An AI visibility tool checks whether ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI name or cite your business when someone asks for a recommendation, then tracks how that changes over time. Vendors also call the category AI search visibility tracking, LLM visibility monitoring, generative engine optimization (GEO) software, or answer engine optimization (AEO) tools. The six questions below work on any of them, and the comparisons below show what each tool publishes on them.
Which AI platforms does the tool actually track?
Start with the list, and make sure each name is a real check of that assistant's own answers, not one model standing in for the rest. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI each answer differently, so ask which of them a tool checks and treat any it doesn't list as unchecked. Ask whether Google AI Overviews and AI Mode are covered. Lighthouse Local checks ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI, and each comparison shows what the other tool publishes.
Does the AI visibility tracker keep history, so you can see change over time?
One snapshot tells you where you stand today and nothing about direction. Look for a tool that re-checks the same questions on a schedule and keeps every captured answer as historical data, so a gain or a drop in AI mentions shows up as a trend instead of a guess. Ask how often it checks, because a weekly sweep catches trends and daily checks on priority questions catch sudden changes. Lighthouse Local runs a weekly sweep of every tracked question plus daily checks on priority ones.
How accurate and repeatable is the AI visibility data?
AI answers change from one run to the next, so a single answer is a coin flip and proves very little. What you can compare is a rate over many captured answers, such as how often a business is named or cited across a set of questions and repeated checks, which is what an AI visibility score should be built on. Ask each vendor how many answers sit behind a number, whether you can read the captured answers yourself, and whether a question gets checked again before a figure moves.
How does it find AI visibility gaps and competitor mentions?
A visibility score says how you're doing, not why. A useful tool shows which competitors get named instead of you, which sources the assistants cite for those answers, and what to change first, ideally as a ranked fix list in plain words. No tool can promise an assistant will name you, so be wary of any that does. Lighthouse Local tracks competitor mentions and cited sources on every platform it checks and ranks its fixes in plain English.
How is AI visibility software priced, per client, per question, or pooled?
Per client pricing charges for each brand or location you add, which suits a small roster and grows with it. Per question pricing, which some vendors call per prompt, charges by how many questions you track, so cost follows the depth of your tracking. Pooled pricing gives you one allowance to spread across clients and questions as you like. Count your own brands and questions, price each AI visibility tool at that size, and ask whether there's a free trial and whether billing is month to month.
Can an agency white-label the AI visibility platform?
White-label means your client sees your name and your branding, not the tool's. Check whether both the dashboard and the client reports are branded, whether reports are unlimited or capped, and whether a client seat costs extra. Some tools also offer an embeddable audit you can put on your own site to capture leads. Lighthouse Local offers a white-label client dashboard, unlimited client reports, and an embeddable white-label audit.
