The world of search is changing faster than ever. Millions of users are now turning to AI-powered search engines like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity to research products and services. This shift in user behavior is having a profound impact on businesses, with many experiencing a significant drop in clicks and an increase in pressure to adapt.
This article will explore the new reality of AI-driven search, the data behind the traffic shifts, and the tools you can use to track your brand mentions in this new landscape. We'll cover:
- The Shift to AI-Powered Search
- The Data: Traffic Drops and Zero-Click Searches
- Why Tracking Brand Mentions in AI Overviews is Critical
- Tools for Tracking Brand Mentions in AI Overviews
- Final Verdict: Taking Control of Your AI Search Presence
The Shift to AI-Powered Search
This means that even if your website is one of the sources, you may not get the click. Your brand is now being presented through the lens of an AI, and you have less control over the narrative. This is a fundamental shift that requires a new approach to search visibility.
The Data: Traffic Drops and Zero-Click Searches
The data on the impact of AI Overviews is still emerging, but the early numbers are stark. Here's a look at what the research shows:
- Significant CTR Declines: Studies from Ahrefs and Seer Interactive have reported organic click-through rate (CTR) drops ranging from 34.5% to 61% for queries with AI Overviews.
- Increased Zero-Click Searches: The rise of AI Overviews has led to a surge in zero-click searches, where the user gets their answer directly from the search results page without clicking on any links. Some reports show zero-click searches hitting 69% in 2025.
- Massive Traffic Loss for Top Rankings: A study by The Guardian found that sites previously ranked first can lose up to 79% of their traffic if their result appears below the Google AI Overview.
- AI Search Traffic Growth: While traditional organic traffic is declining, AI search traffic is exploding. A 2025 report from Semrush found that AI search traffic is up 527% year over year.
These numbers paint a clear picture: the way users interact with search is changing, and businesses that don't adapt will be left behind.
Why Tracking Brand Mentions in AI Overviews is Critical
In this new AI-driven search landscape, tracking your brand mentions is no longer a vanity metric, it's a business imperative. Here's why:
- Understand Your AI Narrative: You need to know how AI models are portraying your brand. Are they highlighting your key features? Are they accurately representing your pricing? Are they mentioning you in the right contexts?
- Identify Competitive Gaps: By tracking your competitors' brand mentions, you can identify where they're getting visibility and you're not. This can help you spot new content opportunities and refine your AI search strategy.
- Protect Your Brand Reputation: AI models can sometimes generate inaccurate or negative information. By monitoring your brand mentions, you can quickly identify and address any issues before they damage your reputation.
- Measure Your AI Search Performance: Traditional SEO metrics like rankings and traffic are becoming less relevant in the age of AI. A recent survey by Clear Spark Digital showed that 68% of searchers already trust AI as much or more than organic search results.
Tracking your brand mentions and AI Visibility Score gives you a new way to measure your performance and demonstrate the ROI of your AEO efforts.
Tools for Tracking Brand Mentions in AI Overviews
Fortunately, a new category of tools has emerged to help businesses track their brand mentions in AI Overviews and other AI search engines. Here are a few of the top options:
| Tool | Starting Price | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Peekaboo | $50/month | White-label reports for agencies |
| Otterly.AI | $29/month | GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) Audit tool |
| LLM Pulse | €49/month (~$53/month) | Content Intelligence recommendations |
| Semrush One | $199/month | Combines traditional SEO with AI search tracking |
| Peec AI | Brands from €85/mo (~$93), Agencies from €205/mo | Focus on marketing teams and shareable reports |
| Rankshift | €69/month (~$75/month) | Captures AI responses from UI, not just API |
1. Peekaboo
Peekaboo is a powerful and affordable AI visibility tool that's designed for businesses of all sizes. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for tracking your brand mentions, monitoring your competitors, and optimizing your AI search presence. It's particularly strong for agencies, offering full white-label capabilities and flexible pricing for managing multiple clients.
Key Features:
- Tracks 5 AI Engines: ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity.
- AI Visibility Score: A proprietary metric that measures your overall visibility in AI answers.
- Citation Source Tracking: See which websites AI models are citing when they mention your brand.
- Competitor Monitoring: Track your competitors' brand mentions and AI Visibility Score.
- White-Label Reports: White-label AI monitoring lets agencies create custom-branded reports for their clients on their own domain.
Pricing:
- Starter: $50/month (3,000 data points, tracking every 2 days)
- Peek: $100/month (6,000 data points, daily tracking)
- Grow: $200/month (15,000 data points, daily tracking)
2. Otterly.AI
Otterly.AI is another excellent tool for tracking your brand mentions in AI search. It's known for its affordable pricing and its GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) Audit tool, which helps you identify on-page factors that can improve your AI search visibility. It's a great option for businesses that are just getting started with AEO and want a user-friendly platform.
Key Features:
- Tracks 6 AI Engines: ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Mode (add-on), and Gemini (add-on).
- Brand Visibility Index: Similar to Peekaboo's AI Visibility Score, this metric measures your brand's visibility in AI answers.
- GEO Audit Tool: Analyzes 25+ on-page factors to help you optimize your content for AI search.
- 14-Day Free Trial: A great way to test out the platform before committing to a paid plan.
Pricing:
- Lite: $29/month (15 search prompts, 4 AI engines)
- Standard: $189/month (100 search prompts, 4 AI engines)
- Premium: $489/month (400 search prompts, 4 AI engines)
3. LLM Pulse
LLM Pulse is a comprehensive AI search visibility tracker that's trusted by over 500 leading brands. It offers a wide range of features, including prompt tracking, citation analysis, and sentiment analysis. Its Content Intelligence feature provides AI-powered recommendations to improve your AI search presence, making it a alternatives to LLM Pulse.
Key Features:
- Tracks 7+ AI Models: Including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Mode, and Google AI Overviews.
- Content Intelligence: Get AI-powered content recommendations to improve your AI search presence.
- White Label Options: Available for enterprise customers.
- API Access: Integrate LLM Pulse data with your other marketing tools.
Pricing:
- Starter: €49/month (~$53/month) - 40 tracked prompts
- Growth: €99/month (~$107/month) - 100 tracked prompts
- Scale: €299/month (~$323/month) - 300 tracked prompts
4. Semrush One
Semrush One is an all-in-one platform that combines Semrush's leading traditional SEO tools with powerful AI search capabilities. It's a great option for businesses that want to manage their entire search presence from a single dashboard. The platform allows you to track your visibility across Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, and see how that visibility drives revenue.
Key Features:
- Unified Platform: Combines traditional SEO and AI search tracking.
- Tracks 3+ AI Models: ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
- AI-Ready Site Audit: Find technical issues that could impact your AI search visibility.
- Content Optimization: Tools to help you create content that ranks in both traditional and AI search.
Pricing:
- Starter: $199/month (50 prompts, 500 keywords)
- Pro+: $299/month (100 prompts, 1,500 keywords)
- Advanced: $549/month (200 prompts, 5,000 keywords)
5. Peec AI
Peec AI is an AI search analytics platform designed specifically for marketing teams. It's trusted by over 1,500 teams and focuses on turning AI search insights into new customers. The platform is known for its user-friendly interface and its ability to create simple, shareable reports for teams and clients.
Key Features:
- Tracks 3+ AI Models: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews (with options to add more).
- Sentiment Analysis: Understand how AI models are framing your brand.
- Citation Tracking: Find the key sources shaping your visibility.
- Unlimited Seats: All plans include unlimited users.
- Actions (beta): Converts visibility data into a prioritized GEO roadmap with Owned and Earned Media opportunities scored by Relative Opportunity Score.
Pricing:
- Starter: €85/month (50 prompts, choose 3 models, 1 project)
- Pro: €205/month (150 prompts, choose 3 models, 2 projects)
- Advanced: €425/month (350 prompts, choose 3 models, 5 projects)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing (all models, unlimited projects, API access, SSO)
- Agency plans: Essential €205/month, Growth €425/month, Scale €675/month.
6. Rankshift
Rankshift is a powerful AI visibility tool that's trusted by over 850 brands worldwide. A key differentiator is that it captures AI responses directly from the User Interface (UI), not just API outputs, which can provide more accurate data. It also offers strong features for digital PR teams and reliable prompt tracking for large-scale use.
Key Features:
- Tracks All Major LLMs: Including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini.
- UI-Based Data Capture: Provides more accurate data by capturing responses from the UI.
- AI Crawler Logs: Track when AI models crawl your website.
- Unlimited Projects & Users: All plans include unlimited projects and users.
Pricing:
- Starter: €69/month (~$75/month) - 150 prompts/day
- Professional: €159/month (~$172/month) - 350 prompts/day
- Business: €359/month (~$388/month) - 850 prompts/day
Final Verdict: Taking Control of Your AI Search Presence
The rise of AI-powered search is a paradigm shift that requires a new approach to SEO. Businesses that want to thrive in this new landscape need to move beyond traditional metrics and start tracking their brand mentions in AI Overviews and other AI search engines.
Tools like Peekaboo, Otterly.AI, LLM Pulse, Semrush One, Peec AI, and Rankshift provide the visibility you need to understand your AI narrative, identify competitive gaps, and take control of your AI search presence. By embracing these new tools and strategies, you can ensure that your brand remains visible and relevant in the age of AI.
Full transparency: I’m the Founder and CEO of Peekaboo, and we’re included in this list. I’ve seen firsthand how our AI-first strategies drive results for B2B startups creating measurable pipeline growth. That said, I’ve made every effort to provide an honest, balanced comparison. The other tools featured here are genuinely strong options, each with unique strengths and proven track records. My goal isn’t to claim Peekaboo is the best AI SEO agency for B2B startups. It’s to help you find the right fit for your specific needs, budget, and growth stage.
Despite my connection to Peekaboo, this comparison offers value because I’ve done the research you don’t have time for. I’ve analyzed actual case studies, compared pricing models, and identified what differentiates each tool's approach to AI SEO (or AEO/GEO). Rather than hiding my bias, I’m acknowledging it upfront so you can factor it into your decision-making.
