The AI visibility tooling market filled up in two years. Almost all of them show a pretty chart; few answer the question that matters: am I named, and why?
Seven criteria that separate a useful tool from a decorative dashboard
1. Assistant coverage. It should query several models, not just one. Each assistant behaves differently and draws on different sources.
2. Prompt-set control. You must be able to write questions exactly as your customers ask them, edit them and freeze them. If the tool generates opaque prompts, you cannot compare anything.
3. History and fixed cadence. A one-off scan is worthless. You need the same question, on the same day, for months. The time series is the product.
4. Competitors. Knowing you appear in 30% of answers says little; knowing your rival appears in 70% says everything. Demand comparative share of voice.
5. Cited sources. Without the list of domains AI cites, you have a thermometer, not a diagnosis. Sources are the action plan.
6. An explained report. A good report turns data into three concrete actions. If you have to interpret it yourself, the time saving disappears.
7. True cost and data portability. Look at price per brand and per scan, whether extra credits exist, and whether you can export to PDF or CSV for your client or leadership.
Uncomfortable questions before signing
- Can I change plan and cancel without friction?
- How many questions and brands really fit in the entry plan?
- Is the data mine and exportable?
- What happens to history if I cancel?
How to test it in two weeks
Take ten real questions whose answers you already know. Run the tool and check its results against what you see asking the assistants yourself. If it matches, measure for two weeks and confirm the series is stable. If it does not match, no extra feature makes up for it.
Where AskBrandly fits
AskBrandly is built on exactly these seven points: an editable prompt set, scheduled weekly or monthly scans, competitor comparison, cited sources, alerts when your position changes and a plain-language report exportable to PDF. You can test it with your own brand and questions before deciding.