What AI assistants actually recommend when buyers ask about ai tools for seo professionals — measured on a rolling 4-week window across 4 engines, published as open data.
Updated 2026-09-18 · 28 sampled answers · rolling 4-week window · methodology
Rankings are measured from sampled AI answers — never editorial, never paid. Orbator builds AI-visibility tooling; when Orbator itself appears in any category, it is measured by the same rules as everyone else.
Measured by Orbatormethodology owner Henrik Tellewindow ends Sep 18, 2026
Sample: 28 AI answers · Window: Aug 21, 2026 – Sep 18, 2026 (4-week rolling) · trend vs prior 4 weeks (84 answers)
Samples by engine: GEMINI 7 (last run Aug 29, 2026) · CHATGPT 7 (last run Aug 29, 2026) · CLAUDE 7 (last run Aug 30, 2026) · PERPLEXITY 7 (last run Aug 29, 2026) · GROK 0 (last run Aug 10, 2026 — stalest)
How these numbers are made: sampling design · prompt provenance · what counts as a mention · what we cannot see
On the record: This ranking is frozen as a dated snapshot every day. View this category's history to see what entered and left the ranking and when, or read what the engines actually said on a given day.
Across 28 sampled AI answers from 4 engines, Surfer is recommended most often — appearing in 50% of recommendations, followed by Semrush One (42.9%) and Ahrefs (39.3%).
This is a measurement of share of voice across 4 AI engines — not an editorial pick. See the full ranking below.
Orbator asked Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity buyer questions about ai tools for seo professionals and sampled 28 answers between Aug 21, 2026 and Sep 18, 2026. Recommendation share counts the answers that recommended or listed a product, so a passing mention or a warning adds nothing to it. A category publishes once it holds at least 20 independently sampled answers in the window. Read the full methodology or download this ranking as CSV.
Start with the question you actually plan to ask. The measured prompts split into five intents, and the leaders differ by intent. Surfer led best_in_category with 88.9% of 18 runs, alongside Semrush One and Surfer SEO at 83.3%. Semrush One and Surfer both led comparison at 88.9% of 9 runs, the prompt covering agencies versus in-house teams. In problem_solving, 18 runs, the leaders were Ahrefs and Surfer at 27.8% each, so no product was recommended in most answers about optimizing existing posts or technical audits. Ahrefs and Surfer also led alternatives at 55.6% of 9 runs. Surfer led recommendation at 66.7% of 9 runs.
Only one top-five product carries a verified price. Clearscope lists Essentials: $129 a month, last verified 2026-09-05.
| # | Product | Share | Trend | Engines | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surfer | 50% 95% CI 32.6–67.4% 14 mentions · avg pos 4.1 first pick 7.1% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CHATGPT 57.1%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 85.7% | Claim |
| 2 | semrush.com | 42.9% 95% CI 26.5–60.9% 12 mentions · avg pos 2.3 first pick 25% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CHATGPT 57.1%CLAUDE 42.9%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 3 | ahrefs.com | 39.3% 95% CI 23.6–57.6% 11 mentions · avg pos 6.7 first pick 18.2% | — | GEMINI 57.1%CHATGPT 42.9%CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 4 | Surfer SEO | 35.7% 95% CI 20.7–54.2% 10 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CHATGPT 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 71.4% | Claim |
| 5 | frase.io | 35.7% 95% CI 20.7–54.2% 10 mentions · avg pos 4.7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 57.1%CHATGPT 14.3%CLAUDE 28.6%PERPLEXITY 42.9% | Claim |
| 6 | seranking.com | 25% 95% CI 12.7–43.4% 7 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CLAUDE 42.9%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 7 | search.google.com | 25% 95% CI 12.7–43.4% 7 mentions · avg pos 7.2 first pick 14.3% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CHATGPT 42.9%PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 8 | clearscope.io | 25% 95% CI 12.7–43.4% 7 mentions · avg pos 8.6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 42.9% | Claim |
| 9 | jasper.ai | 17.9% 95% CI 7.9–35.6% 5 mentions · avg pos 6.8 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 42.9%CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 10 | Google Search Console | 14.3% 95% CI 5.7–31.5% 4 mentions · avg pos 6.5 first pick 25% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CHATGPT 28.6% | Claim |
| 11 | make.com | 14.3% 95% CI 5.7–31.5% 4 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CHATGPT 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 12 | neuronwriter.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 13 | web.dev | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 7.3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CHATGPT 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 14 | marketmuse.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 8.3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 15 | rankability.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 16 | WriterZen | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 17 | ubersuggest.com | 10.7% 95% CI 3.7–27.2% 3 mentions · avg pos 10.7 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 18 | SEOpital | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 2 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 19 | argseo.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 2.5 first pick 50% | — | PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 20 | screamingfrog.co.uk | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 3 first pick 50% | — | CHATGPT 28.6% | Claim |
| 21 | slatedocs.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 28.6% | Claim |
| 22 | techradar.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 28.6% | Claim |
| 23 | airops.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 5.5 first pick 50% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 24 | scalenut.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 25 | Keyword Insights | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 7 first pick 50% | — | GEMINI 28.6% | Claim |
| 26 | Moz Pro | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6% | Claim |
| 27 | Pitchbox | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 12.5 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 28 | aioseo.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 25 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 29 | wordpress.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 25 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3%CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 30 | siteimprove.com | 7.1% 95% CI 2–22.6% 2 mentions · avg pos 26 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 28.6% | Claim |
| 31 | agencyanalytics.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 1 first pick 100% | — | CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 32 | junia.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 1 first pick 100% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 33 | Sitebulb | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 1 first pick 100% | — | CHATGPT 14.3% | Claim |
| 34 | rytr.me | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 2 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 35 | trysight.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 2 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 36 | eesel.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 2 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 37 | brightedge.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 3 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 14.3% | Claim |
| 38 | koalawriter.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 3 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 39 | GSC | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | CHATGPT 14.3% | Claim |
| 40 | keysearch.co | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 4 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 41 | koala.sh | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 5 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 42 | growthbarapp.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 43 | ziptie.dev | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 6 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 44 | Chatsonic | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 8 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 45 | mangools.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 9 first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 46 | GPTHuman AI | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 12 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 47 | OTTO SEO | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 12 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 48 | seo.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 12 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 49 | grammarly.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 13 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 50 | seo.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 17 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 51 | localfalcon.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 19 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 52 | birdeye.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 20 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 53 | peec.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions · avg pos 21 first pick 0% | — | GEMINI 14.3% | Claim |
| 54 | aiclicks.io | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 55 | athenahq.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
| 56 | copy.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 57 | otterly.ai | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | CLAUDE 14.3% | Claim |
| 58 | writersonic.com | 3.6% 95% CI 0.6–17.7% 1 mentions first pick 0% | — | PERPLEXITY 14.3% | Claim |
Reading the numbers: Share is a point estimate on 28 sampled answers, so each row also shows its 95% CI — the Wilson score interval around that share. When two products' intervals overlap, the gap between them isn't statistically meaningful at this sample size. First pick is the share of a product's recommending answers where it was named first, which separates “always mentioned” from “usually the top recommendation”. Full methodology.
Independence: Orbator customers are badged for disclosure. Customer status does not affect prompts, sampling, extraction, or ranking — see the methodology. Your product on this list? Claim it to see the prompts behind your rank and track it weekly.
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Head-to-head pages for products ranked in AI tools for SEO professionals. Each one sets out sourced facts side by side, plus which product AI assistants recommend more, engine by engine.
Surfer ranks first with a recommendation share of 63.5% of 63 sampled answers in the 4-week window to 2026-09-05. It over-indexes on the prompt for the best AI assistant for SEO content writing and keyword research, recommended in 100% of those 9 runs. The mention breakdown shows 35 recommended runs against 5 listed. Its highest engines were Grok at 85.7% of 7 answers and Perplexity at 85.7% of 14 answers, its lowest Claude at 42.9% of 14 answers.
Semrush One follows at 52.4% of 63 answers, over-indexing on the general prompt for best AI tools for SEO professionals with 100% of 9 runs. Recommended in 32 runs, listed in 1. Grok recommended it in 100% of 7 answers, Perplexity in 28.6% of 14.
Surfer SEO sits at 50.8% of 63 answers, also over-indexing on the SEO content writing and keyword research prompt at 100% of 9 runs. Recommended in 29 runs, listed in 3. Grok reached 85.7% of 7 answers, ChatGPT 21.4% of 14.
Ahrefs holds 49.2% of 63 answers, with 100% of the 9 runs on the best AI tools for SEO professionals prompt. Recommended in 27 runs, listed in 4. Grok 71.4% of 7 answers, Perplexity 28.6% of 14.
Clearscope closes the top five at 41.3% of 63 answers, recommended in 77.8% of the 9 runs on the best AI tools prompt. Recommended in 22 runs, listed in 4. Grok 71.4% of 7 answers, ChatGPT 7.1% of 14. Essentials: $129 a month, last verified 2026-09-05.
The five engines did not converge on one name. Claude recommended Ahrefs most among the top five across its 14 answers, and Gemini did the same across its 14. Grok, with 7 answers, recommended Semrush One most. ChatGPT and Perplexity both put Surfer first among the top five, each across 14 answers.
The widest gap belongs to Semrush One. Perplexity recommended it in 28.6% of its 14 answers, Grok in 100% of its 7, a spread of 71.4 points. Clearscope shows the sharpest contrast at the low end, recommended in 7.1% of ChatGPT's 14 answers and 71.4% of Grok's 7. A shortlist built on one engine's answers would look different from a shortlist built on another's.
This is the first measured window on record for AI tools for SEO professionals. It runs 2026-08-08 to 2026-09-05, 28 days, and covers 63 sampled answers across five engines. There is no prior window to compare against, so no product has entered or left the top ten and no share change can be reported yet.
Where things stand now. Surfer leads at 63.5% of 63 answers, followed by Semrush One at 52.4%, Surfer SEO at 50.8%, Ahrefs at 49.2% and Clearscope at 41.3%, all on the same 63 answers. Semrush One was recommended first in 27.3% of its runs, the highest first-recommendation rate in the top five. Ranked products in the category number 85. The next window will give the first comparison.
Every number on this page is measured from sampled answers, and those answers are kept. The archive holds dated excerpts of what each engine answered, never full answers. Read the answer archive for ai tools for seo professionals to see the excerpts by date and engine, or view the ranking history to see what entered and left this ranking and when.
Across 28 sampled AI answers from 4 engines (Aug 21, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026), Surfer is recommended most often for ai tools for seo professionals, appearing in 50% of recommendations, followed by Semrush One (42.9%). This is a measurement of what AI assistants recommend, not an editorial verdict.
ChatGPT recommends Surfer most often for ai tools for seo professionals. It appears as a recommendation in 57.1% of ChatGPT's sampled answers in this window (Aug 21, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026). Other engines answer differently. The per-engine breakdown in the ranking shows each one.
Orbator samples AI answers to buyer questions across 4 engines and counts how often each product is recommended. No product pays for placement. The ai tools for seo professionals ranking is based on 28 answers in the current 4-week window (Aug 21, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026). Full methodology is published at https://www.orbator.io/ai-index/methodology.
Verified facts for the most-recommended products — each sourced and dated. No editorial scoring, just the data side by side.
| SE Rankingseranking.com | Clearscopeclearscope.io | Jasperjasper.ai | NeuronWriterneuronwriter.com | Core Web Vitalsweb.dev | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | API: $45 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Essentials: $129 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Pro: $69 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Bronze plan: $23 a month ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | — |
| Features | Lead Generator ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Prompt Tracking ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Remix Content ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Content Designer ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Web Payments ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Platforms | — | — | API ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | — | Web ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 |
| Integrations | Whatagraph ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Claude ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Google Docs ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | Shopify ↗ sourceverified Sep 5, 2026 | — |
What AI recommends in adjacent categories — same method, fresh weekly.
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