The best AI SEO tools to rank in Google and AI search
AI SEO tools for keyword research, content optimisation, technical audits and visibility in AI answers.
Search has split in two: classic Google results and AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. The best SEO tools now help with both.
These are the tools we'd use to research keywords, write and optimise content, fix technical issues and track how often your brand appears in AI answers.
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Quick picks
| # | Tool | Best for | Price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semrush | Agencies | Free trial | 9.4 |
| 2 | Ahrefs | SEO professionals | From $129/mo | 9.3 |
| 3 | Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Technical SEOs | Free plan | 8.9 |
| 4 | Surfer | Content teams | Paid | 8.8 |
| 5 | SE Ranking | Agencies | Free trial | 8.4 |
| 6 | Clearscope | In-house content teams | Paid | 8.4 |
| 7 | Moz Pro | Small businesses | From $49/mo | 8.2 |
| 8 | Sitebulb | Technical SEOs | Free trial | 8.2 |
| 9 | Profound | Enterprise marketing teams | Contact sales | 8.2 |
| 10 | Mangools | Bloggers | From $29/mo | 8.0 |
Semrush
All-in-one SEO, content and competitive research suite. Semrush is one of the most widely used SEO platforms, covering keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, backlinks, PPC and competitor analysis. Its AI tools include a writing assistant, ContentShake and an AI visibility toolkit for tracking brands in AI search.
Why we like it: Huge keyword and competitor database. Covers SEO, PPC and content in one place.
Watch out for: Expensive for solo users.
Ahrefs
SEO toolset known for its backlink and keyword data. Ahrefs offers Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker and Content Explorer, built on one of the largest web crawls. Newer AI features include an AI content helper and Brand Radar for monitoring brand visibility in AI search.
Why we like it: Industry-leading backlink index. Excellent keyword difficulty data.
Watch out for: No free trial.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Desktop website crawler for technical SEO audits. Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls websites to find broken links, redirects, duplicate content, metadata issues and more. It can connect to OpenAI and other AI APIs to run custom AI prompts across crawled pages.
Why we like it: Industry-standard technical crawler. Free up to 500 URLs.
Watch out for: Desktop app uses local resources.
Surfer
Content optimisation and AI writing guided by SERP data. Surfer analyses top-ranking pages to give a real-time content score, keyword and structure guidelines. It also offers an AI article writer, content audits, topical maps and AI search tracking.
Why we like it: Clear, actionable content score. Integrates with Docs and WordPress.
Watch out for: Can encourage keyword over-optimisation.
SE Ranking
Affordable SEO platform with AI search tracking. SE Ranking is an SEO platform for rank tracking, keyword research, site audits, backlinks and client reporting. It adds an AI writer and an AI Results Tracker for visibility in Google AI Overviews and chatbots.
Why we like it: Strong value for money. Accurate daily rank tracking.
Watch out for: Smaller databases outside major markets.
Clearscope
Premium content optimisation and content inventory. Clearscope grades content against top-ranking results and recommends relevant terms and topics. It also monitors existing content for decay and tracks visibility in AI search.
Why we like it: Very clean, focused UX. Trusted by content-led SaaS brands.
Watch out for: Expensive for the feature set.
Moz Pro
SEO suite with Domain Authority and keyword research. Moz Pro provides keyword research, rank tracking, site crawls and link analysis, and is the home of the widely used Domain Authority metric. Moz AI adds keyword suggestions and intent classification.
Why we like it: Beginner-friendly. Trusted authority metrics.
Watch out for: Smaller index than Ahrefs or Semrush.
Sitebulb
Website auditing with prioritised, visual technical SEO hints. Sitebulb is a desktop and cloud website crawler that explains technical SEO issues with prioritised hints and visual reports. It is known for client-friendly audits and crawl maps.
Why we like it: Clear explanations of issues. Excellent visual reports.
Watch out for: Desktop crawls can be slow on huge sites.
Profound
Track and improve brand visibility in AI answer engines. Profound monitors how brands appear in answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews and other AI engines. It shows citations, share of voice and recommendations to improve answer-engine visibility.
Why we like it: Leading enterprise GEO platform. Broad AI engine coverage.
Watch out for: Enterprise-oriented pricing.
Mangools
Beginner-friendly keyword research and SEO toolkit. Mangools bundles KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler into a simple, affordable SEO suite. KWFinder is especially popular for finding low-difficulty long-tail keywords, and an AI search grader shows AI visibility.
Why we like it: Very easy to use. Affordable entry price.
Watch out for: Lighter data than enterprise suites.
How we chose
We shortlisted tools by reputation, reader interest and real-world usefulness, then scored each on output quality, ease of use, features and value. Read how we review for details.
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