If you have a team that can act on the data, start with a tool.
If you don't, or the fix involves your brand, website and evidence all at once, you need an agency. A tracking tool shows you the gap in AI answers. It doesn't close it.
What tracking tools do well
AI visibility tools like Profound, Peec AI, Trakkr and the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit monitor how AI answers prompts about your category. They show whether you're mentioned, which sources AI cites and which competitors appear instead. Several publish entry pricing around $100 a month, according to Trakkr's own comparison.
For brands with an in-house SEO, content and PR team, that's often the right starting point. The data tells your team where to aim.
Where tools stop
Knowing you're invisible doesn't make you visible. The fixes AI responds to usually sit across several teams:
- Brand: a clear, consistent description of who you are and why you're different.
- Website: structured data, complete product or treatment pages, named experts.
- Evidence: clinical results, credentials and case studies published where AI can read them.
- Earned media: editorial mentions, reviews and directory listings outside your own site.
If those sit with four different suppliers who never speak to each other, the dashboard turns into a to-do list nobody owns.
How to decide
| Your situation | What fits |
|---|---|
| You have an SEO, content and PR team with capacity | A tracking tool |
| You have a team, but no one owns AI visibility | A tool plus a strategic audit |
| Your brand, site or evidence needs real work | An agency |
| You're launching, rebranding or entering retail | An agency that builds the brand and the visibility together |
What to ask any agency
- Do you measure where we stand before proposing anything?
- Do you fix the brand, website and evidence, or just report on them?
- Which AI platforms do you track, and how often?
- Can you show a before and after for a client in our category?
At QYRAI™, we start with the Diagnostic so the plan is based on what AI actually says about you. Get yours free, and use it whether you hire us or not.
Questions
- Do I need an AI visibility agency if I already have an SEO agency?
- Not always. Ask whether they measure AI answers directly and whether they work on earned media and evidence, not just your website.
- How much does AI visibility tracking cost?
- Software starts at around $100 a month. Agency work is priced on scope, because the fixes vary more than the monitoring does.
- Can I use a tool and an agency together?
- Yes. Many brands use a tool for ongoing monitoring and an agency to make the changes the data points to.