> Primary references
Check the platform guidance and the limits.
These are platform requirements, not measured TomHow results. Google eligibility does not guarantee inclusion. OpenAI documents search access separately from training access. Check the current guidance before changing crawler controls or buying an optimisation claim.
> Provider types
The market splits into three buying routes.
AI search agencies, GEO tools, and traditional SEO teams can all be useful. They solve different parts of the same problem, so the buyer needs to separate measurement, diagnosis, and delivery.
- Specialist agency: diagnosis plus technical, content, and authority work
- GEO tool: repeated prompt tracking, source discovery, and competitor monitoring
- SEO agency: search foundation, content depth, internal links, and schema hygiene
- Digital PR team: third-party proof sources that AI systems may cite
- Internal team: fastest route when developers and content owners can ship fixes quickly
> Tool landscape
The tool should match the job you need done.
Broad SEO suites are adding AI visibility layers. Specialist platforms focus on prompt tracking, source analysis, share of voice, sentiment, and competitor movement. None of them removes the need to fix weak pages.
- Ahrefs Brand Radar and Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit fit teams already using SEO data
- Peec AI, Profound, AthenaHQ, and OtterlyAI fit prompt-led tracking and source analysis
- Ask whether results come from front-end captures, APIs, search-backed prompt databases, or manual checks
- Ask whether raw rows can be exported for audit and reporting
- Treat visibility scores as directional until the source rows are reviewed
> Why names appear
Inspect the cited sources before explaining the shortlist.
An answer shows which names and source URLs appeared in that observation. It does not reveal the selection rule or prove that a particular profile caused inclusion. Compare the actual cited pages with your own offer, then record possible explanations as hypotheses. This is a buying framework, not a dated hands-on benchmark of the named tools.
- Clear entity label such as AI search agency, GEO agency, or AI visibility audit provider
- Named platform coverage across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, and AI Overviews
- Method pages explaining prompt testing, competitor checks, source analysis, schema, and crawler access
- External profiles, rankings, directories, testimonials, research, or partner mentions repeating the same story
- A rerun plan that checks whether new on-site and third-party evidence changes the answer set
> Proof standard
A credible provider can show the working, not just the score.
Before choosing anyone, ask for the measurement method. The answer should include prompts, platform names, capture dates, cited brands, cited URLs, competitors, and the recommended action from each pattern.
- Fixed buyer prompt set
- Platform, country, and answer mode recorded
- Brand mentions separated from cited URLs
- Competitor citation share tracked
- Technical, content, and authority actions separated
> When to choose a tool
Use a tool when you already have a team to act on the data.
A dashboard can show visibility, but it will not rewrite thin service pages, fix blocked crawlers, strengthen entity clarity, or earn third-party proof. Tools are strongest after the foundation is clean.
- Use tools for repeat tracking
- Use audits for diagnosis
- Use content work for answer eligibility
- Use digital PR for authority gaps
- Use technical fixes for extraction gaps
> TomHow stance
The best first step is usually a measured audit.
For most B2B service brands, the clean route is a short proof run first: buyer prompts, competitor checks, technical AEO review, search data, and a ranked content plan. Then decide whether to buy software, hire delivery support, or run an internal sprint.
- Prompt-level evidence
- Competitor and source comparison
- Technical AEO checks
- Search data review
- Signed next-action roadmap