The AIO & GEO Platforms Report 2025

The digital marketing world is facing its biggest upheaval since the introduction of mobile-first indexing. Artificial intelligence, particularly in the form of generative answer machines, is redefining the rules of online visibility. In this comprehensive report, we analyze the landscape of AI Tools specifically developed for this new era, and provide you with a strategic compass to not only survive in the world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) but to win. 

Critical Assessment and Classification of AI Tools 

A critical assessment was conducted when integrating the new tools. Tools like Superlines, Rankscale.ai, Kai, ALLMO.ai, Quno, Finseo, Scrunch, SEOMonitor, Ayzeo, LLM Pulse (Generative Pulse), Deepserp, AI Peekaboo, and Evertune were identified as relevant GEO monitoring, content, or hybrid platforms and were integrated into the corresponding sections of the report. Other mentioned tools were deliberately excluded after careful review, as they do not align with the core focus of AI visibility analysis: Behamics is an e-commerce revenue platform, Advanced Web Ranking is a traditional rank tracker without explicit GEO functions, and 'Am I on AI' tools are AI content detectors (which check if a text was written by AI, not what an AI writes about a brand). This differentiation ensures that the report exclusively focuses on the most relevant and direct solutions for Generative Engine Optimization. 

The Paradigm Shift in Digital Marketing: Generative Engine Optimization 

The emergence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) represents the most significant paradigm shift in digital marketing since the introduction of mobile-first indexing. This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the GEO tool market, which is predicted to reach a volume of 7.3 billion USD by 2031. It outlines the bifurcation of the market into established SEO providers (SE Ranking, Semrush) and specialized startups (Profound, Otterly.ai), evaluates their capabilities, and provides a strategic framework for implementation. The key insight is that visibility in AI-generated answers is no longer optional; it is a critical, measurable, and optimizable component of modern brand strategy. 

Understanding the New Search Paradigm – Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) 

This section provides the strategic context by defining the transition from traditional SEO to optimization for AI-driven answer machines. It familiarizes readers with the new terminology, principles, and technical requirements necessary to compete in this evolving landscape. 

Defining the Post-SEO Landscape: From Search Engines to Answer Engines 

The fundamental shift in digital search behavior is transitioning from a list of links (Search Engine Results Pages, SERPs) to synthesized, conversational answers provided by generative AI models. This development fundamentally changes the customer journey and optimization goals. While traditional search engine optimization (SEO) focused on achieving clicks, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) aims to receive citations in AI answers and influence the portrayal of one's brand within these answers.

The current market landscape is characterized by a myriad of overlapping terms. For the clarity of this report, the following working definitions are established: 

• AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization): This is the broadest term, often referring to making content machine-readable. 

• AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): A more specific term that focuses on structuring content to answer direct questions. This targets featured snippets, "People Also Ask" boxes (PAA), and voice search.

• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): This is the most current and relevant term. It encompasses the holistic practice of optimizing content and brand signals to appear in AI-generated answers on platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. This report will use GEO as the primary overarching term.  

  
  

This shift is not just theoretical. The data confirms the urgency and importance of the topic. As of March 2025, 13% of all Google searches already triggered an AI Overview – a 72% increase over the previous month. Moreover, Gartner predicts that the volume of traditional search engine usage will decrease by 25% by 2026 and by 50% or more by 2028, as users increasingly switch to AI assistants. 

The coexistence of multiple competing acronyms for a similar concept is a classic sign of an emerging, rapidly evolving market. This indicates not a marketing failure but rather evidence that the practice of AI optimization is solidifying faster than the industry can agree on a unified name.   

Core Principles of GEO: A Strategic Framework for AI Visibility 

The formalization of GEO as a concept in academic research provides a rigorous theoretical foundation. One of the key insights is that incorporating citations, quotations, and statistics can increase the visibility of a source in AI answers by more than 40%. 

The E-E-A-T principles of Google (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) are of paramount importance for GEO. AI models are explicitly designed to prioritize credible sources. GEO also requires a shift from isolated keywords to building thematic authority around entities (people, products, concepts). A critical tactic is obtaining unlinked brand mentions (co-citations) in authoritative content.   

 The Technical Foundation: The Critical Role of AI-Friendly Schema and llms.txt  

Schema markup is the essential infrastructure that makes content readable for AI systems. It provides explicit context and helps AI differentiate facts from filler.  

Best Practices for AI-visible Schema: 

• Using JSON-LD: The format preferred by Google.

• Prioritizing Key Schema Types: Organization, Product, FAQPage, HowTo, and Article are particularly effective. 

• Mapping Visible, Real Content: Do not add schema for invisible content.

• Completeness and Accuracy: Fewer, but complete properties are better than many incomplete ones.

The llms.txt file is emerging as the new standard – similar to the robots.txt – to provide clear guidelines to LLMs on using website content. It can be easily created with free online tools or WordPress plugins like AIOSEO.
The robots.txt file, on the other hand, should be set up by experienced SEOs, as even small errors could, in the worst case, result in LLMs being completely excluded from access.

Market Analysis and Future Outlook 

This section offers a macro perspective on the GEO market, analyzing its size, growth drivers, and future development.  

Market Landscape: Sizing the GEO Opportunity and Growth Forecasts 

The global market for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) services was valued at 886 million USD in 2024 and is expected to grow to 7.318 billion USD by 2031, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.0%. This growth is driven by the rapid adoption of AI-powered search by users. The discrepancy between the growth rates of the GEO market (34.0% CAGR) and the traditional AI SEO Tools market (12.6% CAGR) signals market disruption. Budgets will likely be reallocated from traditional channels. Those not investing in GEO risk the erosion of their existing search visibility.  

Investments & Innovation: A Look at the GEO Startup Ecosystem 

The high growth potential has attracted significant venture capital and led to the emergence of specialized startups like Profound, Otterly.ai, and BrandBeacon. These companies are designed from the ground up for GEO and are driving innovations in areas critical for AI Search Monitoring and AI search tracking, such as real-time brand monitoring in LLMs and sentiment analysis of AI answers.  

The Future of Digital Discovery: Expert Perspectives 

Experts agree: The change is irreversible. One of the main challenges is measuring GEO successes. Traditional metrics are losing relevance. New KPIs like AI Search Visibility, Share of Voice, and citation frequency are becoming established. LLMs provide "opinions, not lists". If a brand is not among the first mentions, it is practically invisible.  

Comparative Analysis of AIO/GEO Visibility Platforms 

This is the core of the report: a detailed, feature-based comparison of the key AI Tools on the market.  

Evaluation Framework: Key Metrics and Capabilities 

To fairly evaluate the tools, we defined a framework with the following criteria: 

• LLM & Platform Coverage: Which AI engines are monitored? 

• Core Visibility Metrics: What is measured? (e.g., Share of Voice, Sentiment) 

• Competitive Analysis: How well are competitors tracked? 

• Data & Analytics Capabilities: How is the data processed? 

• Action Orientation & Workflow: Does the tool assist in execution? 

• User-Friendliness & Target Audience: Who is it designed for? 

• Pricing & Value: What is the cost structure?  

The Established: How SEO Suites Adapt to the AI Era 

These players leverage their existing infrastructure to enter the GEO market. 

• SE Ranking AI Visibility Tracker: An all-in-one platform that combines traditional SEO and GEO. Ideal for SEO professionals and agencies looking for an integrated solution.

• Semrush AIO: An enterprise solution focused on large-scale benchmarking and unmatched data depth. 

• SEOMonitor: Specifically developed for agencies to optimize workflows with AI-powered tools.

  
  

The Challengers: A Deep Dive into Dedicated GEO Monitoring Startups 

This category represents the "pure" GEO platforms, which are often more innovative and agile. 

• Profound: A premium solution for businesses with real-time insights and advanced features like the "Conversation Explorer."

• Otterly.ai: An Austrian startup with a strong focus on brand safety and risk management.

• Peec AI: A specialized platform for global businesses with multilingual and cross-country support.

• Rankscale.ai: Offers an intuitive user interface and AI-generated suggestions for content optimization at the URL level.

•  Scrunch: Focuses on optimizing the AI customer journey, including journey mapping and persona-based prompting.

... and many more, detailed in the comparison table.   

The Big Comparison Table of GEO Tools 

The Specialists: Niche, Integrated, and Hybrid Platforms 

This category includes tools that have integrated GEO/AEO functionalities into their core offerings. 

• Wix AI Visibility Overview: The first major CMS with an integrated tool for tracking AI visibility, an extremely convenient solution for millions of Wix users. 

• Content & On-Page Optimization Platforms (Rankability, Surfer SEO, etc.): This group focuses on creating content that is structured and semantically rich enough to be cited by AI. 

• PR-Focused Platforms (LLM Pulse): These solutions highlight which media and sources influence a brand's representation in LLMs. 

  
  

Strategic Implementation and Recommendations 

This final section translates the analysis into an actionable strategy.  

Choosing the Right GEO Platform: A Needs-Based Decision Matrix 

Selecting the right tool depends on your specific goals. 

Building a GEO-Centered Content Strategy: From Audit to Execution 

• Step 1: Define Requirements & Test Tools: Set your goals and test a shortlist of tools. 

• Step 2: Conduct Baseline Audit: Use a tool to measure your current AI visibility and identify gaps. 

• Step 3: Integrate Analytics: Connect GEO data with web analytics (e.g., GA4) to measure ROI. 

• Step 4: Implement Technical Foundations: Create AI-friendly schema and an llms.txt file. 

• Step 5: Execute Content Strategy: Create structured, authoritative content that directly answers user queries. 

• Step 6: Monitor, Iterate, and Report: Continuously track performance and refine your strategy.   

  
  

Concluding Analysis: Mastering Visibility on the AI Search Front 

The synthesis of the findings shows: The GEO tool market is dynamic and bifurcated, yet the underlying principles focus on E-E-A-T and structured data. The shift from search to answer engines is irreversible, making investments in this area a strategic necessity. The most successful approach will be a hybrid: combining in-depth monitoring features of specialized AI Tools with the optimization features of AEO-focused platforms. The winners in the next era of digital marketing will be those who master the art and science of being the most credible, citable, and machine-readable source of information in their field. 

Ready for the New Search Reality? 

Take advantage of the first-mover advantage in Generative Engine Optimization. We support you in making your brand visible in AI answers – with a well-founded GEO strategy, tool setup, and content optimization. 

Talk to our experts and secure your AI visibility of tomorrow!