As Google rolls out its dedicated "AI Mode" to more users, search marketing is shifting from blue links to conversational, generative answers. But here is the problem: most traditional SEO trackers are blind to this shift.
They either don't track Google AI Mode at all, relying solely on standard AI Overviews, or they treat AI Mode as a premium add-on that costs hundreds of dollars extra per month.
In this guide to Google AI Mode Tracking: The 5 Tools That Actually Support It, we break down the leading platforms, comparing their native capabilities, pricing models, and depth of analysis.
Google AI Mode vs. Standard AI Overviews
Before diving into the tools, it is crucial to understand the difference between standard AI Overviews (AIO) and the new Google AI Mode.
While an AI Overview appears at the top of a traditional search engine results page (SERP), Google AI Mode is a distinct, conversational search interface (often triggered by appending ?udm=33 or similar parameters in testing environments, though it's becoming natively integrated).
In AI Mode, the user engages in a continuous dialogue with the LLM, and the model dynamically fetches and synthesizes web sources. Tracking visibility here requires tools that can simulate multi-turn conversations and parse complex RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) outputs, rather than just scraping a static SERP.
The AI Mode Support Matrix
We analyzed the top generative engine optimization (GEO) platforms to see how they handle Google AI Mode.
| Platform | Google AI Mode Tracking | AI Mode Treated as Add-On? | Native ChatGPT & Perplexity | Base Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (Native) | No (Included in base) | Yes | $0 (Free Tier available) | |
| Partial (Standard AIO) | Yes (Paid module) | Yes | $120+ (with module) | |
| Yes | Yes (Requires Pro tier) | Yes | $189/mo (Pro tier) | |
| Yes | Yes (Per-engine pricing) | Yes | €85+ per engine | |
| No (Content-first) | No | No | $45/mo |
The 5 Tools Compared
Let's dive deeper into how each of these platforms approaches Google AI Mode tracking, what their actual capabilities are when dealing with multi-turn generative search, and where their business models create friction for SEO teams.
1. Visiby
Visiby was built from the ground up specifically for the generative search era. Unlike legacy SEO tools that are trying to adapt their rank-tracking infrastructure for AI, Visiby natively tracks Google AI Mode alongside ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini without treating them as an afterthought.
Because Visiby treats generative engines as primary channels, Google AI Mode tracking is included by default. There are no "add-on" fees or premium tiers required to access AI citation data. You enter your brand and keywords, and Visiby's agents simulate real user journeys, capturing multi-turn conversations and providing exact AI Share of Voice metrics. The platform highlights exactly which competitors are being cited instead of you, and analyzes the underlying RAG structure to tell you why they won the citation. For teams needing a dedicated AI visibility scorecard, Visiby provides the most native and cost-effective approach.
2. SE Ranking (SE Visible)
SE Ranking is a powerhouse in traditional SEO, known for its comprehensive suite of rank tracking and auditing tools. Their recent foray into AI tracking, dubbed SE Visible, is a strong step into the generative search landscape. However, SE Visible is primarily focused on standard AI Overviews embedded within traditional SERPs.
While they provide excellent data on AIO triggers, source links, and pixel-height visibility, full conversational AI Mode tracking is limited. The tool is excellent for understanding how AI Overviews impact your traditional CTR, but it struggles to parse deep, multi-turn AI chat interfaces. Furthermore, SE Visible requires purchasing a dedicated add-on module on top of a standard SE Ranking subscription. This pushes the total cost significantly higher—often above $120/month—making it a tough sell for teams that only want AI visibility insights without paying for another traditional rank tracker.
3. Otterly
Otterly has quickly made a name for itself as a dedicated AI search tracker that offers robust data across multiple LLMs, including Google's generative features, ChatGPT, and Claude. They offer excellent dashboarding, historical tracking, and beautiful reporting that executives love.
The catch with Otterly is their pricing structure. To get comprehensive tracking that covers the full spectrum of generative engines and high prompt volumes (which is necessary because AI search is highly fragmented), users are forced into their Pro tier, which sits at $189/mo. There is a steep cliff between their entry-level plan (which heavily restricts the number of tracked queries and engine updates) and the tier required for serious AI Mode monitoring. It is a fantastic tool, provided you have the budget to unlock its full potential.
4. Peec AI
Peec AI offers deep, practitioner-level tracking with advanced features like qualitative sentiment analysis, entity extraction, and support for over 115 languages. It is highly capable of tracking Google AI Mode and provides excellent qualitative data on how your brand is mentioned—not just if it is mentioned. If you need to know whether the AI is recommending you or warning users against you, Peec AI's sentiment layer is invaluable.
However, Peec AI uses a modular, consumption-based pricing model where you effectively pay per engine and per query block. If you want to track Google AI Mode, ChatGPT, and Perplexity across a few hundred commercial terms, the costs stack up exponentially (often starting around €85 per engine). It's a powerful tool for enterprise teams with massive budgets, but can be cost-prohibitive for smaller operations or agencies managing multiple client portfolios.
5. Frase
Frase is included here because it is often brought up in the GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) conversation, but it's important to clarify its exact role in your tech stack. Frase is a content optimization and generation platform, not a rank tracker or visibility monitor.
While Frase helps you write content that is structured perfectly for LLM ingestion (using TF-IDF and NLP semantic scoring to ensure you cover all related entities), it does not provide tracking, reporting, or analytics for Google AI Mode or AI Overviews. You cannot plug in a keyword and see if you "rank." It is best used in tandem with a tracking tool like Visiby: you use Visiby to find where you are losing citations, and you use Frase to optimize the content to win those citations back.
How to rank in AI Mode
Understanding which tool to use is only half the battle. Once you have your tracking set up, the ultimate goal is to increase your brand's citations within these generated answers. Based on our analysis of over 50,000 prompts, here is how to rank in AI Mode effectively:
- Information Gain is King: Google AI Mode utilizes RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) to find the best, most comprehensive answers. If your content simply regurgitates what is already available on Wikipedia or top-ranking competitor sites, the AI has no reason to cite you. You must provide unique data, proprietary research, or strong first-hand experience (Information Gain). The model looks for the missing piece of the puzzle that only you provide.
- Optimize for Passage Retrieval: AI models extract specific, bite-sized passages, not entire 3,000-word pages. You must structure your content for easy extraction. Use clear, descriptive, question-based headings (H2s and H3s) followed immediately by concise, direct answers (40-60 words). Give the AI the exact paragraph it needs to answer the user's prompt, and then use the rest of the section to expand into deeper detail.
- Build Entity Authority: Google's Knowledge Graph plays a massive role in AI Mode. The model needs to trust that your brand is a definitive source. Ensure your brand, key personnel, and core products are well-established entities across the web. Get mentioned on high-authority industry sites, maintain a robust digital PR strategy, and ensure your
Organizationschema is flawless. - Leverage the "Reddit Effect" (First-Hand Experience): Google AI Mode highly values first-hand human experience, reflecting the added "E" (Experience) in E-E-A-T. Participating authentically in niche forums, Reddit communities, and industry roundtables can feed positive sentiment and real-world citations back into the AI model. AI Overviews frequently pull from these highly opinionated, experience-driven platforms.
- Implement FAQ and ItemList Schema: Generative engines rely heavily on structured data to parse complex pages. If you are publishing a listicle, use
ItemListschema. If you are answering common questions, useFAQPageorQAPageschema. The easier you make it for the crawler to understand the relationship between a question and your answer, the more likely you are to be extracted. - Monitor and Iterate Rapidly: AI models update their grounding data faster than traditional search algorithms. Use an AI visibility platform like Visiby to track which of your prompts trigger your brand weekly. If you are missing from a critical commercial prompt, analyze the exact sources the AI is citing, find the semantic gaps in their content, and update your page to be significantly more comprehensive.
The Verdict
If you need native Google AI Mode tracking without the premium add-on fees, Visiby is the clear choice. For traditional SEO teams with large budgets, the SE Ranking suite is a safe bet, while enterprise teams needing deep sentiment analysis might prefer Peec AI.
The shift to generative search is happening now. Equip your team with the right tools to ensure your brand is cited, not sidelined.
Google AI Mode tracking: frequently asked questions
Virender Singh is the technical lead at Visiby, where he builds the crawling, structured-data, and answer-engine analysis behind the product. He writes about the technical mechanics of answer engine optimization. View full profile →