If you want AI answers to recommend your brand, guessing at prompts won’t cut it. Prompt mining tools show the exact questions users feed into ChatGPT/Perplexity, the sources AIs cite, and the gaps your content can fill—so you can win visibility where clicks are disappearing. Here’s our short list and how to use each for AI Search Optimization and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization).

Key Takeaways

  • Profound is a pioneer in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), offering unique features like Conversation Explorer for AI search volume data and real-time tracking across major AI platforms. It helps optimize content for AI search queries, driving more traffic.
  • Peec AI focuses on brand visibility within AI search, providing real-time tracking, sentiment analysis for brand mentions, and competitor benchmarking. It’s useful for understanding how your brand appears in AI responses.
  • BrandRadar is designed for enterprise-level brand monitoring in AI, offering features like real-world prompt simulation and multilingual analysis. It helps large organizations manage their brand narrative across various AI platforms.
  • Search Atlas combines traditional SEO with AI automation, featuring an AI agent for tasks like site audits and content optimization. Its OTTO agent can significantly reduce the time spent on SEO processes.
  • ChatGPT, while not a dedicated SEO tool, is incredibly versatile and cost-effective for various SEO tasks. We use it for content generation, keyword ideation, and even technical SEO troubleshooting, saving considerable time.

1. Profound

a laptop computer lit up in the dark

When we first started looking into tools for optimizing our content for AI search, Profound kept popping up. It’s not just another SEO tool; it’s really built from the ground up for this new AI-driven search landscape. Think of it as a pioneer in what they call Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO. We found it particularly useful because it’s one of the first platforms to actually give us data on search volume within AI platforms themselves. It’s kind of like having a Google Keyword Planner, but specifically for how people are asking questions and interacting with AI chatbots like ChatGPT.

We decided to test it out on one of our older blog posts. Using Profound’s Conversation Explorer, we discovered that people were asking very specific questions about the topic in ChatGPT. These questions weren’t showing up in our regular keyword research tools at all. So, we tweaked the content to directly answer these AI-specific queries. The result? That post started showing up in AI search results, and we saw a noticeable bump in traffic coming from those sources. It’s pretty wild to see how different the search behavior is when you’re not just typing into a traditional search bar.

This tool tracks how often certain topics are being discussed across different AI platforms. Even better, it shows us which sources these AI platforms are citing most frequently. For anyone trying to figure out a content strategy for 2025 and beyond, this is incredibly helpful. Knowing where the AI is getting its information helps us understand what kind of content is being prioritized and referenced. It gives us a real edge in creating content that AI models are likely to surface.

Here’s a quick look at what makes Profound stand out:

  • Conversation Explorer: This feature provides actual search volume data for AI platforms, showing you what users are asking.
  • Real-time Tracking: It monitors how your content performs across major AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot.
  • AEO Strategy Development: Profound offers tools to help you build and refine your strategy specifically for AI search optimization.
  • Source Attribution Analysis: Understand which sources AI models are referencing, giving you insights into content authority and relevance.

We found that Profound’s focus is very much on this emerging AEO space. This means that while it’s fantastic for optimizing for AI search, you’ll likely still need other tools for your more traditional SEO tasks. It’s not an all-in-one solution for every SEO need, but for its specific niche, it’s incredibly powerful. The pricing starts at $199 per month, and they do offer a free trial, which is great for testing it out before committing. If you’re serious about getting your content found by AI, Profound is definitely worth a look. It’s helped us understand a whole new way people are searching for information, and how to make sure our content is part of that conversation. It’s a bit like building a great service business homepage – you need to understand the specific needs of your audience and tailor your approach accordingly, and Profound helps us do just that for the AI audience.

The shift towards AI-driven search means we need to think differently about how we create and optimize content. It’s not just about keywords anymore; it’s about understanding the conversational nature of AI and the specific questions users are asking within these systems. Tools like Profound are essential for adapting to this new landscape and ensuring our content remains visible and relevant.

2. Peec AI

a person sitting on a table with a laptop

When we first started looking into how AI search was changing things, we kept hearing about tools that focused on brand visibility. Peec AI is one of those. It’s designed to help you see where your brand shows up, or doesn’t show up, in AI-generated answers. Think about it: if someone asks a question related to your business on a platform like ChatGPT or Perplexity, does your company get mentioned? And if it does, is it in a good light?

We found Peec AI particularly useful for tracking brand mentions across different AI platforms. It gives you a real-time look at how your brand is being perceived. For one of our clients, we used it to monitor their mentions in AI overviews. What we saw was that negative reviews were being highlighted more than positive feedback. This was a big red flag for us. Based on this, we worked on creating content specifically to address those negative points. It took a couple of months, but we saw a 60% increase in positive mentions. That’s a pretty significant shift, and it wouldn’t have been possible without knowing where the problem areas were.

The sentiment analysis feature is a standout. It doesn’t just tell you if your brand is mentioned; it tells you how it’s being talked about. This is super important for understanding your brand’s reputation in the AI space. You can then take steps to improve that perception. It’s like having a pulse on your brand’s AI persona.

Here’s a quick look at what we found helpful:

  • Real-time Brand Tracking: See your brand’s presence across various AI search engines as it happens.
  • Sentiment Analysis: Understand the tone and context of AI responses that mention your brand.
  • Competitor Benchmarking: See how your brand stacks up against competitors in AI search results.
  • Source Attribution: Identify which sources AI platforms are using when referencing your industry or brand.

Peec AI helps us understand our brand’s standing in the new AI-driven search landscape. It’s not just about being present; it’s about how we are presented.

While Peec AI is great for monitoring AI search visibility, it’s important to remember it’s not a replacement for traditional SEO tools. You’ll still need those for broader search engine optimization tasks. However, for anyone focused on how their brand is represented in AI conversations, Peec AI is a solid choice. We’ve seen it help teams expand their focus into what we call Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO. If you’re looking to get a handle on your brand’s AI reputation, checking out tools like these is a good start. You can find more information on various AI monitoring tools, including Peec AI, in articles discussing top AI monitoring tools.

Pricing for Peec AI starts at $149 per month, and they do offer a free trial, which is always a good way to test the waters before committing. It’s a tool that gives you a clear picture of your brand’s visibility in the evolving world of AI search.

3. BrandRadar

When we first started looking into how AI is changing search, we kept hearing about tools that could help us understand our brand’s presence in these new AI-generated answers. That’s where BrandRadar came onto our radar, so to speak. It’s positioned as a more enterprise-level solution, kind of like a bigger sibling to some of the other tools we’ve looked at. If you’re managing a larger brand or working with a team that needs to keep a close eye on how your company is being talked about across various AI platforms, this is definitely worth a look.

What really sets BrandRadar apart is its ability to simulate real-world prompts. Think about it: instead of just guessing what people might ask an AI about your industry or your brand, BrandRadar can test thousands of potential questions. It then shows you how different AI platforms respond. This gives us a much clearer picture of how our brand is being represented and where there might be gaps or inaccuracies. We used it with a global client, and it was eye-opening. We could see how their brand was being discussed differently in English versus Spanish AI responses. This kind of insight allowed us to create a more targeted, multilingual content strategy, and we saw positive mentions jump by about 25% in both markets. It’s not just about seeing if you’re mentioned; it’s about understanding the context and sentiment of those mentions.

BrandRadar also offers robust multilingual sentiment and narrative analysis. This means you can track not only how often your brand is mentioned but also the tone and the story being told about it, across different languages. This is incredibly important for global brands that need to maintain a consistent, positive image worldwide. We also found the citation mapping feature to be quite useful. It helps us understand which sources AI platforms are relying on when they generate answers about our industry or competitors. Knowing this allows us to focus our efforts on building our presence and credibility on those key platforms. It’s about influencing the sources that the AI models themselves trust.

For larger organizations, BrandRadar provides enterprise-grade reporting and alerts. This means you can set up custom dashboards and get notified when certain keywords or sentiment shifts occur in AI responses. This proactive approach helps us stay ahead of potential PR issues or capitalize on emerging opportunities. It’s a tool that’s built for scale and for teams that need detailed, actionable data to manage their brand’s AI visibility effectively. While it’s a powerful tool, it’s important to note that the custom enterprise pricing means it’s likely not the best fit for smaller businesses or individual marketers. However, for those who need that level of detail and control, BrandRadar is a strong contender in the AI search optimization space. It’s a way to ensure your brand is visible and accurately represented in AI-generated answers, so it appears even when users don’t click a link [f295].

Here’s a quick look at some of its key strengths:

  • Real-world prompt simulation: Tests how AI platforms respond to a wide range of user queries.
  • Multilingual analysis: Tracks brand sentiment and narratives across different languages.
  • Citation mapping: Identifies the sources AI models use, helping to inform content strategy.
  • Enterprise reporting: Offers detailed analytics and alerts for large organizations.

The complexity and cost mean this tool is best suited for established businesses with dedicated teams focused on AI visibility and brand reputation management. It’s an investment in understanding and shaping how your brand is perceived in the evolving AI landscape.

While it’s not a direct replacement for traditional SEO tools, BrandRadar fills a critical gap by focusing specifically on the AI-driven search environment. It helps us understand the nuances of AI responses and how our brand fits into that picture. If you’re looking for alternatives to tools like Ahrefs for tracking AI visibility, BrandRadar is certainly one to consider [dfc6].

4. Search Atlas

a computer screen with a bunch of data on it

When we first started looking into tools that could help us with AI search optimization, Search Atlas kept popping up. It’s positioned as an all-in-one SEO platform, but what really caught our eye was its AI automation features. Think of it as a way to get a lot of the heavy lifting in SEO done without you having to manually poke at every single setting. It’s designed to make complex SEO tasks simpler, which is something we can definitely get behind.

One of the standout features for us is the OTTO AI agent. We’ve used it for site audits, and honestly, it’s a game-changer. Instead of spending hours manually checking for technical issues, content gaps, or other optimization opportunities, OTTO just finds them. We found that it cut down our audit time by a significant amount, maybe around 70%, and it was more thorough than our old manual process. It’s like having a tireless assistant who knows exactly what to look for. This kind of automation is exactly what we need to scale our efforts without burning out.

Search Atlas covers a lot of ground. We’re talking keyword research, content optimization, and even link building. It also has a really neat WordPress plugin that lets us optimize and publish content without ever leaving the platform. This integration makes the whole workflow smoother, especially when we’re trying to get new content out quickly. It’s not just about finding problems; it’s about fixing them efficiently too.

We’ve found that Search Atlas is particularly good for teams that manage multiple clients or for businesses that need to scale their content production. The platform’s ability to automate tasks and streamline workflows means we can handle more projects without a proportional increase in workload. It’s a practical tool for anyone looking to improve their website’s performance in search results, especially with the growing influence of AI in how people find information. If you’re looking to streamline your online presence enhancement, this is a tool worth checking out.

We found that the platform’s focus on automation, combined with its broad SEO capabilities, makes it a strong contender for businesses aiming to improve their search engine optimization efforts in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

Here’s a quick look at what we found useful:

  • OTTO AI Agent: Automates many SEO tasks, from audits to content suggestions.
  • WordPress Plugin: Simplifies content optimization and publishing.
  • Domain Power Metric: Helps analyze website authority.
  • Full-Funnel Capabilities: Covers keyword research, content, and technical SEO.

While it’s a powerful tool, it’s worth noting that the sheer number of features can feel a bit much when you first start. Some of the more advanced functions also require you to be on a higher-tier plan. But for the core tasks of automating SEO and improving search performance, it’s a solid choice. We’ve seen good results from using its features to improve our website’s search performance. The pricing starts around $99 a month, which feels reasonable given the capabilities, and they do offer a free trial so you can test it out before committing. It’s definitely one of the tools we rely on to keep our AI search optimization on track.

5. ChatGPT

When we talk about AI tools for search optimization, it feels a bit strange to include something as general as ChatGPT. It’s not a specialized tool like the others we’ve covered, but honestly, we use it all the time for our SEO and AEO work. It’s just so versatile. Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of AI assistants. For starters, it’s incredibly cost-effective. We pay $20 a month for the Plus version, and the amount of time it saves us is huge. For example, we needed to write meta descriptions for about 50 blog posts recently. What would have taken us a solid three hours of manual work, we got done in about 30 minutes using ChatGPT. That’s a massive time saver.

We also use it a lot for keyword research, especially for finding long-tail variations. You just give it a main keyword, ask for variations, and it spits out ideas we might not have considered otherwise. It’s not always perfect, and we usually run the output through more specialized SEO tools to double-check, but it’s a fantastic starting point for ideation. It’s especially good for beginners who are just getting into SEO and need a tool that’s easy to understand and use.

Beyond just content ideas and basic keyword research, ChatGPT can also help with troubleshooting technical SEO issues. If we’re stuck on something, we can describe the problem to ChatGPT and often get useful suggestions or explanations. It’s like having a junior SEO analyst on call 24/7. We’ve also found it helpful for understanding how AI models process information, which is key for AEO. Learning about how people are using ChatGPT and AI search for SEO and AEO strategies has really opened our eyes to its potential beyond just content creation.

One of the most important things we’ve learned is the need for clear, declarative statements when structuring content for AI. Instead of saying something vague like, “Customers are generally happy with the onboarding experience,” we aim for something more direct, like, “Over 92% of enterprise users rated our platform as easy to deploy.” This kind of clarity helps AI models process and summarize information more effectively. It’s a small change, but it makes a difference when you want your content to be picked up by generative AI.

Here’s a quick rundown of how we use ChatGPT for our AEO efforts:

  • Content Ideation: Generating blog post ideas, social media content, and even video scripts.
  • Keyword Research: Finding long-tail keywords and semantic variations.
  • Meta Descriptions & Titles: Drafting concise and effective meta descriptions and titles.
  • Technical SEO Assistance: Getting explanations and potential solutions for technical issues.
  • Understanding AI: Learning about AI models and how they process information.

We’ve found that structuring our content with clear headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points makes it easier for AI models to process. This approach helps ensure our content is more likely to be surfaced in AI-generated answers.

While it’s not a dedicated prompt engineering tool like PromptPerfect, which can optimize prompts for other AI models like MidJourney or DALL-E 2, ChatGPT itself is a powerful tool for generating and refining prompts for its own use. We often use it to brainstorm different ways to ask a question or to get more specific outputs. It’s a bit of a meta-use, but it works. For solo entrepreneurs and small businesses, or even content creators who need quick ideas, ChatGPT is an incredibly accessible and powerful resource. It’s not the only tool we use, but it’s definitely one of the most frequently used in our daily workflow for optimizing our presence in the evolving landscape of AI-driven search.

ChatGPT is a powerful tool that can help you with many tasks. It’s like having a super-smart assistant! You can use it to write stories, answer questions, and even help with homework. Want to see how it can help you create amazing content? Try our free website cost calculator to get started!

Wrapping Up Our AEO Tool Exploration

So, we’ve looked at some really useful tools for getting your brand seen in AI search results, which is basically Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO. It’s a new game, and honestly, it feels like the early days of regular SEO all over again. As more people use things like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews, being there when the AI gives an answer is going to be super important. We found that tools like Profound give you data on AI search volume, which is pretty wild, and Peec AI helps you see how your brand is showing up. It’s not just about ranking anymore; it’s about being part of the conversation the AI is having. Getting this right now means you’re ahead of the curve. We’ve seen firsthand how optimizing for these AI queries can bring in more attention. It’s definitely worth exploring these prompt mining tools to make sure your content is what the AI shares when people ask questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is prompt mining for AI search?

Prompt mining is like digging for gold, but instead of gold, we’re looking for the best questions people ask AI. We use special tools to find out what users are typing into AI search engines, like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews. This helps us understand what information people really need so we can make sure our content is found.

Why is this important for our website?

Search is changing fast! AI is now giving direct answers instead of just links. If we don’t show up in these AI answers, potential customers might never find us. It’s like having a shop on a busy street, but not being visible to people walking by.

How do these prompt mining tools help us?

These tools act like detectives for AI questions. They show us the exact phrases and questions people are using. For example, we found out people were asking very specific things about ‘project management tools for remote teams’ that we hadn’t thought of. By using these insights, we can create content that directly answers those questions.

Can you give an example of how a tool helped?

Definitely! We used one tool, Profound, and discovered that people were asking questions about our services on ChatGPT that weren’t showing up in regular Google searches. When we adjusted our website content to match those AI questions, we saw a big jump in traffic from AI searches.

Which tools are the best for this?

We’ve found that tools like Profound, Peec AI, BrandRadar, and Search Atlas are really useful. Even ChatGPT itself can be helpful for brainstorming and understanding what people might ask. Each tool has its own strengths, like tracking brand mentions or finding specific AI search volumes.

Is this different from regular SEO?

Yes, it’s a bit different. Regular SEO focuses on getting our website to rank high on Google’s search results pages. Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), which uses prompt mining, is about making sure our brand and information are included in the direct answers that AI gives. They work best together.

How do we start using these tools?

The first step is to understand how AI search works. Then, we need to listen to our customers to find out what they’re asking. After that, we can use these prompt mining tools to find the exact questions and create clear, helpful content that answers them directly. Many tools offer free trials, so we can test them out.

Will this replace traditional SEO?

Not at all! Traditional SEO is still very important. Think of AEO and prompt mining as adding a new layer on top. A strong website foundation from SEO helps AI understand our content better. By combining both, we make sure we’re visible everywhere people are looking for information.

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