# State of AI Search: AI visibility - October 2026

> We asked ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overview 20 questions about AI search visibility tools and analyzed 818 answers. Otterly.AI leads with 70% visibility.

- **Published:** October 8, 2026
- **Assistants:** ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overview
- **Coverage:** 20 prompts, 818 answers, 15 tracked brands, 1163 cited domains
- **Data:** [data.csv](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/ai-visibility/2026-10/data.csv?ntr=9BCm50n6JL7bUeA6)

## Key findings

- Otterly.AI and Profound are neck and neck: 70% and 66% on average across the assistants.
- Profound is named first most often (22% of answers on average across the assistants), even though Otterly.AI is mentioned more.
- Claude names 6.8 tracked brands per answer, Perplexity only 2.9.
- The assistants agree on the brand to name first for 5% of prompts.
- Google showed an AI Overview for 95% of the prompts we checked.

## Visibility ranking

Visibility is the share of answers that name the brand. Named first is the share that name it before any other tracked brand, own site cited the share that link to the brand's own domain. All three are averaged across the assistants, so each assistant counts the same however many answers it gave.

| # | Brand | Visibility | Named first | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Perplexity | AI Overview | Own site cited |
| ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | [Otterly.AI](https://otterly.ai) | **70%** | 17% | 63% | 86% | 80% | 62% | 61% | 28% |
| 2 | [Profound](https://tryprofound.com) | **66%** | 22% | 49% | 87% | 81% | 53% | 61% | 18% |
| 3 | [Peec AI](https://peec.ai) | **66%** | 16% | 52% | 83% | 83% | 56% | 56% | 12% |
| 4 | [Semrush](https://semrush.com) | **63%** | 16% | 59% | 84% | 79% | 44% | 50% | 25% |
| 5 | [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com) | **46%** | 4% | 43% | 75% | 45% | 22% | 44% | 11% |
| 6 | [SE Ranking](https://seranking.com) | **27%** | 3% | 11% | 57% | 35% | 14% | 17% | 15% |
| 7 | [Scrunch](https://scrunch.com) | **20%** | 1% | 31% | 42% | 19% | 9% | 0% | 5% |
| 8 | [AthenaHQ](https://athenahq.ai) | **17%** | 1% | 4% | 43% | 23% | 8% | 6% | 2% |
| 9 | [Writesonic](https://writesonic.com) | **15%** | 1% | 18% | 25% | 14% | 5% | 11% | 8% |
| 10 | [HubSpot AI Search Grader](https://hubspot.com) | **13%** | 3% | 17% | 22% | 17% | 9% | 0% | 12% |
| 11 | [ZipTie](https://ziptie.dev) | **13%** | 1% | 5% | 22% | 28% | 3% | 6% | 0% |
| 12 | [Rankscale](https://rankscale.ai) | **13%** | 1% | 2% | 36% | 12% | 9% | 6% | 1% |
| 13 | [Evertune](https://evertune.ai) | **5%** | 1% | 1% | 19% | 5% | 0% | 0% | 3% |
| 14 | [ByDefault](https://bydefault.so) | **0%** | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 15 | [Notra](https://usenotra.com) | **0%** | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |

## By assistant

| Assistant | Model | Answers | Brands per answer | Sources per answer |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| ChatGPT | `openai/gpt-5.6-sol` | 200 | 3.5 | 17.5 |
| Claude | `anthropic/claude-opus-5.5` | 200 | 6.8 | 11.7 |
| Gemini | `google/gemini-3.8-flash` | 200 | 5.2 | 7.7 |
| Perplexity | `perplexity/sonar` | 200 | 2.9 | 15 |
| AI Overview | `google/ai-overview` | 18 | 3.2 | 8.1 |

## Prompts

The 20 questions we asked, with the brand named first most often and the others that came up.

| # | Prompt | Named first | Also named |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | best generative engine optimization (GEO) software for a startup | **Otterly.AI** | Peec AI, Semrush, Profound, Writesonic, +8 more |
| 2 | best ai search visibility tool | **Profound** | Otterly.AI, Peec AI, Semrush, Ahrefs, +7 more |
| 3 | what's the best tool to monitor brand mentions in ai answers | **Otterly.AI** | Profound, Peec AI, Semrush, Ahrefs, +7 more |
| 4 | what's the cheapest way to track ai search rankings | **HubSpot AI Search Grader** | Otterly.AI, Rankscale, Ahrefs, Semrush, +7 more |
| 5 | tools that show which sources ai assistants cite for my category | **Profound** | Otterly.AI, Semrush, Ahrefs, Peec AI, +7 more |
| 6 | what software do marketers use for answer engine optimization | **Profound** | Otterly.AI, Semrush, Ahrefs, Peec AI, +7 more |
| 7 | best ai visibility tracker with content recommendations | **Semrush** | Writesonic, AthenaHQ, Otterly.AI, Peec AI, +7 more |
| 8 | best ai visibility tool for a small marketing team | **Otterly.AI** | Peec AI, Semrush, Profound, Ahrefs, +7 more |
| 9 | how do i compare my ai search visibility with competitors | **Semrush** | Ahrefs, Profound, Otterly.AI, Peec AI, +7 more |
| 10 | which ai monitoring tools track answers in multiple languages | **Peec AI** | Otterly.AI, Profound, Semrush, AthenaHQ, +7 more |
| 11 | which tools track visibility in google ai overviews | **Semrush** | Ahrefs, SE Ranking, Otterly.AI, ZipTie, +6 more |
| 12 | best alternative to semrush for ai search tracking | **Semrush** | Peec AI, Otterly.AI, Profound, Ahrefs, +6 more |
| 13 | best llm brand monitoring tool for agencies | **Peec AI** | Profound, Otterly.AI, Semrush, Ahrefs, +6 more |
| 14 | how do i track if chatgpt recommends my product | **Otterly.AI** | Peec AI, Profound, Semrush, SE Ranking, +5 more |
| 15 | how can i see what claude and chatgpt say about my company | **Otterly.AI** | Profound, Semrush, Peec AI, Ahrefs, +5 more |
| 16 | i run a b2b saas, how do i measure our share of voice in llm answers | **Profound** | Semrush, Peec AI, Otterly.AI, Ahrefs, +5 more |
| 17 | best ai search analytics with daily reporting | **Peec AI** | Otterly.AI, Semrush, Profound, SE Ranking, +5 more |
| 18 | i need to prove ai search is bringing customers, what should i track | **Profound** | Otterly.AI, Semrush, Peec AI, Ahrefs, +1 more |
| 19 | how do i get my saas recommended by chatgpt | **Ahrefs** | Peec AI, Profound, Otterly.AI, Semrush |
| 20 | profound vs peec ai, which is better | **Peec AI** | Profound |

## What the assistants say

### Otterly.AI

> OtterlyAI -- best budget option: Starts at $29/month for 15 prompts across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Copilot.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "what's the best tool to monitor brand mentions in ai answers"

> Otterly.AI (best on a budget): $29 a month buys 6 engines, a 25-point GEO audit, and unlimited team members.
>
> Claude, asked "best ai search visibility tool"

> Otterly AI - *Best Entry-Level & Most Budget-Friendly*
>
> Gemini, asked "best generative engine optimization (GEO) software for a startup"

### Profound

> Profound -- best enterprise option: Deeper analytics, sentiment analysis, competitive tracking and FactCheck for identifying inaccurate claims about your brand.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "what's the best tool to monitor brand mentions in ai answers"

> Profound (best for large companies): Often called one of the strongest tools built just for this, because it focuses specifically on prompt monitoring, citations, sentiment, competitive share of voice, and answer-engine analysis.
>
> Claude, asked "best ai search visibility tool"

> Profound: A leading enterprise-grade GEO platform.
>
> Gemini, asked "tools that show which sources ai assistants cite for my category"

### Peec AI

> Peec AI -- best dedicated platform for a funded startup
>
> ChatGPT, asked "best generative engine optimization (GEO) software for a startup"

> Peec AI: the best all-round pick for multi-client agencies
>
> Claude, asked "best llm brand monitoring tool for agencies"

> Peec AI *(Best for ease of use & competitor benchmarking)*
>
> Gemini, asked "what's the best tool to monitor brand mentions in ai answers"

### Semrush

> Semrush: Best if traditional SEO remains your primary acquisition channel.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "best generative engine optimization (GEO) software for a startup"

> Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit (best if you already use Semrush): One review ranked it best overall for its 8 engines, a 213 million prompt database, and a working site audit, starting at $99 a month.
>
> Claude, asked "best ai search visibility tool"

> Semrush (AI Toolkit & Prompt Tracking) *(Best All-in-One SEO Integration)*
>
> Gemini, asked "what's the best tool to monitor brand mentions in ai answers"

### Ahrefs

> Ahrefs Brand Radar -- best if you already use Ahrefs: Combines custom prompt tracking with a large pre-collected AI-answer index, and connects AI mentions back to search demand, cited pages, Reddit and YouTube.
>
> ChatGPT, asked "what's the best tool to monitor brand mentions in ai answers"

> Ahrefs Brand Radar (best if you already use Ahrefs): It's an add-on from $199/month.
>
> Claude, asked "best ai search visibility tool"

> Ahrefs Brand Radar (Best for Data-Heavy SEO Teams)
>
> Gemini, asked "best alternative to semrush for ai search tracking"

## Cited sources

The domains the assistants link to most, by share of answers that cite them at least once, averaged across the assistants.

| # | Domain | Cited in | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Perplexity | AI Overview | Top page |
| ---: | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | --- |
| 1 | [semrush.com](https://semrush.com) | **25%** | 56% | 12% | 13% | 38% | 6% | [semrush.com](https://www.semrush.com/blog/best-ai-visibility-tools/) |
| 2 | [otterly.ai](https://otterly.ai) | **23%** | 39% | 30% | 17% | 25% | 6% | [AI Search Monitoring Tool: Track ChatGPT, Perplexity & Google AIO](https://otterly.ai/) |
| 3 | [dageno.ai](https://dageno.ai) | **20%** | 1% | 42% | 24% | 5% | 28% | [Best AI Search Visibility Tracking Tools in 2026 (Tested & Compared)](https://dageno.ai/blog/ai-search-visibility-tracking-tool) |
| 4 | [reddit.com](https://reddit.com) | **20%** | 44% | 0% | 15% | 1% | 39% | [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/u_YolandoOfficial/comments/1w3p6m5/the_7_best_ai_visibility_tools_in_2026_honest/) |
| 5 | [rankability.com](https://rankability.com) | **19%** | 4% | 37% | 16% | 38% | 0% | [rankability.com](https://www.rankability.com/blog/best-ai-search-visibility-tracking-tools/) |
| 6 | [llmpulse.ai](https://llmpulse.ai) | **17%** | 2% | 31% | 25% | 27% | 0% | [12 Best AI Search Tools in 2026 to Track Brand Mentions, Citations and Visibility - LLM Pulse](https://llmpulse.ai/blog/best-ai-visibility-tools/) |
| 7 | [tryprofound.com](https://tryprofound.com) | **16%** | 35% | 13% | 22% | 6% | 6% | [Best generative engine optimization (GEO) tools for AI search in 2026](https://www.tryprofound.com/blog/best-generative-engine-optimization-tools) |
| 8 | [youtube.com](https://youtube.com) | **16%** | 11% | 0% | 7% | 0% | 61% | [youtube.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9-zRV8az4A) |
| 9 | [frase.io](https://frase.io) | **14%** | 4% | 47% | 1% | 18% | 0% | [frase.io](https://www.frase.io/blog/the-10-best-ai-visibility-tools-in-2026) |
| 10 | [zapier.com](https://zapier.com) | **13%** | 2% | 18% | 21% | 9% | 17% | [zapier.com](https://zapier.com/blog/best-ai-visibility-tool/) |

## More reports

- [App hosting](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/app-hosting/2026-10?ntr=9BCm50n6JL7bUeA6): Render leads with 73%
- [Auth](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/auth/2026-10?ntr=9BCm50n6JL7bUeA6): Clerk leads with 73%
- [Changelog](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/changelog/2026-10?ntr=9BCm50n6JL7bUeA6): Beamer leads with 54%
- [Email API](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/email-api/2026-10?ntr=9BCm50n6JL7bUeA6): Postmark leads with 84%
- [Postgres](https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search/postgres/2026-10?ntr=9BCm50n6JL7bUeA6): Neon leads with 88%

All reports: https://www.usenotra.com/state-of-ai-search

## Where do you rank in AI search?

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