TL;DR: The best AEO tools combine question-based keyword discovery, AI-visibility tracking, answer-first content optimization, and schema/JSON-LD generation. If you are a small business, try AnswerThePublic + Frase + a free JSON-LD generator; for scale, use Semrush (AI visibility) + Surfer or Clearscope + Schema App.
Online search is changing, and you already know one thing: people aren’t just typing short queries into Google anymore. They’re using conversational prompts, voice assistants, and AI to find answers. That means Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is now a core part of modern SEO. Below, I’ll walk you through the best AEO software and AEO tools (paid and free) that help with keyword research, AI visibility tracking, content optimization, and schema/structured data — all in a friendly, practical way.
How to pick the best AEO software
When you choose an AEO software, include tools that solve these four jobs:
- Question discovery — you need to find real conversational queries people ask.
- AI visibility & monitoring — you need to track whether AI tools like ChatGPT, Persplexity, etc., reference your content.
- Content optimization — build short, authoritative answer blocks and topic coverage.
- Schema generation — produce FAQ/HowTo/Product JSON-LD that answer engines can read.
If a tool doesn’t help at least one of these jobs, it won’t move the needle for AEO.
Keyword & question discovery — where AEO starts
AEO starts from people-first question data. Here are the two most popular tools you can use:
- AnswerThePublic: It is great for brainstorming long-form questions and content angles from autocomplete patterns. It’s fast and excellent for AEO content ideation.
- AlsoAsked (People Also Ask tracking): This tool helps you map how Google groups related questions, so you can build content clusters that match what search and AI expect.
Free vs paid: AnswerThePublic offers limited free lookups; paid plans unlock more history and exports. AlsoAsked has both API/paid options if you need scale.
AI visibility tracking & monitoring in generative answers
This is the emerging must-have to measure your AEO success. Can AI recommend your content?
Semrush (AI SEO / AI Visibility): Semrush has launched AI visibility metrics and dedicated tracking in its AI SEO toolkit. So, using Semrush, you can monitor whether your brand or pages appear in outputs from major chat engines and LLM-powered search. If you want a single dashboard for traditional rankings plus AI visibility signals, Semrush is one of the must-try options that offer that. [Here is a guide on how to use it]
Paid vs free: Semrush’s Enterprise/AI features are paid. However, they provide some free AI visibility checks and reports for trial/quick checks.
Quick check: If a page is pulled into a chatbot answer, consider it an AEO win. Then, analyze why you won it: short answer sentence? Strong schema? Unique data?
Content optimization & analysis (make your content answer-first)
Optimizing for AEO is different from SEO-only content optimization. You must prioritize clear, concise answers, FAQs, and semantically complete pages.
Here are the top options for you:
Surfer SEO: A content editor that builds recommendations from top-ranking pages and can help craft answer-first sections and outlines. It also has Surfer AI for on-demand content writing.
Frase: This tool focuses specifically on answering questions. It maps SERP question intent and gives a content score and AI-based suggestions so you can optimize for both search and generative answers.
Clearscope or MarketMuse: The two enterprise-style content optimization tools provide topic breadth, competitive signals, and editing workflows for content teams focused on high-quality, authoritative answers.
Which to choose? For solo writers or small teams, Frase and Surfer are the better options. For larger content programs that care about topical authority, MarketMuse or Clearscope is the best option. They are paid tools, but available for free to try before making a payment.
If you are looking for a tool that generates human-like, AEO-friendly content, check out the following tool available on a limited lifetime deal at AppSumo:
Schema & structured data (make your answers machine-readable)
Schema is a direct signal to AI systems and rich result engines. Some useful tools to generate schemas for your content that are easily visible to AI tools are:
Schema App: An enterprise-grade schema generation and the Highlighter for scalable deployments and building a content knowledge graph. Great when you need to manage schema at scale.
Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper: It is a free way to tag a page and generate markup. Ideal for quick manual implementations.
TechnicalSEO / RankRanger JSON-LD generators: They are simple, free generators for FAQ, HowTo, Product, and more. They are handy when you prefer to build JSON-LD yourself.
Free vs paid: Start with Google’s helper and TechnicalSEO generators for small sites. Migrate to Schema App when you require automated, dynamic, and enterprise-level schema management.
A practical combo for AEO success (starter stacks)
You can use any of the following combinations of tools for your AEO success:
Solo creator / small team (budget-conscious): AnswerThePublic + Frase + TechnicalSEO JSON-LD generator. Utilize free trials and free generators to expedite results.
Growth/content team (scale & monitoring): Semrush (AI visibility) + Surfer or Clearscope + Schema App. This gives you AI visibility metrics, editor-level optimization, and scalable schema deployment.
Quick AEO checklist to run before publishing
Make sure you fulfill the following checklist to make your content AEO-friendly:
- Does the page open with a one-sentence, direct answer? ✅
- Are the top 3 questions about the topic answered on the page? ✅
- Is there an FAQ or HowTo JSON-LD included? ✅
- Did you run a Rich Results Test / AI-visibility check? ✅
If you can tick all four boxes, your page is AEO-ready.
AEO is part detective work (figuring out what questions people ask), part engineering (making answers discoverable by AI), and part craft (writing crisp, direct answers). Try one tool from each category this week and measure the results in the coming months.
Learn more to realize your AEO success with the following guides:
Frequently Asked Questions
AEO tools help you find question-style keywords, track AI visibility, optimize answer-first content, and generate schema so answer engines can use your pages.
For small teams, choose a question discovery tool plus a content optimizer and a free schema generator — this combo delivers fast wins without high costs.
Yes. FAQ, HowTo, and Product schema increase the chance answer engines can understand and cite your content.
Written and edited by: Ibochouba Singh
Dated: September 22, 2025
Disclosure: We are partners or associates of Amazon and other top brands. We may earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without increasing the price. Please read our full affiliate disclosure here.
Ibochouba Singh is a content writer and reviewer with a passion for writing about digital marketing and tech gadgets, including software tools and new tech gadgets. He has over 15 years of experience writing for several consumers and clients, including tech startups, marketing agencies, and software companies. He has written many articles and product reviews for many websites, including nigcworld.com and buywin.in.