How to Track SEO for Chat-GPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools
In my previous article on the future of SEO, I shared a prediction by Gartner that by 2026, traditional search engine traffic will drop 25%, with search marketing losing ground to AI chatbots and other virtual agents. In addition to Google controlling less of the total search market, publishers have estimated that because of Google’s AI-driven Search Generated Answers (SGE), they will also lose 20% to 40% of their Google generated traffic.
Given that SEO is an $85.06 billion industry that is expected to more than triple over the next three years, a pressing concern for today’s business leaders is:
“How often does my brand get mentioned in Chat-GPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools, what is being said about my brand, and how does this compare to my competition?”
In this article, I investigate the most cutting-edge solutions that tackle SEO for AI and provide my take on the best current solution. Anyone not interested in reading the full article can find the summary here.
What would an ideal solution look like?
I am a heavy user of traditional SEO tracking tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush, and I use them religiously to track Google rankings for my client’s keywords. While I believe an effective SEO for AI solution would share many similar features with these products, there are also things unique to AI chatbots and search engines that lend themselves to an original solution.
For example, Google merely serves up static links in response to searches, which are largely within a brand’s control (e.g. submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console). Google results are also displayed in a list format, in which ranking position is paramount since searchers rarely have the patience to check beyond the first 5-10 links.
However, for AI chatbots and search engines, one’s ranking position in a response is no longer a consideration. Of much greater importance is whether one’s brand is mentioned and what is said about one’s brand; in other words, share of voice and brand sentiment.
Based on these factors, an ideal SEO for AI solution would have the following features:
#1 - Enable you to import a list of relevant SEO keywords and transform them into their corresponding AI queries.
#2 - Let you see the frequency with which each query is asked across the population (e.g. “1,200 searches/month”).
#3 - For your list of selected queries, tell you what percentage of the time your brand is mentioned.
#4 - Each time your brand is mentioned, tell you whether the sentiment is positive, neutral, or negative.
#5 - Tell you about your closest competitors for points 3 and 4.
#6 - Have a “Query Gap” analysis, where you can see queries for which your closest competitors rank, but your brand is not currently.
#7 - Tell you the top 3 positive things that are being said about your brand and the top 3 negative things.
#8 - Provide feedback or recommendations on improving points 3 and 4 for your brand.
#9 - Allow you to see data for as many AI chatbots and search engines as possible, ideally three or more.
#10 - Be affordable for an early-stage company; I set this benchmark at $100 / month or less.
Which companies are tackling this problem?
To better understand the competitive landscape, I did a lot of Google searches, including “SEO for Chat-GPT,” “Brand rankings in Chat-GPT,” and “SEO for Perplexity.” I also queried Chat-GPT and Perplexity:
“I know that more and more online queries are going to AI chatbots and search engines. Are there any companies that have created products that enable brands to track their SEO with these tools?”
Frankly, I was shocked by how few companies are pursuing this opportunity. Most searches pointed me to websites that discussed how to use AI to help with content creation, how to optimize your content for AI chatbots, or what factors played the most significant role in AI rankings. As far as products to tell me where I am currently ranking, I found a few solutions:
#1 - Chatbeat - This product is still in production, although you can sign up for early access.
#2 - BrandRank AI - This product seems more focused on tracking and protecting your brand’s reputation in AI tools. The lack of transparent pricing on their site and the request to “Contact Us for Demo and Pricing” suggest that this product is likely geared towards enterprise clients and is pricier.
#3 - Evertune AI - Based on their website, this product looks robust. But, similar to BrandRank AI, the fact that it doesn’t display pricing on the site and instead pushes you towards a demo, in addition to the pedigree of its leadership team, suggests to me that this product is likely geared towards enterprise clients and is pricier.
#4 - Hubspot’s AI Search Grader - A free tool offered by Hubspot, in which you get a ranking report for Chat-GPT and Perplexity in exchange for sharing your email and phone number. This product ticks some of the boxes I listed for an ideal solution, but misses on others.
#5 - Otterly AI - This was the only SaaS product that lists pricing on its site and allows easy onboarding. While this product meets many of the criteria for the ideal solution, it also lacks in some notable ways.
Hubspot’s AI Search Grader vs. Otterly AI
Given that Otterly AI and Hubspot’s AI Search Grader are the only two tools I could access out of the gate, I decided to compare their output to see which is better. The quick summary is that they have different strengths and weaknesses, although each misses key areas, as can be seen by my table below (green = passed, red = failed).
If you want a deeper look, I did a walkthrough of Hubspot’s AI Search Grader here:
And Otterly AI here:
A lightweight alternative for SEO AI tracking
Hubspot’s AI Search Grader, while a useful free solution, lacks many key features. Otterly AI fills in some of those gaps but only allows tracking for 10 prompts on its lowest tier plan before pricing jumps up to $189 / month. Through my research, I discovered an effective but lightweight alternative: using Work-GPT’s AI integrations in Google Sheets.
I ultimately discovered the idea through this article by Seer Interactive, and frankly, it sounded too good to be true. But, after trying it out, I can confirm that it works very well. There are a few things to mention though:
1). Seer Interactive provided a template you can use, but I thought the template had some minor flaws. I created my own template here, which you can duplicate and use for your own purposes.
2). The template should work as long as you install Work-GPT for Sheets, insert your own OpenAI API key, and pay for some work GPT credits (the lowest package costs $29, but it’s a one-time charge and goes a long way). The instructions on installing Work-GPT can be found in the Seer Interactive article. To set up your own OpenAI API key, go to https://platform.openai.com, create an account, go to “Settings,” “API Keys,” then “Create New Secret Key.” I walk through this in my video below.
3). The article states that the Work-GPT for Sheets installation is tricky, but from my experience, it is easy.
4). In my template above, the tan cells should be changed; the rest are formula-driven. The tan cells include your company's name, your closest competitors, and the queries you want to check for.
Here is a video of me walking through the Google Sheet solution.
Conclusion
Tracking brand mentions in AI tools and search engines is a pressing need but one that is not yet being effectively tackled. My suggestion for a brand looking for a solution today would be to start with Hubspot’s free AI Search Grader, and if you want something more granular, to use the Work-GPT for Sheets integration to track all your desired queries. Price-wise, I don’t think Otterly AI stacks up favorably to the Google Sheets solution, although this may change in the future. I also have a friend who is actively working on a solution to track SEO for AI chatbots and search engines, and I look forward to testing out his product.
If you liked this content, please click the <3 button on Substack so I know which content to double down on.
TLDR Summary
The rise of AI-driven search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity is transforming traditional SEO, with brands facing reduced Google traffic and a need to track mentions and sentiment across AI platforms. This article explores current tools, evaluates solutions, and offers practical strategies to adapt.
Key Points
1. The Challenge: SEO for AI Chatbots
Market Shift: Traditional search traffic may drop 25% by 2026, with publishers losing 20%-40% of Google traffic due to AI-driven search summaries.
Core Question: How often is your brand mentioned in AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Perplexity, and what is being said?
Key Metrics: Share of voice, brand sentiment, competitor mentions, and actionable recommendations.
2. Ideal Features for AI SEO Tools
Transform SEO keywords into AI-relevant queries.
Provide query frequency data (e.g., monthly search volume).
Show brand mention percentages across queries.
Analyze sentiment (positive, neutral, negative).
Benchmark competitors’ mentions and sentiment.
Identify query gaps where competitors rank, but your brand doesn’t.
Highlight top positive and negative comments about your brand.
Offer actionable improvement recommendations.
Cover multiple AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.).
Be affordable ($100/month or less for startups).
3. Current Tools for AI SEO
Hubspot’s AI Search Grader:
Free and user-friendly.
Limited features; doesn’t fully meet all ideal criteria.
Otterly AI:
Paid SaaS tool (lowest-tier is $29 / month).
Better feature set but fully fledged $189 / month plan is cost-prohibitive for startups.
Other Tools:
Chatbeat: Early-access stage.
BrandRank AI: Focuses on reputation, likely enterprise-priced.
Evertune AI: Robust but tailored for large enterprises.
4. A Lightweight Alternative: Google Sheets + Work-GPT
Solution: Use Work-GPT for Sheets to track brand mentions and sentiment at a lower cost.
Steps:
Install Work-GPT for Sheets and configure your OpenAI API key.
Use a custom Google Sheets template to input brand, competitors, and queries.
Analyze mentions and sentiment for AI-driven search results.
Cost: ~$29 one-time fee for Work-GPT credits, making it significantly cheaper than Otterly AI.
5. Recommendations
Start Simple: Use Hubspot’s AI Search Grader for basic insights.
Go Deeper: For more detailed tracking, implement the Google Sheets + Work-GPT solution.
Stay Updated: Monitor evolving tools like Otterly AI and emerging platforms.
Conclusion
The rise of AI chatbots and virtual agents is reshaping the SEO landscape, demanding new tracking methods for brand visibility and sentiment. While enterprise-level tools are emerging, lightweight solutions like Work-GPT for Sheets offer cost-effective options for startups. The future of AI-driven SEO will require brands to adapt quickly, leveraging the right tools to maintain a competitive edge.