TL;DR

AI-first searches are here to stay, and to survive, your business must show up in AI searches. Semrush tracks AI mentions and optimizes existing content, while Bear AI goes further by creating new content, analyzing competitors, and building authority backlinks automatically. If you’re in the market for an all-round GEO tool, Bear AI is the way to go.

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AI has changed searches forever, and that's a fact. Strategies that revolve around being seen by Google simply won't cut it if you want your brand to be visible to your ideal customer. That's because AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude are reshaping how people find information, along with how they decide what to buy. Instead of browsing links, users are getting direct answers, complete with citations. 

If your brand doesn’t appear in those citations, you’re invisible where the future customers are looking. After all, no matter how good your products or services are, if people don't know about them, you can forget making sales. The good news is, generative search optimization tools like Bear AI and Semrush AI Visibility Tool can help you become the brand AI platforms mention first when people look for the products or services you offer.

But which is right for you? Let’s break it down.

Why Traditional SEO Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore

Traditional SEO hasn’t disappeared, but it’s no longer the only way you can get noticed online. The rise of AI-driven search engines means the rules of visibility are shifting. Instead of listing search results, AI platforms generate real-time answers, pulling from the most relevant, authoritative sources. As a result, they are influencing buying decisions in real time.

According to the CX Dive, almost 47% of consumers now using AI tools at some point during their online shopping journey in the U.S.A. alone. Moreover, a recent study highlighted by WordStream, 79% of customers expect to use AI-enhanced search within the next year.

In simple terms, if AI systems don’t mention your brand, you don’t exist in the conversation. And if you want your brand to be part of it, your best bet is investing in generative engine optimization.

What Can Bear AI And Semrush Do?

1. Bear AI

Bear AI is the fastest-growing AI SEO engine in the market right now, thanks to its amazing features. Unlike most platforms that just show you where you were mentioned by AI engines and send you daily reports, it goes a step further by helping you understand why and what you can do to get mentioned more. Here’s what sets it apart:

Granular Source Analysis

Instead of surface-level mention tracking, Bear AI shows you the exact blogs, articles, and sites AI models are pulling from when they reference your brand or your competitors. It also tracks the positive and negative sentiments of your brand mentions. With this GEO platform, you'll always know what type of content wins citations, and double down to keep showing up.

Content Generation

Still wasting time guessing what to write? Bear AI generates long-form, high-performing content modelled on sources already cited by AI engines. What's more? It's SEO-optimized for Google and GEO-optimized for AI, so you win visibility on both sides.

Competitor Benchmarking

Bear AI doesn’t just show your mentions. It also shows how you stack up against competitors so you can see who’s winning in AI search, where they’re falling short, and what opportunities you can take to capture their market share. With these insights and recommendations, you'll know exactly what to do to drive AI conversations.

AI-Powered Outreach Agents

Mentions are good, but imagine backlinks on high-authority sites added to the mix. Bear AI’s outreach agents help place your content on relevant, trusted sites, and according to SEO Link Builder Specialist Asad Ali, answer engines prioritize brands with strong authority signals. Backlinks not only boosts your domain authority in traditional SEO but also make it easier for AI engines to trust and cite you more often. That's a win in our books!

2. Semrush AI Visibility Tool

Semrush is undisputedly one of the leading SEO platforms for marketers. However, the platform recently dipped its toes into generative engine optimization to keep up with the future of search. Here's what Semrush's AI visibility tool can do 

Visibility Tracking & Competitor Analysis

Semrush AI allows you to see your visibility share across AI platforms based on competitor data, just like Bear AI. That way, you can see prompts, mentions and sources where your competitors are showing up. Want to keep track of your competitor's visibility? You can do that too.

Prompt Tracking 

Need to keep an eye on search prompts people are using to find brands like yours? Semrush, like Bear AI, also offers prompt tracking capabilities. That means you can keep an eye on which prompts are driving traffic and use that information to come up with content that drives results.

Content Generation

Semrush offers to generate new content and optimize your existing content to help you get noticed by AI search engines. Unlike Bear AI, which creates the content you need from scratch using the best references online without you ever having to lift a finger, with Semrush, you have to upload your existing content manually or add target keywords, audience and more if you want it generated from scratch.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The Takeaway?

The future of search isn’t Google-first anymore; it’s AI-first. Platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude are rewriting how buyers discover products and make purchase decisions. If your brand isn’t cited in their answers, you’re simply invisible.

That said, if you want to play catch-up with AI SEO, Semrush is a great choice. But, if you want to future-proof your brand visibility, win the AI conversations, and grow where customers are actually searching, Bear AI is the platform built for what’s next, and you can give it a try for free here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in AI search?

GEO is simply the process of optimizing your content so AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude cite or reference your brand directly in their answers.

How does Generative Engine Optimization differ from SEO?

The difference between GEO and SEO is simple. Traditional SEO focuses on ranking on Google search results pages. GEO on the other hand ensures AI assistants mention your content or brand to user questions.

Why is GEO important for my business?

AI search engines are influencing buying decisions, and Forbes agrees. If your content isn’t cited, potential customers may never see your brand. Luckily for you, GEO platforms like Bear AI can help you improve visibility and credibility to AI search engines.

Which types of content get cited by AI search engines?

AI engines prefer structured, authoritative content such as guides, FAQs, product breakdowns, and research-based articles that answer specific questions clearly. GEO tools like Bear AI can generate the right content for you so you show up in the right searches.

How long does it take to see results from Generative Engine Optimization?

Depending on your strategy and platform, AI citations can appear within weeks, much faster than traditional SEO rankings that may take several months.

Can GEO improve my visibility on Google and other search engines?

Yes. Optimizing for AI search often complements traditional SEO. That means your presence on Google improves the number of mentions in AI-generated answers also increases.