Generative Engine Optimization Tools
The tools I actually use to measure AI visibility, what each one can and can't tell you, and the one thing everybody sells that two studies say does nothing.
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited at the bottom of the pageWhat a GEO Tool Can Actually Tell You
There are only two numbers worth tracking, and most tools blur them together.
The first is whether the model names your brand in the answer. The second is whether it cites your domain in the sources.
They're different lists and they move for different reasons. A tool that reports one blended “visibility” score is hiding the finding.
So when I judge a tool, I'm asking one thing. Can it show me mentions and citations separately?
Tools That Track Mentions and Citations
Ahrefs Brand Radar
Tracks how often a brand shows up in AI answers, and separately which domains get cited. It's the closest thing to an off-the-shelf version of the two-axis view.
It also ties back to the rest of Ahrefs, which matters more than it sounds. Ray's finding is that ranking number one is what gets you cited, so your organic rank is a leading indicator.
DataForSEO AI Optimization API
Runs your prompts against the models and returns the answers and mention data as structured records. It's the one I build on when I need volume.
It's an API, not a dashboard. If you don't want to write code, this isn't your tool.
The models themselves
Free, and better than people expect. Open ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, ask the five questions your buyers ask, and write down what you see.
Do it from a logged-out session so personalisation doesn't flatter you. Twenty minutes here beats a month of dashboard staring.
Google Search Console
It won't show you AI answers. It shows you the rank that drives the citations, which is the input.
If you're not on page one for a query, being cited for it is unlikely. Start there.
The Tool Everybody Sells That Doesn't Work
An llms.txt file is pitched as the AI-era robots.txt. Two independent studies went looking for the effect.
SE Ranking sampled around 300,000 domains. Roughly 10% had the file, and having it didn't make a domain more likely to be cited. Their model actually performed better without it.
ALLMO came at it from the citation side: 94,614 cited URLs across 11,867 AI answers from five models. One of those citations was an llms.txt page. One.
Two unrelated datasets, two methods, same answer. If a tool's main promise is generating this file for you, that's the whole product.
Not sure which of these you'd actually get value from? Tell me your setup and I'll say which one I'd start with.
Ask me directly →What No Tool Does For You
Every tool on this page measures. None of them move the number.
Recommendation is driven by what the rest of the web says about your brand. That's coverage, links and a first-page rank, and no dashboard produces those.
That's the honest limit. Buy a tool to see the problem, not to fix it.
If you want the measuring done for you and the fixing done after, that's what the Deep Dive Audit and the Authority Retainer are for.
Tool Questions I Get
What's the cheapest way to start?
Ask the models yourself and keep a spreadsheet. It costs nothing and it's the same two numbers a paid tool reports.
Do I need a GEO tool if I already have Ahrefs or Semrush?
Probably not yet. Check what your existing subscription already covers before adding another bill.
Are AI visibility scores comparable between tools?
No. Every vendor blends the inputs differently, so the numbers don't line up.
Track one tool over time instead of comparing two at a point in time.
Should I add an llms.txt file anyway?
You can. It's a few minutes of work and it does no harm.
Just don't count it as a strategy, and don't pay anyone for it.
Which tools do you use for client work?
Ahrefs and the DataForSEO API for the data, plus manual checks in the four models. The manual checks catch things the APIs miss.
Where This Page's Claims Come From
- Lily Ray, ppc.land interview and lilyraynyc.substack.com, on citation and recommendation being decoupled
- Lily Ray, BuzzStream podcast with Vince Nero, 18 June 2026 · buzzstream.com/blog/lily-ray-podcast/
- Edward Sturm, edwardsturm.com, on LLMs sourcing from search engines
- SE Ranking, “LLMs.txt: Why Brands Rely On It and Why It Doesn't Work”, Yulia Deda, 7 Nov 2025 · seranking.com/blog/llms-txt/
- ALLMO, “LLMs.txt for AI Search Report 2026”, 23 Jan 2026 · allmo.ai/articles/llms-txt
Want the measuring done for you?
Tell me your site and the questions your buyers ask. I'll run them through the models and send you what I find.