Buyer questions
Use category questions that do not name your company, then see which products the engine actually recommends.
directree GEO Monitor
Generative engine optimization tool for AI-search evidence.
GEO Monitor is a generative engine optimization tool for founders who want an auditable view of how AI engines mention their product in buyer answers.
GEO Monitor tracks AI engines. It has zero effect on your directree listing or ranking.
Stored receipts
Open the underlying response, inspect the mention and review the citations rather than trusting an unexplained score.
Evidence gaps
Use missing sources and inconsistent facts as a concrete research list, not a promise that any one change will make you rank.
What this category means
Generative engine optimization tools, defined plainly.
Generative engine optimization tools help teams monitor the recommendation surfaces created by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. The category is sometimes confused with done-for-you services. A tool gives you measurement and receipts; a service may add strategy or implementation. Neither can honestly promise an AI ranking.
GEO Monitor runs buyer-style, brand-free questions and keeps the underlying answers, mentions and cited sources together. That makes it easier to tell the difference between a genuine visibility change and a dashboard number that cannot be traced back to an answer.
How it works
From buyer question to stored evidence, step by step.
- 1
Set brand-free buyer questions
A generative engine optimization tool starts with the category questions a buyer would type, not your brand name. Naming your company in the prompt forces a mention and hides the real baseline.
- 2
Run the questions across generative engines
The same prompts are sent to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews so you can compare how each generative engine answers the same buyer intent.
- 3
Store the full answer, mentions and citations
Every run keeps the raw response, whether your product was mentioned, and which sources were cited, so a change is traceable instead of a number you have to trust.
- 4
Turn gaps into a research list
Missing mentions, weak citations and inaccurate facts become concrete work items. The tool measures; it never promises a ranking.
How generative engine optimization tools work
A generative engine optimization tool does not edit the AI answer. It repeatedly asks the same buyer-style questions, records what each generative engine returns, and separates a genuine recommendation from a passing reference. Because the underlying response is stored, you can inspect exactly why a competitor appeared and what evidence the engine leaned on. That is the honest limit of the category: measurement and receipts, not control over the model output.
Benefits of using a generative engine optimization tool
The main benefit is turning a vague worry (does AI ever recommend us?) into a repeatable, auditable record. Instead of a proprietary score, you get the answer, the mention and the citation together. That makes it easier to prioritise fixes, spot inaccurate product facts before a buyer does, and track whether third-party coverage is actually moving the answers over time. It complements normal SEO rather than replacing it.
Tool vs done-for-you service
The category is often confused with agencies that promise AI visibility. A generative engine optimization tool gives you the measurement layer at a predictable price; a service adds people who interpret results or implement changes. Neither can guarantee that ChatGPT or Gemini will recommend a specific brand, so treat any promise of a guaranteed AI ranking as a red flag.
A practical price comparison
Start with evidence before enterprise-scale spend.
| Tool | Published starting price | Prompt coverage | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| directree GEO Monitor | $29/mo | 15 buyer questions | Stored answers, citations and evidence gaps |
| OtterlyAI | from $29/mo | 15 prompts on Lite | Daily monitoring, citations and audits |
| Profound | from $99/mo, billed yearly | 50 prompts on Starter | AI-search analytics and broader marketing workflows |
| Peec AI | See current public plan | 3 models on Starter | Daily brand and competitor tracking for marketing teams |
Competitor details are based on public pricing pages and can change. Check each provider's current plan before making a buying decision.
Straightforward plans
Pay for ongoing monitoring only when it is useful.
GEO Starter
$29/mo
or $290/yr
- 15 buyer questions
- ChatGPT and Perplexity
- Weekly scans and stored history
GEO Pro
$79/mo
or $790/yr
- 50 buyer questions and four engines
- Daily or weekly scans
- Full citations and Accuracy Watch
Not ready to subscribe? Run the free check first. Prices exclude VAT/sales tax, added at checkout.
Questions, answered honestly
Before you choose a monitoring tool.
What do generative engine optimization tools do?
They monitor how brands appear in AI-generated answers and surface the prompts, mentions and citations behind a result.
Is GEO a service or a tool?
It can be either. A GEO tool provides measurement. A service adds people who may interpret results or help implement changes.
Which AI engines does GEO Monitor track?
Starter tracks ChatGPT and Perplexity. Pro adds Gemini and Google AI Overviews.