization
This first batch of tools is all about the fundamentals of content: the research, the writing, and the fine-tuning. The main idea is to help you create material that not only satisfies traditional search engine algorithms but also gets noticed and referenced by AI answer engines.
AI-assisted writing and research
Tools like Writesonic and AirOps are popular for generating full article drafts from a simple prompt. They have features like pulling in real-time web data, tweaking the output to match a brand's voice, and creating outlines. Writesonic, for instance, can handle internal linking and identify semantic keywords competitors are using. AirOps allows users to create custom content workflows that connect to a company's own knowledge base.
However, while these tools are effective for creating initial drafts, the output often requires human editing to align with a specific brand voice and add unique insights. User reviews sometimes note that the output can feel generic. One reviewer said Writesonic's content felt like a "more expensive version of ChatGPT." They can be valuable for overcoming writer's block, but the initial drafts may require substantial human editing before publication.
On-page content optimizers
Next are on-page optimizers like Clearscope and Surfer SEO. These tools are for polishing content that's already written, whether by a person or an AI.
They work by analyzing the top-ranking pages for a keyword and providing a checklist of suggestions. They'll recommend important terms to include, give a target word count, and generate a "content score" to grade how well the topic has been covered. It's a solid way to ensure you haven't missed anything important.
It's important to note that these tools are designed for analysis and optimization, not content generation. They function as an additional step in the content workflow and typically require their own subscription. There is also ongoing debate about which tool is better. A study from Originality.ai showed Surfer's score had a 26% correlation with rankings, while another study by Ahrefs suggested Clearscope performed better than Surfer. This shows that while the scores can be a helpful guide, they aren't a guaranteed ticket to page one.
GEO and AI search tracking
As search changes, so do the tools we use to track it. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is about getting your content to appear in the answers generated by AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Traditional rank trackers that only report on blue-link positions are becoming less comprehensive. Now, it's also important to know if you're being cited in an AI's answer, which calls for a new type of tool.
Monitoring brand presence in AI answers
A new wave of tools has emerged to solve this problem. They help you see how your brand is performing inside AI-generated answers.
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Rankscale.ai: As one of the first tools built for GEO, Rankscale provides a "Visibility Score," analyzes sentiment, and tracks citation frequency across engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Its pricing is a flexible, credit-based system that starts at $20/month.
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SE Ranking: This SEO platform now has an "AI Overviews Tracker." It monitors which keywords trigger an AI snippet and which sources get featured. It’s available as an add-on to their main SEO platform.
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Surfer SEO: Surfer has also rolled out an "AI Tracker" that checks a brand's presence in ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and Perplexity. It’s included in their "Scale" plan ($175/month) or can be bought separately starting at $95/month.
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Writesonic: Writesonic is positioning itself as an AI visibility platform that tracks performance in AI search. Its "Action Center" feature, which provides recommendations, is available on its Enterprise plan.
All-in-one platforms vs. specialized tools
When it comes to putting together your SEO AI toolkit, teams typically go one of two ways. You can opt for a large, all-in-one platform that is adding AI features, or you can assemble a custom stack of specialized tools for each task. Both approaches have their pros and cons.
All-in-one platforms with AI features
Platforms like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Search Atlas are adding AI visibility and content features to their extensive platforms. The primary advantage is convenience. You get data for keyword research, backlink analysis, and site audits in the same dashboard as your new AI tracking tools.
Potential challenges include higher costs and a steeper learning curve, as users may need to navigate many features to find the ones they need.
| Platform | AI Feature | Starting Price (Annual Billing) |
|---|---|---|
| Semrush | Semrush One (includes AI Visibility Toolkit) | $165.17/month (50 prompts) |
| Ahrefs | Brand Radar AI (Add-on) | $129/month + $199/month for the add-on |
| Search Atlas | LLM Visibility | $199/month (Growth Plan) |
Challenges of a specialized workflow
The other option is to use a mix of specialized tools. You might have one for drafting, another for optimizing, a third for AI search tracking, and a fourth for reporting. While this lets you pick a dedicated tool for each job, this approach can create a more complex workflow and require managing multiple subscriptions.
For example, the process might involve finding a keyword, then opening a drafting tool like Writesonic. Once a draft is ready, you might copy and paste it into an optimizer like Surfer SEO. After that, it gets published on your CMS. Finally, you may need to log into a separate tool like Rankscale to track citations. Moving content between different applications can add steps to the production process and may present challenges for teams looking to produce content at scale.
An integrated approach to content scaling
The eesel AI blog writer offers an alternative by combining several steps of the content creation process. It creates a publish-ready blog post from a single keyword.
Its features include:
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Complete asset creation: The output includes AI-generated elements such as images, infographics, tables, and charts.
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Contextual integration: It can embed relevant YouTube videos and find quotes from public forums like Reddit to add more context to the content.
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SEO and AEO optimization: The content is structured with headings and keywords for search engines and formatted to be easily referenced by AI answer engines.
eesel used this tool to grow from 700 to 750,000 impressions per day in three months by publishing over 1,000 optimized blogs. With pricing at $99 for 50 complete blog posts, it combines the creation and optimization workflow into a single step.
To see some of these tools in action and get an expert's take on which ones perform best, check out this detailed tier list. It provides a helpful overview of what's currently working in the world of AI-driven SEO.
A video reviewing and ranking the best SEO AI tools for 2025 to help with content creation and optimization.
Choosing your SEO AI tools
The ecosystem of SEO AI tools is diverse, offering specialized options for content creation, on-page optimization, and AI search tracking. Building a workflow with multiple specialized tools can sometimes lead to increased complexity and cost.
The most practical path forward depends on a team's specific goals, budget, and workflow preferences. Some may prefer an integrated solution, while others might opt for a custom stack of specialized tools.
You can generate your first blog post for free with the eesel AI blog writer to see how it works.
Frequently asked questions
The biggest benefits are speed and efficiency. SEO AI tools help you research topics, draft articles, and optimize content much faster than doing it all by hand. They also offer data-driven suggestions for keywords and topics, which helps ensure your content is aligned with what both search engines and users are looking for.
While free tools like ChatGPT can be useful for brainstorming or getting a rough draft, they generally can't replace the comprehensive features of paid platforms. Specialized SEO AI tools are connected to real-time search data, offer in-depth competitor analysis, and provide specific optimization scores that free tools just don't have.
They help in two main ways. First, content creation tools can help you produce well-structured, comprehensive content that is more likely to be cited by AI answer engines. Second, specialized GEO tracking tools monitor your brand's visibility within AI-generated answers, giving you data on whether your optimization efforts are actually working.
Yes, the main risk is producing generic or low-quality content that lacks a human touch. AI-generated text often requires significant editing to be truly engaging and authoritative. It's best to use these tools as assistants to speed up your workflow, not as a complete replacement for human writers and strategists.
All-in-one platforms like Semrush or Ahrefs bundle a wide range of features (keyword research, backlink analysis, AI tracking) into a single subscription. Specialized tools focus on doing one thing really well, like content optimization (Surfer SEO) or GEO tracking (Rankscale). The best choice depends on your budget and whether you prefer an integrated solution or a custom-built stack of best-in-class tools.
You can measure ROI by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like organic traffic growth, keyword rankings, and conversion rates from your SEO content. For GEO, you can use tracking tools to monitor your citation frequency in AI answers and see if that correlates with increased brand awareness or direct traffic. Comparing the cost of the tools to the value of the traffic and leads generated will give you a clear picture of your return on investment.
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Article by
Stevia Putri
Stevia Putri is a marketing generalist at eesel AI, where she helps turn powerful AI tools into stories that resonate. She’s driven by curiosity, clarity, and the human side of technology.
