ChatGPT answers, unedited

If your goal is freelance writing clients whose articles actually get cited/recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

My pick: OtterlyAI

For a solo freelancer, it has the best balance of price, usefulness, and client-facing value. It tracks which pages/domains AI systems cite, lets you research the prompts people are asking, and provides content audits and GEO recommendations. It currently covers ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Claude. otterly.aiotterly.ai

Its pricing starts around $29/month, which is much more realistic for a freelancer than enterprise-oriented platforms. otterly.aiotterly.ai

How I'd rank the options for you

Profound is particularly powerful, but its positioning is much more enterprise-focused; independent comparisons consistently put Otterly toward the accessible/SMB end and Profound toward enterprise. www.authoricy.com

But there's an important distinction

If you're selling "AI-optimized articles" to clients, don't make the mistake of thinking:

"I'll put some AEO keywords into the article and ChatGPT will recommend it."

That's not really how this works.

What you want to learn is:

client article → target questions → competing sources → citations AI currently uses → content/authority gaps → optimized article → measure whether AI starts citing it

That's why a monitoring platform is useful. You can actually show your client something like:

"Before optimization, ChatGPT cited 3 competing publications for these 20 questions and never cited your site. After publishing the revised content, your domain appeared in 6/20 answers."

That's a much stronger freelance deliverable than simply promising "GEO-optimized content."

Otterly explicitly supports tracking individual URLs/domains cited in AI answers and monitoring their position over time, which makes that kind of reporting possible. www.authoricy.comotterly.aiwww.answerarchitect.ai

One I'd watch: Answer Architect

Answer Architect is particularly interesting for a writer, because it combines citation tracking with content generation/optimization rather than just telling you that you're invisible. Its stated workflow goes from identifying gaps to prioritizing opportunities and generating GEO-scored articles. www.answerarchitect.ai

So my recommendation would be:

Start with OtterlyAI → learn the methodology → use it to build an AEO/GEO service → consider a more powerful platform once you have enough clients to justify it.

If you tell me what kind of articles you write (B2B, SaaS, health, finance, travel, etc.) and roughly what you want to charge clients, I can also tell you exactly what AEO service I'd sell as a freelance writer, including deliverables and pricing.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to make clients’ articles show up in AI chatbot answers (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, etc.), I’d focus less on “SEO writing tools” and more on AEO/GEO (Answer Engine Optimization / Generative Engine Optimization) platforms. These help you see what AI systems cite and what content patterns improve citation chances. HubSpot HubSpot Blog

My recommendations depend on your business model:

Best overall for a freelance writer: Otterly.ai

• Best if you have several clients and need affordable AI visibility tracking.
• Lets you monitor whether brands/pages appear in AI answers and track prompts.
• Useful for creating a client report: “Here are the questions where your competitors are being cited, and here’s what we should improve.” Nick Lafferty Zealous Web

Best for premium clients: Profound

• Better suited if you want to sell a higher-end “AI visibility audit” service.
• Stronger for enterprise-style reporting and citation analysis. Nick Lafferty Nick Lafferty
• Probably overkill if you’re just optimizing blog posts for small businesses.

Best if you already do SEO: Semrush or Ahrefs

• Good choice if clients already expect keyword research, backlinks, and SEO reporting.
• Their AI visibility features let you combine traditional SEO with AI-search optimization. Zealous Web

Best for improving the actual writing process: AirOps

• More focused on content workflows: finding gaps, creating briefs, and producing optimized content at scale. HubSpot

For a solo freelance writer, I’d probably start with this stack:

1. AEO tracking: Otterly.ai (or a free/low-cost trial of another tracker)
2. Research: traditional SEO tools you already know (Ahrefs/Semrush/etc.)
3. Writing approach: create articles that are easy for AI systems to quote: - Answer the main question in the first 2–3 paragraphs
4. Use clear headings phrased as questions
5. Include original data, expert quotes, examples, and definitions
6. Add FAQ sections where appropriate
7. Keep facts consistent across the web (AI systems often look for corroboration)

A good freelance positioning angle is not “I write AI-optimized articles.” That’s becoming generic. A stronger offer is something like: “I create research-backed articles designed to earn citations in AI search results.”

If you’re targeting small business clients, I’d start with Otterly.ai. If you want to move into agency/enterprise retainers, learn Profound-style reporting and sell AI visibility audits. Nick Lafferty Zealous Web

If your goal is as a freelance writer to make your clients’ articles more likely to be cited/recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

My pick: OtterlyAI

For a freelancer, it has a particularly good balance of AI-visibility tracking + actionable content optimization. It can:

• Track whether a client’s brand/site is mentioned or cited in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Copilot, and AI Mode. otterly.aiotterly.ai
• Show which URLs are being cited, rather than merely telling you that a brand was mentioned. otterly.aiotterly.ai
• Generate GEO recommendations, content audits, and content briefs that you can turn into changes to an article. otterly.aiotterly.ai
• Specifically support agencies and client work, which makes it more relevant to your situation than an enterprise-only platform. otterly.ai

Its current entry tier is also reported at around $29/month, making it much easier to justify as a freelance-business expense than enterprise AEO platforms. humanswith.ai

How I'd rank your options

Profound is probably the stronger platform if you eventually build a serious AEO agency. It offers deeper prompt-level data and, on higher plans, content optimization workflows. But that's arguably overkill when you're one freelancer trying to improve individual client articles. www.tryprofound.com

One important caveat

Don't think of AEO as simply "put the right keywords into the article so ChatGPT recommends it." AI citation depends on several things: whether the page can be crawled, how clearly and authoritatively it answers the question, how well it matches the user's intent, and whether other credible sources reinforce it. Otterly itself describes GEO as a combination of content, technical accessibility, and off-site authority. help.otterly.ai

So I'd use Otterly as a research → write → optimize → monitor loop:

Find the questions AI users ask → see which competitors get cited → write a genuinely useful article → optimize its structure/evidence/entities → publish → monitor citations → improve it.

That is also a much stronger freelance selling point than simply saying "I write SEO articles." You can potentially sell a client an "AI-search-optimized content" service with before/after visibility reporting.

If you tell me what type of clients you write for (e.g. SaaS, healthcare, finance, local businesses, ecommerce), I can tell you which AEO platform I'd choose for that niche and what I'd actually include in your freelance service.

If you're a freelance writer trying to make your clients' articles more likely to be cited or recommended by AI, I'd start with OtterlyAI.

The key distinction is that you don't really optimize an article for ChatGPT itself. You optimize the content + the client's overall web presence so AI systems have strong reasons to retrieve and cite it.

My ranking for your use case

Why OtterlyAI: it tracks whether a client's site/content is appearing in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Gemini, Copilot and Claude, and importantly, it shows the citations/sources used in AI responses. help.otterly.ai It also provides recommendations and content audits aimed at improving citation potential. help.otterly.ai

That makes it particularly useful for a freelancer because you can turn "I write SEO articles" into a more valuable service:

"I create articles designed for both Google search and AI citation, then measure whether AI engines actually reference them."

When I'd choose Semrush instead

If you're already doing conventional SEO for clients, Semrush is probably the better long-term investment. Its AI Visibility Toolkit combines AI visibility with traditional SEO, tracks prompts, competitors and citations, and includes an AI Search Optimizer that gives content recommendations. www.semrush.com

The downside for a freelance writer is cost: Semrush currently lists its AI Visibility Base plan at $99/month when billed annually, with 25 custom prompts. www.semrush.com

One important caveat

Don't fall for the idea that there's a magic "AEO score" that makes ChatGPT recommend an article. AI recommendations depend heavily on what sources the models retrieve and trust. OtterlyAI's citation analysis, for example, is specifically designed to identify the sources AI engines are actually citing and where your client's content is absent. help.otterly.ai

So if I were building a freelance AI-answer-optimization service, I'd use:

OtterlyAI → find the prompts/questions where the client should appear → analyze which competing pages AI cites → write/restructure the article to satisfy those information needs → strengthen sources/entities/internal links → monitor citations over time.

If you tell me what kind of clients you write for (B2B, SaaS, healthcare, local businesses, finance, etc.), I can recommend the best AEO workflow and tools for that niche.

If your goal is specifically “I want the articles I write for clients to get cited/recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, etc.”, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

Why I’d pick it for a freelance writer:

• It tracks actual AI answers, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, Copilot and Claude. help.otterly.aiotterly.ai
• You can enter the questions/prompt topics your client's prospective customers ask and see whether your client's site gets mentioned or cited.
• Its GEO content audit evaluates individual URLs for AI-search readiness and gives optimization recommendations—particularly useful when you're the person actually writing/editing the articles. otterly.ai
• It explicitly tracks which URLs/domains AI engines cite, which is more useful to a writer than simply knowing that a brand appeared somewhere. otterly.aiotterly.ai
• There's a free trial, and its published pricing currently starts around $29/month, although the more agency-oriented tiers are considerably more. otterly.ai

But there's an important distinction

Don't think of this as a platform that can “submit an article to ChatGPT.” There isn't a reliable equivalent of Google Search Console's “submit URL and get indexed” mechanism for AI answers.

Instead, you're optimizing for AI citation probability:

real customer questions → research what AI currently cites → identify gaps → write/structure the article to provide a better source → build authority around the topic → monitor whether AI starts citing it.

For a freelance writer, that's potentially a very marketable service: “I don't just write SEO content; I create content designed to become a source for AI answers.”

What I'd consider besides Otterly

Profound is another serious option. It has particularly strong AI-answer analytics, prompt-volume data, competitor benchmarking, crawler/agent analytics and AEO content workflows. www.tryprofound.com I'd lean toward Profound for a larger agency or enterprise client; OtterlyAI looks more approachable for an independent writer building a GEO/AEO offering.

Scrunch is also worth testing. It monitors nine major AI platforms, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Grok and Meta AI, and offers AI-visibility auditing and optimization. scrunch.com

My recommendation for you

One thing I'd not do is buy a platform simply because it promises to make an article “AI optimized.” The more valuable capability is seeing what AI currently cites for a specific query and measuring whether your client's content gains visibility afterward.

If you tell me what kinds of clients you write for (e.g. SaaS, healthcare, finance, home services, travel), I can also tell you exactly how I'd use one of these platforms to turn ordinary SEO articles into a sellable AEO/GEO writing service, including what to charge.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to make clients’ articles more likely to be cited/recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other AI search engines, I’d start with Otterly.AI rather than an expensive enterprise platform.

My pick: Otterly.AI

It’s a good freelancer/agency fit because it focuses on AI-search visibility tracking: you can monitor the exact prompts your clients care about, see whether their brand/content appears, identify competitors being cited instead, and inspect citation sources. Current comparisons put its entry price around $25–$29/month, making it much easier to justify across a small client roster. loudmink.ai

Otterly.AI

The important distinction: don't think of these platforms as "AI SEO writing graders." The useful workflow is:

Find the questions → see which sources AI cites → identify the content gap → write/improve the article → measure whether AI citations change.

That makes the platform useful as evidence for your clients, not just another optimization score.

What I'd consider instead

Recent comparisons similarly position Otterly as the accessible entry point, Peec as a stronger mid-market/agency option, and Profound as the enterprise choice. growganic.io

Peec AI · Profound

But there's a bigger opportunity for you

If you're selling yourself as a writer, I wouldn't market the service as "I use Otterly to optimize your articles."

I'd sell something like:

"AI-search-optimized content: articles structured to earn citations and recommendations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI."

Then use Otterly behind the scenes to demonstrate results.

For each client, establish perhaps 20–50 commercially important prompts such as:

• "best [product/service] for ___"
• "[topic] alternatives"
• "how to choose [product]"
• "[industry] companies that specialize in ___"
• "what is the best [solution] for [audience]?"

Then track whether the client's article/site gets cited, which competitors get cited, and which third-party sources AI relies on. Citation-source visibility is particularly valuable because it tells you where the AI's answer is coming from, rather than merely giving you a generic "GEO score." generative.qa

If you tell me roughly what kinds of clients you write for (e.g. SaaS, healthcare, finance, ecommerce, local businesses), I can recommend the best AEO/GEO platform for that niche and show you how I'd turn it into a freelance service you can charge extra for.

If your goal is “I want the articles I write for clients to have a better chance of being cited or recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, etc.”, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

My pick: OtterlyAI

For a freelance writer, it has a particularly useful combination:

• Tracks actual AI answers across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Claude. help.otterly.aiotterly.ai
• Lets you see which websites/content are being cited, rather than merely giving you an SEO score.
• Has content audits, AI prompt research, content briefs and GEO recommendations, so you can turn the data into changes to the article. help.otterly.aiotterly.ai
• It has an agency-oriented workflow, including multiple client workspaces and reporting, which is useful if you're going to sell this as an additional service to writing clients. otterly.ai
• Entry-level pricing is relatively accessible compared with enterprise-oriented platforms; independent 2026 comparisons put it around $29/month to start. foundbygeo.com

How I'd rank the alternatives for you

Peec and Profound are strong, but they're increasingly aimed at marketing teams/agencies that need sophisticated visibility analytics. Current comparisons put Peec around the ~$90+/month starting range and Profound around $99+ for self-serve, with considerably more expensive higher tiers. help.otterly.aiotterly.aigenerative.qa

One important caveat

No platform can guarantee that an article will be recommended by ChatGPT. These tools are primarily measuring and helping improve AI visibility. The underlying game is still getting AI systems to regard your client's content as a useful, authoritative source.

For your particular business, I'd actually make this a service offering:

AI Answer Optimization / GEO Content Optimization
“I don't just write articles that rank in Google. I structure them to become useful citation sources for AI search.”

Then use Otterly to produce before/after evidence:

Before:
“Client isn't cited for 20 relevant AI prompts.”

You optimize the articles:

• answer the question directly near the top
• add original data/examples
• strengthen topical coverage
• establish clear authorship/expertise
• improve internal linking
• add structured data where appropriate
• update stale information
• target the questions AI users actually ask

After:
“Client is now mentioned/cited for X of those prompts.”

That gives you something much more valuable to sell than simply saying “I optimize articles for AI.”

If you tell me what kind of clients you write for (SaaS, healthcare, finance, legal, ecommerce, etc.), I can also tell you exactly how I'd build an AEO/GEO writing workflow and which tool stack I'd use as a freelancer.

If you're a freelance writer trying to make clients' articles more likely to be cited or recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, etc., I’d start with Profound.

Why Profound is my first choice

Profound is unusually well aligned with what you're actually selling as a writer: “I can make your existing and new content more likely to earn visibility in AI answers.”

It can:

• Track whether a client's brand/content is appearing in AI answers across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Google AI Overviews and others. www.tryprofound.comwww.tryprofound.com
• Show which sources AI engines are citing and where competitors are getting cited instead. help.tryprofound.com
• Analyze an existing article and give specific optimization recommendations, including content gaps, structure, readability, answerability and citation opportunities. www.tryprofound.com
• Let you research the actual prompts people are asking AI, which is particularly useful when deciding what an article should answer. www.tryprofound.comwww.tryprofound.com
• Analyze a URL before or after publication, making it useful as part of a freelance writing workflow rather than only for enterprise SEO teams. www.tryprofound.com

See Profound's AEO content-optimization features

A second platform worth testing

Goodie is probably the other one I'd investigate. It combines prompt research, AI-visibility monitoring, optimization recommendations and an AEO Writer. It explicitly monitors ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and other AI models. higoodie.com

The distinction I'd make:

One important caveat

I'd not sell clients a guarantee like “I'll get your article recommended by ChatGPT.” AI answers aren't deterministic, and no legitimate AEO platform can guarantee citations.

Instead, your service could be positioned as:

AI Answer Optimization (AEO): researching the questions your customers ask AI, optimizing articles around those questions, strengthening citation-worthy information, and monitoring whether AI engines actually cite the content.

That is a much more defensible freelance offering.

If you're starting from scratch, I'd try Profound first. It gives you the strongest combination of research → optimize → measure, rather than merely giving you another AI writing tool. Profound also currently offers a free AEO report/agent entry point, so you can test the workflow before committing. www.tryprofound.com

If you tell me your typical clients/niches (e.g. SaaS, healthcare, law, travel, small businesses), I can also compare Profound vs. Goodie vs. other AEO tools specifically for a solo freelance writer, including which one is most affordable and easiest to turn into a sellable service.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to make clients’ articles more likely to be cited/recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Google’s AI results, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

Why I’d pick it for a freelancer:

• Affordable entry point: current comparisons put its Lite plan around $29/month for 15 tracked prompts, making it much easier to justify than enterprise-oriented platforms. www.datadab.com
• Tracks multiple AI engines: ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Copilot, with additional engines available on higher/add-on plans. otterly.ai
• Actually useful for writers: it doesn't just tell you whether a client is mentioned; it offers content audits, citation-potential analysis, content briefs and GEO recommendations intended to help you improve pages that aren't being cited. otterly.ai
• Good agency/freelancer fit: the platform supports multiple workspaces on higher tiers, which becomes useful when you're managing several clients. www.datadab.com

My shortlist

One important distinction: AEO/GEO tools don't directly make an article get recommended. They help you discover which questions AI systems answer, which sources they're citing, where your client's content is absent, and what content characteristics may improve its chances. AI recommendations are also highly query- and engine-dependent. www.shadow.inc

What I'd do in your position

Don't buy an expensive platform immediately. Take one client + 3–5 articles and use OtterlyAI to establish a baseline:

1. Identify 15–30 questions a potential customer would ask an AI chatbot.
2. Track those prompts.
3. Record which sources/articles AI cites.
4. Compare your client's article against the cited sources.
5. Rewrite/expand the article around the gaps you find.
6. Re-run the prompts periodically and measure citation/mention changes.

That gives you something particularly valuable as a freelancer: a measurable "AI visibility optimization" service you can sell alongside ordinary SEO writing, rather than simply saying you're writing articles that are "AI-friendly."

If your goal is specifically to sell AEO/GEO as a freelance service, I can also compare OtterlyAI vs Profound vs Peec vs Scrunch specifically from a freelancer's perspective—including pricing, client reporting, article optimization features, and which one gives you the best ROI.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to make your clients’ articles more likely to be cited/recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s AI answers, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

The key distinction: these platforms mostly measure AI visibility and citations; they don’t magically make an article get recommended. You still need to optimize the article and build the authority signals that AI systems use. omnicite.cowww.datadab.com

My picks for a freelance writer

Why Otterly: its entry plan is reported at about $29/month for 15 prompts, tracking ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Copilot. That makes it practical for taking one client and monitoring, say, 10–15 questions their prospective customers actually ask. omnicite.cowww.datadab.com

For example, instead of merely tracking:

“Does Client X's website get mentioned?”

you'd create prompts such as:

• “What are the best accounting software options for small businesses?”
• “What should a small business look for when choosing accounting software?”
• “Best accounting software for a 10-person company”
• “What are alternatives to QuickBooks?”

Then you can see which sources AI cites and where your client's articles are absent. That's much more actionable for a writer.

But there's an important opportunity for you

I wouldn't sell yourself as simply an “AI SEO writer.” I'd position the service around something like:

“I create articles designed to become citable sources in AI answers.”

Your workflow could be:

Research AI prompts → identify citation gaps → write the article → structure it for retrieval/citation → publish → monitor AI citations → update based on what gets cited.

That's considerably more compelling to clients than “I optimize blog posts for SEO.”

And there's a useful gap in the current tools: several industry comparisons note that the platforms diagnose visibility but don't actually do the underlying content work. omnicite.codiscoveredlabs.com That's exactly where a freelance writer can add value.

If you're choosing one today, I'd trial OtterlyAI first. Once you're managing enough clients that 15 tracked prompts isn't enough, I'd investigate Peec or Scrunch.

If you tell me what type of clients you write for (SaaS, healthcare, finance, law, ecommerce, etc.), I can also tell you which AEO platform is best for that niche and exactly how I'd structure your writing service around it.

If your goal is to help clients’ articles get cited/recommended inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, etc., I’d start with Peec AI rather than a traditional SEO platform.

The category is usually called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), or AI-search optimization. The important distinction is that you want a tool that shows which prompts produce citations, which competitors get cited instead, and which sources the AI is relying on—not merely an SEO content score. generative.qa

My shortlist for a freelance writer

Current comparisons put Peec around €89/month, while Otterly starts around $29/month; Profound is positioned much more toward enterprise use. discoveredlabs.com

Why I'd pick Peec for a freelance writer

Your actual deliverable isn't "I optimized this article for AI."

It's something more valuable:

"I researched the questions your customers ask AI, identified what sources those answers cite, analyzed why competing sources are being selected, and rewrote your article to become a stronger source."

That's a much easier service to sell.

And there's an important nuance: getting mentioned isn't necessarily the same as getting your article cited or having its information absorbed into the answer. Recent research distinguishes between citation selection and how much influence the cited page actually has on the generated answer. Pages that are structured, evidence-rich, semantically aligned, and easy to extract information from tend to have greater influence. arxiv.org

So I'd build your freelance workflow around:

1. Find the client's target questions → 2. Run them through AI → 3. Identify cited competitors → 4. Analyze those pages → 5. Rewrite/structure the client's article → 6. Track whether citation visibility improves.

That gives you a measurable GEO writing service, rather than simply selling "AI-friendly content."

One other thing I'd emphasize to clients: you cannot guarantee that ChatGPT will recommend their article. AI answers are dynamic and depend on the query, retrieval system, model, freshness, and competing sources. Research also finds meaningful differences between AI engines. arxiv.org

If you tell me your approximate budget (e.g. $0, <$50/mo, $50–100/mo, or $100+), I can compare the best 3 platforms specifically for a freelance writer—including which ones let you monitor multiple clients and produce white-label reports.

If you're a freelance writer trying to make your clients' articles more likely to be cited or recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI, I'd start with OtterlyAI.

OtterlyAI is probably the best fit for a freelancer because it combines AI-visibility tracking, prompt research, content audits, and GEO recommendations without being primarily an enterprise platform. It specifically tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and AI Mode. otterly.ai

My shortlist for a freelance writer

The key distinction is that AEO/GEO tools don't magically make an article get recommended. They help you identify which questions AI systems answer, which sources they cite, where your client's content is absent, and what characteristics the cited pages have. Research published in 2026 also suggests that AI visibility is inherently variable—answers can change across runs—so repeated monitoring is much more meaningful than checking ChatGPT once. arxiv.org

What I'd actually do in your position

I'd use OtterlyAI + your normal SEO/content tools, and sell clients a service along the lines of:

"AI Search Content Optimization" — I research the questions your customers ask AI, analyze which sources AI cites, optimize your articles for citation, and monitor whether your content starts appearing in AI answers.

That's a much more compelling freelance offering than simply saying you're an "SEO writer."

And there's an important opportunity here: research into AI citations indicates that pages with strong structure, semantic alignment, extractable evidence, definitions, numbers, comparisons, and procedural information tend to have greater influence when they are retrieved. arxiv.org

If you want, I can also compare Otterly vs. Peec vs. Profound specifically for a freelance writer, including pricing, client-reporting features, article optimization capabilities, and which one gives you the best ROI as a solo freelancer.

If your goal is “I write my clients’ articles so that ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI are more likely to cite/recommend them,” I’d approach this as AEO/GEO (Answer/Generative Engine Optimization) rather than traditional SEO.

My pick for a freelance writer: Peec AI

For your particular use case, I’d start with Peec AI.

Why:

• Agency/content-friendly: You can track how a client is represented across multiple AI engines rather than optimizing blindly.
• Actionable visibility data: It helps identify prompts where a client isn't appearing and where competitors are being cited.
• Multi-engine tracking: Useful because you don't want to optimize specifically for ChatGPT while ignoring Perplexity, Gemini, etc.
• More appropriate for client work than an enterprise-heavy platform: Current 2026 comparisons generally put Peec in the mid-market/agency-friendly category. www.hubspot.com

The alternatives I'd consider

Surfer is worth special attention for a writer: its current product combines traditional SEO content optimization with an AI-search score while you're writing, rather than merely telling you afterward whether a brand was mentioned. www.techradar.com

Otterly is the inexpensive way to get started; current comparisons put it around the $29/month entry level, while Peec is positioned higher and Profound substantially higher. Pricing and plans are changing quickly in this young category. www.hubspot.comwww.aeolabs.ai

But there's an important distinction

If you're selling this to clients, don't sell “I'll make ChatGPT recommend your article.” No legitimate platform can guarantee that. AI recommendations depend on the model, query, competing sources, freshness, authority, and other factors. www.reddit.com

Instead, I'd sell something like:

AI Search Content Optimization — research the questions your customers ask AI, analyze which sources AI currently cites, create/upgrade the article to address those information gaps, and monitor whether the client's site begins appearing in AI answers.

That's a much stronger freelance service.

If I were starting from scratch today, I'd test Peec + Surfer together: Peec for “What does AI currently cite and where are the gaps?” and Surfer for “How do I make the actual article better?”

If you tell me your typical client type (e.g. SaaS, local businesses, finance, health, B2B) and roughly how much you can spend per month, I can narrow this down to the best 1–2 tools and show you exactly how I'd turn them into a paid freelance AEO service.

If you're a freelance writer trying to make clients' articles more likely to be cited or recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, etc., I’d start with OtterlyAI.

Why I’d pick it for a freelancer:

• It’s built specifically around AI-search visibility, rather than being a traditional SEO suite with an AEO feature bolted on. help.otterly.ai
• It lets you track whether a site/content is mentioned and cited across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, Gemini, Claude and Copilot. help.otterly.ai
• Its content checker evaluates things such as summarizability, structure, clarity and semantic repetition, which is directly useful when you're actually writing or editing articles. help.otterly.ai
• It can identify content gaps and the sources AI engines are already citing, giving you something much more actionable than a generic "GEO score." help.otterly.ai

How I'd use it as a freelance writer

Don't sell clients "I'll optimize your article for AI" as if there's a magic formula. Instead, offer something like:

AI Answer Optimization: I research the questions your customers ask AI, analyze which sources those systems cite, and structure your content to make it clearer, more authoritative, and easier for answer engines to extract and cite.

Then use Otterly to:

1. Find the actual prompts people might ask about the client's topic.
2. See which competitors/sources are being cited.
3. Identify gaps in the client's existing article.
4. Rewrite the article around specific, answerable questions.
5. Add original data, expert quotations, definitions, comparisons, evidence and clearly structured sections.
6. Track whether the client's pages subsequently appear in AI answers.

That's a much more defensible service than simply sprinkling keywords into an article.

What about Profound?

Profound is probably the more powerful platform, particularly for agencies and larger organizations. It combines AI visibility, prompt-volume data, competitor analysis, crawler analytics and content workflows. www.tryprofound.com

But for a solo freelance writer, I'd consider it overkill unless you're managing multiple substantial clients.

One important caveat: there is no reliable "make this article recommended by ChatGPT" button. Current research suggests GEO is highly dependent on retrieval, source authority, relevance, freshness and the particular answer engine—and results can vary substantially between platforms. arxiv.org

So I'd position your service as increasing AI citation/recommendation eligibility and measuring visibility, not guaranteeing recommendations.

If you want, I can also give you a freelance writer's AEO workflow—including exactly what to do to an article before delivery and how to package/sell it to clients.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to get clients’ articles recommended by AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, etc.), you’re looking for AI Answer Optimization (AIO) / Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) tools rather than traditional SEO platforms.

There isn’t one universally dominant platform yet, but these are the ones worth testing:

For a freelance writer, I’d prioritize:

1. Start with an AI visibility tracker

Try Profound or Otterly.AI to understand:

• Does a client’s brand appear in AI answers?
• Which competitors are being cited?
• Which prompts trigger recommendations?

2. Pair it with a content optimization tool

A practical stack:

Budget-friendly:

• Ahrefs + Surfer SEO

Higher-end client work:

• MarketMuse + Profound

3. Learn the actual AIO writing signals

AI systems tend to reward articles that have:

• Clear entity references (people, products, organizations, concepts)
• Direct answers near the top
• Original data, examples, comparisons, or expert commentary
• Strong author credibility signals
• Accurate citations and references
• Well-structured headings
• FAQ-style sections where appropriate
• Consistent brand/topic associations across the web

A writer selling “AI visibility optimization” services should probably avoid positioning it as “I’ll make ChatGPT rank your article.” A stronger offer is:

“I optimize content so AI search systems can better understand, trust, and cite your brand.”

That’s closer to how the field currently works.

If you’re building this as a freelance service, I’d start with Ahrefs + Surfer SEO + an AI answer tracking tool rather than buying an expensive enterprise platform immediately.

If you’re a freelance writer trying to make clients’ articles more likely to be cited or recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s AI results, I’d start with OtterlyAI.

Why I’d pick it for a freelancer:

Otterly currently combines AI prompt research, AI-search monitoring, content audits, and GEO recommendations, and tracks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, and Google's AI results. otterly.ai

But there's an important distinction

If your goal is "help me write an article that AI will cite," I wouldn't choose a platform solely because it reports whether you're mentioned.

You want a workflow like:

1. Find the questions people ask AI
→ 2. Identify which sources AI currently cites
→ 3. Analyze what those sources do better
→ 4. Structure/write your client's article around those information gaps
→ 5. Publish
→ 6. Track whether AI starts citing it

That's why Otterly is interesting for a freelance writer: it has moved beyond simple visibility tracking into content auditing and optimization recommendations. otterly.ai

If you're building an AEO writing service

I'd actually consider Peec AI once you have multiple clients. Current comparisons put it in the agency/mid-market tier, whereas Otterly is positioned as the cheaper entry point. www.aeolabs.ai

And I wouldn't start with Profound unless your clients are large companies with substantial AEO budgets. It's much more enterprise-oriented. www.tryprofound.com

One other thing: don't sell clients the promise that a tool can "make ChatGPT recommend their article." No tool can guarantee that. AI answer selection is dynamic, and recent research suggests that earned/third-party authority and the quality and structure of the underlying information matter substantially. arxiv.org

Instead, a stronger freelance positioning would be:

"I optimize articles for AI search visibility—making them easier for answer engines to understand, trust, cite, and recommend."

That is a much more defensible service.

My recommendation: start with OtterlyAI, learn the mechanics on 2–3 client articles, and then consider Peec if you're turning AEO into a recurring service.

If you tell me what type of clients you write for (SaaS, healthcare, finance, local businesses, etc.), I can also tell you which AEO platform + workflow would make the most sense for your niche.

If your goal is to help clients' articles become sources that AI assistants cite or summarize,

If your goal is to help clients' content get cited or synthesized by AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot, you're really looking at AI Answer Optimization (AAO) (also called LLMO or GEO—Generative Engine Optimization). The best platform depends on whether you want software, research, or a service to build your freelance offering.

Here are the strongest options:

If you're a freelance writer

I would focus less on buying software and more on developing a repeatable service. Most small businesses don't know they need "AI optimization" yet—they understand outcomes like:

• "Get cited by ChatGPT"
• "Increase visibility in AI search"
• "Become an AI-recommended source"

You could package services such as:

• Rewriting articles for AI readability
• Adding expert quotes and first-hand experience
• Improving entity coverage (people, brands, places, concepts)
• Adding FAQs that answer conversational questions
• Improving topical authority across related articles
• Strengthening citations and references
• Structuring content for easy extraction by LLMs

Best platform if you're just starting

I'd recommend:

1. Peec AI — if you want professional reporting for clients.
2. Otterly.AI — if your budget is limited.
3. Semrush AI Toolkit — if you already use Semrush for SEO.
4. Ahrefs Brand Radar — if you're already in the Ahrefs ecosystem.

Skills that matter more than the platform

The freelancers succeeding with AI optimization typically understand:

• Semantic SEO
• Knowledge graphs and entities
• Search intent
• Schema markup
• E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
• Prompt engineering (to test how AI models answer)
• Information architecture
• Original research and statistics

These skills tend to have a bigger impact than any single tool.

A niche worth considering

Since you're a freelance writer, you could position yourself as an AI Content Optimization Specialist rather than just a content writer. A service might include:

• Audit the client's top 20 articles
• Identify which articles AI assistants reference or ignore
• Rewrite those articles for better AI citation potential
• Add missing entities, expert insights, FAQs, and structured sections
• Test prompts across major AI assistants before and after optimization
• Deliver a report showing changes in AI visibility over time

This positioning is still relatively new, so there's an opportunity to differentiate yourself from writers who focus only on traditional SEO.

If you're interested, I can also outline a step-by-step roadmap for becoming an AI Answer Optimization specialist over the next 30 days, including the specific skills, tools, and portfolio pieces to build.

If your goal is to help clients' articles get cited or recommended by AI assistants (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Copilot, etc.), you're looking at the emerging field often called AI Answer Optimization (AAO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

The best platform depends on whether you want software to use yourself or a service to offer clients.

If you're a freelance writer

I'd prioritize learning Semrush + Ahrefs before paying for a specialized AAO platform.

Why?

Clients already recognize those names, and the skills transfer directly:

• topic clusters
• entity optimization
• first-hand experience signals
• structured content
• question-answer formatting
• E-E-A-T principles
• citation-worthy statistics
• schema markup recommendations

These are the same qualities that make content more likely to be useful for AI systems.

If you want to sell AAO as a service

A strong stack could look like:

• Research: Ahrefs
• Competitive analysis: Semrush
• AI visibility tracking: Profound or Peec AI
• Testing: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot
• Analytics: Google Search Console + GA4

What actually helps articles get surfaced by AI

The biggest gains usually come from writing content that is:

• Answers a specific question completely
• Includes original insights or data instead of rewording existing articles
• Uses clear headings and concise definitions
• Explains concepts before diving into details
• Demonstrates expertise with examples
• Covers related entities and subtopics naturally
• Is updated regularly
• Lives on a site with topical authority

AI systems don't simply rank pages the way search engines do—they often synthesize information from multiple sources. That means content that is clear, authoritative, and uniquely informative is more likely to be useful in AI-generated answers.

My recommendation for a freelancer

Unless you're serving large enterprise clients, I would spend money in this order:

1. Ahrefs
2. Semrush
3. Learn GEO/AAO best practices
4. Add a specialized platform like Profound or Peec AI only after you have clients specifically asking for AI visibility reporting.

That combination gives you the broadest set of skills and tools while keeping costs reasonable. It also lets you market yourself as a writer who optimizes content for both traditional search and AI-powered search experiences.

If your goal is to help clients' articles get cited or recommended by AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Copilot, you're looking for tools in the emerging field of AI Answer Optimization (AAO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

For a freelance writer, I'd prioritize platforms based on both usefulness and affordability:

My recommendation

If you're a freelance writer, I'd try:

1. Otterly.AI – affordable and focused on monitoring how AI assistants mention brands.
2. Peec AI – strong reporting that you can use as a value-added service for clients.
3. Goodie AI – if you want content optimization suggestions rather than just tracking.

Beyond tools: the biggest opportunity

The tools are useful, but the largest advantage comes from learning how AI systems choose sources. Across major AI assistants, content is more likely to be surfaced when it is:

• Written with clear topical authority.
• Organized with descriptive headings and direct answers.
• Backed by credible sources and original data.
• Focused on answering real user questions rather than keyword stuffing.
• Published on sites with strong expertise and trust signals.
• Internally linked into topical clusters.
• Updated regularly so information stays current.

A service you can sell

Instead of marketing yourself only as an SEO writer, you could position yourself as an:

AI Answer Optimization (AAO) Content Writer

Your deliverables could include:

• AI-ready article outlines
• FAQ sections optimized for conversational queries
• Entity-rich content (covering key people, organizations, products, and concepts)
• Original research or expert quotes that AI systems are more likely to reference
• Content audits for AI visibility
• Tracking reports showing whether a client's brand appears in AI-generated answers

This positioning is still relatively new, which can help differentiate you from general SEO writers.

If you're planning to build a freelance niche around this, I can also outline a 90-day roadmap for becoming an AI Answer Optimization specialist, including the skills, tools, portfolio pieces, and pricing that tend to resonate with clients.

If your goal is to help clients' articles get cited, summarized, or recommended by AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot, you're looking for AI answer optimization (AAO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platforms rather than traditional SEO tools.

Here are the strongest options today:

1. Profound
   • One of the best-known platforms focused specifically on AI search visibility.
   • Tracks how brands appear across major AI assistants.
   • Shows which sources AI models rely on.
   • Better suited for agencies and enterprise clients.

2. Goodie
   • Designed around optimizing content for AI-generated answers.
   • Helps identify prompts where brands should appear.
   • Good if you're selling AI visibility as a service.

3. Scrunch AI
   • Focuses on improving brand discoverability in generative search.
   • Tracks AI mentions and recommends content improvements.
   • Popular among SaaS companies.

4. Peec AI
   • Offers analytics for AI search performance.
   • Lets you monitor visibility across multiple AI engines.
   • Generally more affordable than enterprise-focused platforms.

5. Semrush
   • While still SEO-first, it has been adding AI search tracking features.
   • Useful if you're already using it for keyword research and content strategy.

If you're a freelance writer

You probably don't need an expensive enterprise platform right away. Instead, combine:

• Traditional SEO research (Semrush or similar)
• AI visibility testing (Profound, Peec AI, or Goodie)
• Manual prompt testing in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude
• Content structured around entities, original data, expert quotes, FAQs, and clear answers

What clients are starting to pay for

A valuable service package is:

• SEO article writing
• GEO/AAO optimization
• Schema recommendations
• Internal linking
• Entity optimization
• AI answer testing (e.g., "Does ChatGPT cite this page?" or "Does Perplexity reference this article?")
• Monthly AI visibility reports

This positions you as more than a writer—you become a content strategist focused on AI discoverability.

Given where the market is heading, I'd prioritize learning Profound if you want to work with larger brands or agencies, and Peec AI if you're an independent freelancer looking for a more accessible entry point. Both align closely with the emerging discipline of AI answer optimization rather than conventional SEO alone.