# How To Do an AI Search Optimisation Audit (Step-by-Step Guide) Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzMJ4jV2Co4 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/TzMJ4jV2Co4 Generated: 2025-12-09T11:34:23.434+00:00 --- ## 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. ![Screenshot at 00:24: The speaker demonstrates searching for "best heat pump brands" in Google, showing the AI Overview snippet which lists recommended brands like Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Vaillant, Samsung, and NIBE, highlighting the new format that needs auditing.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TzMJ4jV2Co4/00-00-24.png) **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. ## Detailed Analysis The video provides a step-by-step guide on auditing a brand's performance in the context of Google's new AI-driven search features (Gemini 3 AI Overviews and AI Mode). The process involves analyzing two primary factors: AI Visibility and AI Brand Sentiment. Using Semrush's AI Visibility tool as an example for 'mayoclinic.org', the speaker shows a medium visibility score (71/100) and metrics like mentions (112.2K) broken down by AI platform (e.g., Chat GPT 17K, AI Overview 79.4K). The audit then moves to Cited Sources to identify which domains (like nih.gov and clevelandclinic.org) are frequently referenced by LLMs, revealing citation gaps. Next, the Brand Performance section is analyzed to compare sentiment against competitors like Bank of America and Wells Fargo, showing Rocket Mortgage leads in positive sentiment (75.56%) but has specific weaknesses, such as being under-represented in community impact narratives. Finally, the speaker stresses prioritizing fixes based on an Impact and Effort matrix, recommending immediate action on high-impact, low-effort items like correcting factual inaccuracies or increasing citations on high-authority sites to improve overall AI perception. ### AI Audit Framework - Focus on two areas: Visibility (AI mentions vs. traditional search) and AI Brand Sentiment (tone of mentions) - Prioritize fixes by Impact and Effort (High Impact/Low Effort first) - Recommendations include addressing negative sentiment and citation gaps. ### AI Visibility & Source Analysis (Semrush Example) - Mayo Clinic scores 71/100 (Medium) for AI Visibility; 112.2K mentions across prompts. Cited Sources section shows competitors like nih.gov and clevelandclinic.org are heavily cited, indicating content gaps for Mayo Clinic. ### Brand Performance & Sentiment - Analyzing sentiment drivers shows Rocket Mortgage has 75.56% positive sentiment against competitors like Chase (35.71%) and Bank of America (33.33%) - Areas for improvement include less transparent upfront pricing and aggressive follow-up marketing. ### Strategic Recommendations - Convert FHA, eClosing, and preapproval content into 'rulebooks' AI cites to position the brand as a benchmark over cheaper rivals - Target partnerships with outlets that rank highly in AI responses to improve visibility. ![Screenshot at 00:01: Introduction screen showing the Gemini 3 AI logo, signaling the focus on Google's new AI features.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TzMJ4jV2Co4/00-00-01.png) ![Screenshot at 00:24: The speaker demonstrates a Google search result showing the AI Overview snippet for "best heat pump brands," highlighting the new SERP feature.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TzMJ4jV2Co4/00-00-24.png) ![Screenshot at 03:50: Semrush's AI Visibility dashboard showing Mayo Clinic's 'Medium' score \(71/100\) and a breakdown of mentions across different AI platforms.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TzMJ4jV2Co4/00-03-50.png) ![Screenshot at 13:50: Semrush Brand Performance view comparing Rocket Mortgage's sentiment score \(75.6%\) against competitors like Bank of America \(33% positive sentiment\) and Wells Fargo \(57% positive sentiment\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TzMJ4jV2Co4/00-13-50.png) ![Screenshot at 15:45: Key Sentiment Drivers comparison showing Rocket Mortgage's strong points \(green bars\) versus Areas for Improvement \(yellow/orange bars\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TzMJ4jV2Co4/00-15-45.png)