How To Do an AI Search Optimisation Audit (Step-by-Step Guide)

Quick Overview

To perform an AI Search Optimisation Audit effectively, focus on two key areas: Visibility and AI Brand Sentiment, using tools like Semrush to analyze where your brand ranks in AI overviews versus traditional search, and then prioritize fixes based on Impact and Effort, focusing initially on high-impact, low-effort items like addressing negative sentiment or missing citations in AI responses.

Key Points: Google has rolled out Gemini 3 AI overviews and AI mode, necessitating an AI Search Optimisation Audit to ensure brand visibility. The audit focuses on two main areas: Visibility (how often your brand appears in AI answers) and AI Brand Sentiment (the tone of those mentions). The speaker demonstrates using Semrush's AI Visibility tool to see that Mayo Clinic has 'Medium' visibility (71/100) but notes room for improvement. When checking citations, top sources like nih.gov and clevelandclinic.org are frequently cited, indicating where competitors are gaining authority. The Brand Performance section reveals specific sentiment drivers and areas for improvement, such as Rocket Mortgage's strong positive sentiment (75.56%) but its competitors' weaknesses in areas like transparency (e.g., Wells Fargo sentiment is 57%). Prioritization should follow an Impact and Effort matrix: focus first on high-impact, low-effort fixes, such as correcting inaccuracies or missing citations in AI responses, before tackling larger content creation projects. The speaker advises checking the 'Narrative Drivers' and 'Perception' tabs in Semrush to understand the specific language and context driving brand sentiment.

Context: This tutorial, presented by Tim Cameron-Kitchen from Exposure Ninja, explains how to conduct a comprehensive SEO audit specifically tailored for the new AI-driven search landscape, focusing on Google's Gemini 3 AI Overviews and AI Mode. The core challenge addressed is that traditional SEO practices might not translate directly to AI search results, requiring a new audit framework to ensure brand visibility and positive sentiment in AI-generated answers.