AEO Audit is a free tool that scores B2B SaaS websites for AI search visibility — how likely they are to be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews when B2B buyers search.

What is AI Engine Optimization (AEO)?

AI Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring content, entity signals, and technical infrastructure so that AI engines cite your brand in generated answers. It extends traditional SEO to cover ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.

Yes. AEO Audit is free. Enter any B2B SaaS brand and receive a full AI visibility score with prioritised recommendations.

How does AEO Audit score websites?

AEO Audit scores across six pillars: AI Visibility (22%), Brand Authority (23%), Content Quality (18%), Platform Optimization (15%), Structured Data (12%), and Technical AEO (10%). Each pillar reflects specific signals that AI engines use when deciding which sources to cite.

Subcategory · AI Citation Index

Who AI is citing in CRM

Salesforce Blockchain and HubSpot Commerce Hub lead AI citations, but zero brands appear consistently on discovery shortlists across 28 prompts.

Brands tracked

173

Avg AEO score

63/100

Citation coverage

of brands cited at least once

Dominant brands

cited > 50% of queries

Discovery stage

The shortlist

When buyers ask AI for the best CRM software

No discovery-stage prompts have been scored against this category yet — once the shortlist cron runs, this section will surface which brands AI cites most.

Evaluation stage

The battleground

How brands fare on comparison queries · category median 31/100

Salesforce Blockchain scores 85 on comparison queries (3 queries audited), followed by HubSpot Commerce Hub at 76 (4 queries). Teamwork Desk and Engagebay tie at 48, while Pipedrive sits at 42 despite appearing in 6 comparison queries. The median evaluation score is 31, indicating most brands underperform in head-to-head matchups.

Salesforce Blockchain

Each brand's evaluation score averages how AI responds to head-to-head comparison queries that mention them. Above-median brands win their comparisons more often than they lose.

Trends

Over the last 12 months

Too few audits to establish a trend. Only two months of data exist (March 2026: 60 avg score across 29 samples; April 2026: 63 avg score across 61 samples). Espocrm rose 14 points and Sugarcrm fell 6 points in that narrow window.

Biggest gain

Espocrm

+14 pts

Biggest drop

Sugarcrm

-6 pts

Editorial picks

Brands worth watching

Salesforce Blockchain

Scores 85 on comparison queries and 86 on general citations—the highest in the category. Appears in 3 evaluation matchups, suggesting niche but strong AI visibility.

Read brand profile →

HubSpot Commerce Hub

Second-highest evaluation score (76) across 4 comparison queries. General citation score of 78 ties it with Zoho CRM Plus, but HubSpot edges ahead in head-to-head contexts.

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Pipedrive

Appears in 6 comparison queries—more than any other brand audited—but scores only 42 on evaluations. High query volume, mediocre AI endorsement in direct matchups.

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Espocrm

Rose 14 points between March and April 2026, the sharpest climb in the category. General citation score of 58 sits below the category average of 63, but momentum is notable.

Read brand profile →

FAQ

CRM questions, answered

Which CRM consistently appears in AI-generated shortlists?+

None. The data shows 0% coverage across 28 discovery prompts, meaning no single brand appears reliably when users ask for the 'best CRM software'. The category is heavily fragmented with 173 brands and no consensus leader.

What is the best CRM for head-to-head comparisons?+

Salesforce Blockchain scores 85 on comparison queries, the highest in the dataset. HubSpot Commerce Hub follows at 76. Both outperform the median evaluation score of 31 by a wide margin.

How do mid-tier CRMs like Pipedrive perform in AI citations?+

Pipedrive scores 42 on evaluations and 72 on general citations. It appears in 6 comparison queries—more than any other brand—but underperforms when matched directly against competitors.

Are there any rising CRM brands in AI visibility?+

Espocrm gained 14 points between March and April 2026, the largest increase observed. Its general citation score is 58, below the category average, but the trajectory is upward.

Why is the CRM category so fragmented in AI responses?+

173 brands compete for attention, and zero brands achieve dominant shortlist status across 28 prompts. The category average is 63, but the evaluation median is 31, indicating most brands struggle to differentiate when AI compares them.

Which CRM is falling in AI citations?+

Sugarcrm dropped 6 points between March and April 2026, the steepest decline recorded. No additional evaluation or shortlist data is provided for Sugarcrm in this dataset.

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