AEO tools: what they do and how to choose one

What an AEO tool does

An AEO tool (also called a GEO tool or AI visibility tool) asks AI assistants the questions your customers ask, on a schedule, and records whether your business is named. Good ones also show who is named instead, which websites the assistants cite, and how that changes over time.

AEO stands for answer engine optimization; GEO stands for generative engine optimization. The terms overlap heavily. For a deeper explanation, see what is AEO and GEO vs SEO.

In practice, you might set up a tool to ask, 'Who is the best plumber in Manchester?' every week. The tool records that ChatGPT named three other plumbers and cited two directory sites. That tells you where you stand and what to work on.

Why you cannot just ask ChatGPT yourself

One answer on one day is a sample of one. Answers vary by question, by assistant, by location and from day to day. Your own chats can be shaped by your history, so they may not match what a new customer sees.

A tool asks the same questions the same way every time, so a change means something. For example, a dentist in Leeds might ask ChatGPT about local dentists and see their own practice named. But a new patient in a different part of the city might get a different list.

Without a consistent method, you cannot tell whether you are improving or just seeing random variation. A tool gives you a baseline and tracks movement over weeks and months.

What to compare between tools

Not all AEO tools are the same. Focus on what matters for your business and your customers.

• Which assistants are checked: ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot, DeepSeek and regional ones such as Sarvam in India.
• Languages and countries: whether questions can be asked in your customers' language and from their country.
• How many questions, and how often they are checked.
• Whether you can read every answer in full, not only a score.
• Whether it tells you what to fix, or only reports.
• Price, and whether there is a free check or trial before you pay.

For example, a bakery in Paris might need questions in French and checks from France. An agency with clients in multiple countries needs a tool that can handle several languages and locations.

Reading full answers matters because a score alone does not tell you what to change. If the tool shows that ChatGPT recommended a competitor and cited a specific review site, you know where to focus your efforts.

Questions to ask before you buy

Before you commit, ask the vendor these questions. They will help you avoid paying for features you do not need or missing ones you do.

• Can I choose the questions, or are they generated for me?
• Are prices per brand, per domain or per seat?
• Do competitor names and cited sources come included?
• Can I export the data?
• Is there a free check so I can see real answers first?

For example, an agency might need to export data to build client reports. A single shop might not care about exports but will care about price per brand.

A free check lets you see actual answers for your business before you pay. That is the fastest way to judge whether the tool is asking the right questions and showing useful detail.

Which type of tool fits which business

The right tool depends on your size and needs. A single local business needs the real customer questions checked regularly, in its customers' language, at a price that fits a small budget.

An agency needs many brands, reports it can share, and clear per-client costs. A large brand may need hundreds of prompts, many countries and team access.

For example, a solo consultant might track ten questions weekly in one language. An agency with twenty clients might need hundreds of questions across five languages and the ability to generate separate reports for each client.

A named comparison of tools on price, assistants, languages and prompts is at best AI visibility tools.

Where Vasukai fits

Vasukai is built for small businesses and agencies. It checks ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude, DeepSeek and Sarvam, in the customer's language and up to two more.

It shows every answer in full, who is named instead and which sites are cited, and drafts the fixes. Plans start at $19 a month, and the free AI check needs no card.

If you want to see what ChatGPT says about your business right now, the free check is a simple first step. It shows real answers without any commitment.