{"id":14410,"date":"2025-10-15T16:52:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:52:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:52:21","slug":"semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Semrush AI SEO: How to Audit Your AI Search Visibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>AI answers are taking over search. More people are turning to Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>And if your brand isn\u2019t showing up in those AI answers? You\u2019re missing out on a huge (and growing) slice of your market.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why Semrush built the <a title=\"Semrush AI SEO Toolkit | Be the Brand AI Recommends First\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ai-seo\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI SEO Toolkit<\/a>. It\u2019s a major unlock for marketers trying to understand how AI is impacting their<br \/>\nbusiness.<\/p>\n<p>Today, I\u2019m going to show you how to use it \u2014 step by step \u2014 with a real example.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#TLDR_Measure_Your_AI_Search_Visibility\" >TL;DR: Measure Your AI Search Visibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_0_Start_With_a_Brand\" >Step 0: Start With a Brand<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_1_Get_Your_Search_Baseline\" >Step 1: Get Your Search Baseline<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_2_Check_Your_AI_Visibility\" >Step 2: Check Your AI Visibility<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_3_Gauge_Visibility_at_the_Prompt_Level\" >Step 3. Gauge Visibility at the Prompt Level<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_4_Review_Your_Brands_Trust_Factors\" >Step 4. Review Your Brand\u2019s Trust Factors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_5_Audit_Brand_Sentiment_in_AI_Tools\" >Step 5. Audit Brand Sentiment in AI Tools<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Step_6_Identify_More_Content_Ideas\" >Step 6. Identify More Content Ideas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/15\/semrush-ai-seo-how-to-audit-your-ai-search-visibility\/#Turn_Your_AI_SEO_Audit_Insights_Into_Action\" >Turn Your AI SEO Audit Insights Into Action<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TLDR_Measure_Your_AI_Search_Visibility\"><\/span>TL;DR: Measure Your AI Search Visibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to know about Semrush\u2019s AI SEO Toolkit:<\/p>\n<p><strong>What it does:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tracks how your brand appears across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity \u2014 showing which prompts include you and where you\u2019re missing<\/li>\n<li>Provides prompt tracking, content audits, and competitor comparisons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What it costs:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>$99\/month per domain (no trial)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_0_Start_With_a_Brand\"><\/span>Step 0: Start With a Brand<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before we analyze anything, let\u2019s pick a brand to make this walkthrough concrete.<\/p>\n<p>I went to <a title=\"Exploding Topics\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/apps\/exploding-topics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exploding Topics<\/a>, browsed the ecommerce category, and picked Petlibro \u2014 a trending startup that sells smart pet feeders and water fountains.<\/p>\n<p>I have zero affiliation with Petlibro. This isn\u2019t sponsored. I just wanted a brand that\u2019s growing fast and has enough search demand to make this example interesting.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Exploding Topics \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Trending Startups\" alt=\"Exploding Topics \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Trending Startups\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.71857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/explodingtopics-petlibro-trending-startups.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Get_Your_Search_Baseline\"><\/span>Step 1: Get Your Search Baseline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before we look at AI, we want to know how Petlibro is doing in traditional search. It\u2019s super valuable context that will help us understand how they\u2019re performing in LLMs.<\/p>\n<p>To understand their current search baseline, head to <a title=\"Domain Overview: Get Instant Domain SEO Analysis\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Semrush\u2019s Domain Overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Enter the brand\u2019s domain name and look at the last 18 months. Looking at petlibro.com, they\u2019ve been growing a TON.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Domain Overview \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Overview\" alt=\"Domain Overview \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Overview\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.76857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/domain-overview-petlibro-overview.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>They get most of their traffic from the U.S., rank for more than 25,000 keywords, and have a <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/tools\/website-authority\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">domain Authority Score<\/a> of 43 with backlinks from 2.8K referring domains.<\/p>\n<p>And they rank well in traditional SERPs for a bunch of highly relevant category and product keywords.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Organic Research \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Positions\" alt=\"Organic Research \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Positions\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0228571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/organic-research-petlibro-positions.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>So they\u2019re a real brand that\u2019s already doing a good job with SEO. And <a title=\"10 Best Practice to Improve Your SEO Rankings\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/hub\/seo\/best-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">good search engine optimization<\/a> often correlates with good AI optimization.<\/p>\n<p>If your brand has so far neglected SEO, now is the ideal time to tackle that with a solid AI SEO strategy (which this audit will help you form).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Check_Your_AI_Visibility\"><\/span>Step 2: Check Your AI Visibility<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now for the fun part.<\/p>\n<p>Back in the Semrush dashboard, look for <a title=\"Semrush AI SEO Toolkit | Be the Brand AI Recommends First\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ai-seo\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI SEO<\/a> in the sidebar.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Brand Performance \u2013 Analyze\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Brand Performance \u2013 Analyze\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.49\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-brand-performance-analyze.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Enter petlibro.com, and a few minutes later, your Brand Performance dashboard will be ready for review.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Brand Performance \u2013 Petlibro\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Brand Performance \u2013 Petlibro\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0542857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-brand-performance-petlibro.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>On the right side, you can see the Share of Voice versus Sentiment Score.<\/p>\n<p>The most interesting thing I noticed right away is that Petlibro has relatively low Share of Voice (6%) in regular ChatGPT, without Search.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Brand Performance \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Share of Voice\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Brand Performance \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Share of Voice\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.84142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-brand-performance-petlibro-share-of-voice.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s because ChatGPT 5 <strong>without<\/strong> search enabled has a training data cutoff of September 30, 2024.<\/p>\n<p>And as we saw in traditional search, Petlibro has been growing a LOT in the last year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Domain Overview \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Organic Traffic\" alt=\"Domain Overview \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Organic Traffic\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.57333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/domain-overview-petlibro-organic-traffic.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Fortunately, they\u2019re performing much better in SearchGPT, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity. All three of which use live search to generate their answers. For example, Petlibro\u2019s Share of Voice in Google AI Mode is 27.8%:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Share of Voice \u2013 Google AI Mode\" alt=\"Semrush AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Share of Voice \u2013 Google AI Mode\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.60714285714286\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-share-of-voice-google-ai.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> Keep this in mind when analyzing your own brand too. These tools might not have your newest content in their training data. This can affect your apparent visibility, so be sure to check your visibility when search <strong>is<\/strong> enabled (as search-powered experiences are becoming more common).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This tab gives you a broad overview of your brand\u2019s visibility. The next step will help you get more granular.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Gauge_Visibility_at_the_Prompt_Level\"><\/span>Step 3. Gauge Visibility at the Prompt Level<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You can get prompt-level details by heading to the <strong>Visibility Overview<\/strong> tab.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Visibility Overview\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Visibility Overview\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.66142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-visibility-overview.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Things are evolving fast in the AI SEO space. This tool is brand new at the time of writing, so there isn\u2019t much in the way of historical data right now. But tracking your visibility here over time will help you understand how well optimized your site is for an increasingly AI-based search landscape.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-note.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Scroll down and you\u2019ll be able to quickly understand:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your top-performing topics<\/li>\n<li>Opportunities to improve your brand\u2019s visibility<\/li>\n<li>Popular sources for prompts relevant to your industry<\/li>\n<li>Where your competitors are being cited that you\u2019re not<\/li>\n<li>Where you are being cited as a source<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Topics &amp; Sources\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Topics &amp; Sources\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.71857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-topics-and-sources.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Click on any of the topics (or select <strong>Prompts<\/strong>) to see exact prompts and the AI response that you appear as part of.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Your Performing Topics \u2013 Prompts\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Your Performing Topics \u2013 Prompts\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.88142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-tyour-performing-topics-prompts.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>To get more data on the prompts your rivals are appearing for that you\u2019re not, head to the <strong>Narrative Drivers<\/strong> tab. First, you\u2019ll see your brand\u2019s Share of Voice by platform.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Share of Voice by Platform\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Share of Voice by Platform\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.68571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-share-of-voice-by-platform.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This gives you an overview of where your rivals are winning on each AI platform. But we want to scroll down to <strong>Share of Voice<\/strong> and switch to the <strong>Average Position<\/strong> view.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Average Position \u2013 Google AI Mode\" alt=\"Semrush AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Average Position \u2013 Google AI Mode\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.70428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-average-position-google-ai-mode.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>You can then toggle each competitor individually to get a better idea of how you perform against key rivals over time.<\/p>\n<p>This view essentially gives you a snapshot of your brand\u2019s visibility for key prompts.<\/p>\n<p>To understand which prompts you are and are not appearing for compared to your rivals, you want to scroll down to the <strong>Breakdown by Question<\/strong> section.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll see your position, which is where you show up in the answer snippet compared to your competitors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Breakdown by Question\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Breakdown by Question\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.76571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-breakdown-by-question.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>You can see which ones your rivals appear for that you don\u2019t by using the filters:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Breakdown by Question \u2013 Filters\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Breakdown by Question \u2013 Filters\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.71857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-breakdown-by-question-filters.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>For example, Petlibro isn\u2019t appearing for a few prompts that multiple competitors are mentioned in:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Breakdown by Question \u2013 Not present filter\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 Breakdown by Question \u2013 Not present filter\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.73142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-breakdown-by-question-not-present-filter.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Identify the most relevant queries you want to start appearing for, and do this for each AI tool (using the toggle at the top left).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Toggle at top left\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Toggle at top left\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.68181818181818\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-toggle-at-top-left.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Note these down somewhere, as these will help frame your <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-search-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI optimization strategy<\/a>. Think of this part like the <a title=\"Free Keyword Research Tool by Backlinko\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/tools\/keyword\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">keyword research<\/a> stage in a traditional SEO campaign.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Review_Your_Brands_Trust_Factors\"><\/span>Step 4. Review Your Brand\u2019s Trust Factors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Next, you want to understand where your brand is doing a good job of appearing trustworthy to both your users and the LLMs themselves.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, head back to the <strong>Brand Performance<\/strong> tab and scroll down to <strong>Key Business Drivers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This essentially shows where your brand is strong compared to your competitors in various areas that help convey trust to users.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Key Business Drivers by Frequency\" alt=\"Key Business Drivers by Frequency\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0128571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/key-business-drivers-by-frequency.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>It might look overwhelming at first.<\/p>\n<p>But basically:<\/p>\n<p>The numbers illustrate how often key business drivers (i.e., trust factors) appear in answers where your brand is also mentioned. The bigger the number, the better.<\/p>\n<p>(Look for the trophy icon to see where you\u2019re currently ahead of your competitors.)<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<p>Searchers may value smart home integration when selecting a smart pet feeder.<\/p>\n<p>When AI tools mention PetSafe, they also sometimes mention the fact it has these features.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Business Drivers \u2013 PetSafe vs. Petlibro\" alt=\"Business Drivers \u2013 PetSafe vs. Petlibro\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0528571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/business-drivers-petsafe-vs-petlibro.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This makes the brand more likely to appear in AI search responses when a user is looking for smart pet feeders with features like smart home integrations.<\/p>\n<p>If Petlibro offers this, the brand needs to do a better job of conveying that in their content, or they\u2019re going to struggle to appear in AI responses for relevant prompts.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, PetSafe <strong>is<\/strong> being mentioned for this kind of user prompt:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Narrative Drivers \u2013 Petlibro\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Narrative Drivers \u2013 Petlibro\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.66142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-narrative-drivers-petlibro.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Go through this tab and identify trust factors you want to appear for.<\/p>\n<p>If you spot areas competitors are strong but you\u2019re not being picked up, make sure you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Include trust factors and unique selling points on your website homepage<\/li>\n<li>Add mentions of relevant features to product pages<\/li>\n<li>Write helpful FAQ questions on product pages and blog posts that cater to these trust factors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Audit_Brand_Sentiment_in_AI_Tools\"><\/span>Step 5. Audit Brand Sentiment in AI Tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The next step involves diving deeper into how AI tools (and by proxy your users) perceive your brand.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, we\u2019ll head to the <strong>Perception<\/strong> report and scroll to the <strong>Key Sentiment Drivers<\/strong> section.<\/p>\n<p>This will show you <strong>Brand Strength Factors<\/strong> and <strong>Areas for Improvement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This is a great snapshot to see where you\u2019re already doing well. And where you might need to focus new efforts on improving your brand\u2019s perception in AI responses.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Perception \u2013 Key Sentiment Drivers\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Perception \u2013 Key Sentiment Drivers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.4542857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-perception-key-sentiment-drivers.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Brand strength factors are essentially areas where the AI tools talk positively about your brand.<\/p>\n<p>In Petlibro\u2019s case, these are factors like app connectivity, mechanical jams, and customer support.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> Look for anything that\u2019s not accurate here. You don\u2019t want AI tools to be recommending your brand for things you don\u2019t offer \u2014 this will just lead to disappointed customers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The areas for improvement are areas where you might want to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create optimized content to make it clear to customers what you offer<\/li>\n<li>Optimize your existing product pages to better reflect their strengths<\/li>\n<li>Improve your products or services to better meet your customers\u2019 needs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That final point is worth emphasizing. Semrush\u2019s AI SEO tools don\u2019t just give you content ideas.<\/p>\n<p>You can use the insights you gain here and the prompts real users are inputting into AI tools to understand where you can improve and expand your products\/services.<\/p>\n<p>The future of marketing is truly collaborative across departments. And these kinds of insights can help align both your SEO\/content teams <strong>and<\/strong> your product and marketing divisions.<\/p>\n<p>This can lead to a better user experience on your site, a better product for your customers, and increased business growth.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-quote alert blue-box font-georgia type-normal transparent-img-bg\">\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-sm-down\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">        <\/figure>\n<div class=\"media-body\">\n<blockquote class=\"sc-quote\">\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> At the bottom of most of these tabs, you\u2019ll also find \u201cAI Strategic Insights.\u201d These are AI-powered suggestions you can use immediately to boost your AI visibility.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 AI Strategic Opportunities\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 AI Strategic Opportunities\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.05\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-ai-strategic-opportunities.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media\">\n<figure class=\"sc-picture media-left hidden-md-up\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/icon-tip.png\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" loading=\"lazy\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\">                <\/figure>\n<p>                                <cite class=\"sc-name media-body media-middle\"><br \/>\n                                    <\/cite>\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Identify_More_Content_Ideas\"><\/span>Step 6. Identify More Content Ideas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Step 6 is to find more ideas for creating new content and optimizing your existing pages.<\/p>\n<p>First, head to the <strong>Questions<\/strong> tab and scroll down to the <strong>Query Topics<\/strong> section.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Query Topics\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Query Topics\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.89142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-query-topics.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Answer these questions with new content or in your existing content.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Petlibro could create a blog post titled \u201cHow to Stop Your Cat Shaking Food Out of Its Feeder.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They could also update their product pages to highlight that their feeders support different portion sizes for morning and evening meals, and add an FAQ section answering common branded questions.<\/p>\n<p>To understand what content you might want to create (and which prompts are actually worth optimizing for), enter the relevant ones into tools like ChatGPT. (Make sure you enable web search.)<\/p>\n<p>The example below returns a lot of scientific papers, so it would likely be a tough one for Petlibro to appear for.<\/p>\n<p>But there is a Reddit thread in there too. Which means a <a title=\"Reddit Marketing in 3 Hours\/Week: From 0 Karma to Real Cred\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/reddit-marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Reddit marketing strategy<\/a> could be worth exploring to boost visibility for these kinds of prompts.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Reddit thread\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Reddit thread\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.87571428571429\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-reddit-thread.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This next one is a more likely candidate, and we can see PetSafe (a competitor) gets cited as a source. (And Reddit appears again too.)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Reddit &amp; PetSafe\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Reddit &amp; PetSafe\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.93428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-reddit-and-petsafe.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>There is also a product carousel with links further down \u2014 none of which are from Petlibro.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Product carousel with links\" alt=\"ChatGPT \u2013 Product carousel with links\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.4866666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chatgpt-product-carousel-with-links.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>So this would definitely be worth digging into to see why PetSafe (and the other products) are being recommended:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do the product pages do a better job of conveying trust signals?<\/li>\n<li>Are they more descriptive?<\/li>\n<li>Do they have FAQ sections that answer the prompt\u2019s question?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bottom line:<\/p>\n<p>You need to look closer than simply the prompts themselves to understand why other brands are being recommended ahead of yours.<\/p>\n<p>But once again, if you scroll to the bottom, you\u2019ll find AI-powered insights that can give you a head start.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 AI Strategic Opportunities\" alt=\"Semrush \u2013 AI SEO \u2013 Petlibro \u2013 AI Strategic Opportunities\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.3085714285714\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/semrush-ai-seo-petlibro-ai-strategic-opportunities.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turn_Your_AI_SEO_Audit_Insights_Into_Action\"><\/span>Turn Your AI SEO Audit Insights Into Action<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An AI SEO audit is a vital first step to make your brand AI ready. And <a title=\"Semrush AI SEO Toolkit | Be the Brand AI Recommends First\" href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ai-seo\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Semrush\u2019s AI SEO Toolkit<\/a> gives you everything you need to get started.<\/p>\n<p>But the audit is just the first step. Use these resources to turn what you learn from the tool into action for your brand:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a title=\"AI Search Strategy: The Seen &amp; Trusted Brand Framework\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-search-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI Search Strategy: The Seen &amp; Trusted Brand Framework<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"5 LLM Visibility Tools to Track Your Brand in AI Search\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/llm-tracking-tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5 LLM Visibility Tools to Track Your Brand in AI Search (2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"LLM Seeding: A New Strategy to Get Mentioned and Cited by LLMs\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/llm-seeding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LLM Seeding: A New Strategy to Get Mentioned and Cited by LLMs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/ai-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Semrush AI SEO: How to Audit Your AI Search Visibility<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backlinko<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI answers are taking over search. More people are turning to Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for recommendations. And if your brand isn\u2019t showing up in those AI answers? You\u2019re missing out on a huge (and growing) slice of your market. That\u2019s why Semrush built the AI SEO Toolkit. It\u2019s a major unlock for marketers trying to understand how AI is impacting their business. Today, I\u2019m going to show you how to use it \u2014 step by step \u2014 with a real example. TL;DR: Measure [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backlinko"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/explodingtopics-petlibro-trending-startups-mTfiOR-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/explodingtopics-petlibro-trending-startups-mTfiOR-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/craig\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14410"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14410\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}