Why AI Visibility Tracking Matters
Imagine you’re a small bakery in London. You pop up in Google search results, sure. But what about AI assistants? What does ChatGPT or Gemini say about your sourdough? That’s where AI visibility tracking comes in. It shows you:
- Which AI chats mention your brand.
- How often you stack up against big rivals.
- Gaps where you’re invisible.
Most traditional tools focus on SEO, backlinks and web mentions. But AI is a new frontier. Consumers are asking bots first. Your business needs to make an appearance there.
What is Ahrefs Brand Radar?
Ahrefs Brand Radar is a paid tool. It’s made by a big name in SEO. Think of it as a shiny sports car. It has speed, polish and fancy dashboards. Key features include:
- Vast AI database: Over 245 million prompts indexed across ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, Gemini and more.
- Zero setup: Instant access. No waiting.
- Multi-platform coverage: YouTube, Reddit and AI chats.
- AI Share of Voice: See what percentage of AI chats mention you.
- Search Demand metrics: Branded search volume in thousands.
- Web & Video Visibility: Organic mentions and popular video transcripts.
It’s powerful. But that power comes at a price. Plans start at £159 per month for one index and £560 for all AI platforms. Not exactly feasible for a solo founder or a tight-budget SME.
Ahrefs Brand Radar: Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
– Instant, polished reports.
– Backed by Ahrefs’ massive data muscle.
– Easy to use for non-technical teams.
Limitations
– High monthly fees.
– Enterprise-centric feature set.
– Little room for customisation in prompts.
– Closed system – no community contributions.
Introducing Open-Source AI Visibility Tracking
Now, meet its scrappier cousin: our open-source AI visibility tracking tool. Picture a humble hatchback that you can upgrade, customise and trust. It’s designed for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. Here’s why it stands out:
- Affordable & accessible: Totally free to use. No hidden fees.
- Community-driven: Contributors from around the world add features.
- Transparent code: Audit it, improve it, share it.
- Custom prompts: Guide how AI answers present your brand.
- Maggie’s AutoBlog integration: Generate SEO and GEO-targeted content on autopilot.
Yes, we’ve built a plugin called Maggie’s AutoBlog. It auto-generates blog posts based on your site. Want to fill those AI visibility gaps? Maggie does it in seconds.
Real Insights, Not Synthetic Ones
Like Ahrefs, we use real AI prompts and responses. But we let you choose:
- Which models to track (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini).
- Regions (Europe, North America, Asia).
- Frequency of checks.
Data lives in a simple dashboard. Or export CSVs. Build your own charts.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Let’s line them up:
| Feature | Ahrefs Brand Radar | Open-Source Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £159–£560/mo | Free |
| Platforms | ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Reddit, YouTube | ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude (with community addons) |
| Custom Prompts | Limited | Fully customisable |
| Community Involvement | None | Open contributions welcome |
| Transparency | Closed system | Open-source code |
| Content Generation | ❌ | Yes – via Maggie’s AutoBlog |
| Easy Setup | Yes | 5-minute install |
| Technical Requirement | Low | Low |
See the pattern? Both track AI visibility tracking. One is a black box you rent. The other you own.
Why Small Businesses Love Open-Source
-
Zero overhead
No subscription. No credit card. Ideal for the scrappy startup. -
DIY or delegate
You can tweak code. Or hand it to your junior marketer. -
Community support
Want a new data source? Request it. Or add it yourself. -
Seamless content workflow
Use Maggie’s AutoBlog to plug gaps. Auto-blogging meets AI visibility. -
Long-term viability
No vendor lock-in. If you outgrow us, spin up your own fork.
Getting Started with AI Visibility Tracking
Ready to dive in? It’s simple:
- Sign up on our GitHub or download from geo.vote.
- Install in minutes with Docker or a simple npm command.
- Connect your favourite AI model API key.
- Define your brand and competitors.
- Select prompts or write custom ones.
- Run your first report. Check your dashboard.
You’ll see real-time mentions. Then use Maggie’s AutoBlog to craft posts. Fill those missing AI narratives. It’s like planting seeds where robots roam.
Future Roadmap
We’re not stopping at basic tracking. Soon you’ll get:
- Video Visibility across TikTok and YouTube in one dashboard.
- Sentiment analysis on AI answers. Is your brand portrayed positively?
- Workshops & tutorials via webinars with our CTO, Jane Smith.
- Integration with marketing firms for advanced support.
Our network of SMEs is growing. Every pull request counts. You shape the tool.
Conclusion
Both Ahrefs Brand Radar and our open-source AI visibility tracking solve a key problem: seeing how AI presents your brand. One gives you a polished wrapper and a steep price. The other hands you the keys, for free, built by a community that cares about small business.
Which one fits your budget and vision? If you crave transparency, customisation and no surprises on your bill – the open-source tracker is your best bet. Plus, you get Maggie’s AutoBlog, an automatic content machine that closes gaps before they even appear.
Ready to track your brand in AI chats, videos and forums without breaking the bank?
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