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 SEO Tools

Ahrefs leads AI citations with a score of 78, but no brand dominates shortlist queries in SEO tools — 0% coverage across 16 prompts.

Brands tracked

Avg AEO score

57/100

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 SEO Tools 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 34/100

Semrush leads head-to-head evaluation queries with an average score of 49 across 4 comparisons, followed by Clearscope at 41 (6 queries) and Ahrefs at 39 (5 queries). The category median sits at 34, with agencies Webfx (35) and Smartsites (32) clustering near that midpoint. Moz and unCited both score 0 despite appearing in 4 comparison queries each.

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. March 2026 averaged 58 across 7 prompts; April dropped to 55 across 13. Marketmuse shows a +9 delta as the rising brand, though the two-month window limits confidence in directional momentum.

Biggest gain

Marketmuse

+9 pts

Editorial picks

Brands worth watching

Ahrefs

Top-scored brand at 78 despite a middle-tier evaluation average of 39. AI models cite Ahrefs broadly but struggle to rank it highly when users pit it directly against competitors in comparison queries.

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Semrush

Dominates evaluation queries with a 49 average across 4 head-to-heads, but scores 74 overall — below Ahrefs. Semrush wins when buyers ask for direct comparisons, yet trails in general recommendation contexts.

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Marketmuse

Rising brand with a +9 delta and a 72 overall score, but lags in evaluations at 33 (median 34). Gains momentum in discovery-stage prompts while remaining mid-pack in comparative assessments.

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Clearscope

Second-highest evaluation score at 41 across 6 comparison queries, indicating strong performance in head-to-head contexts. Overall score of 63 places it fourth, suggesting narrower citation breadth than the top three.

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Moz

Zero evaluation score across 4 comparison queries despite a 44 overall score. AI models cite Moz in general SEO tool recommendations but fail to advocate for it when buyers request direct competitive analysis.

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FAQ

SEO Tools questions, answered

Which SEO tool gets cited most by AI in 2026?+

Ahrefs leads with a score of 78, followed by Semrush at 74 and Marketmuse at 72. No brand dominates shortlist queries — coverage sits at 0% across 16 discovery prompts, meaning AI models distribute recommendations across dozens of vendors rather than anchoring on a handful.

How does Semrush perform in head-to-head comparisons?+

Semrush averages 49 in evaluation queries, the highest in the category across 4 direct comparisons. That outpaces Clearscope (41), Ahrefs (39), and the median of 34, making it the vendor AI models favor when buyers ask 'Semrush vs X' questions.

Is Marketmuse gaining or losing AI citation share?+

Marketmuse shows a +9 delta as the rising brand between March and April 2026, though only two months of data limits trend confidence. Its 72 overall score ranks third, but its 33 evaluation average sits below the 34 median, indicating strength in discovery rather than comparison contexts.

Why does Moz score zero in evaluation queries?+

Moz appears in 4 comparison prompts but earns a 0 average evaluation score, meaning AI models cite it in general SEO tool lists (44 overall score) but decline to recommend it when users explicitly compare Moz against competitors. This suggests weak positioning in head-to-head contexts.

What is the best SEO software for content optimization?+

Clearscope scores 63 overall and 41 in evaluation queries (second-highest), positioning it strongly for content-focused workflows. Marketmuse sits close at 72 overall but lags in comparisons at 33. Both appear in 6 evaluation queries, more than any other brand in the category.

Are SEO tools citations trending up or down in early 2026?+

Average scores slipped from 58 in March to 55 in April across 7 and 13 prompts respectively. Two months of data is insufficient to confirm a downward trend, but the drop suggests either prompt mix variation or slight erosion in category-wide citation strength.

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