The most visible SEO tools, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked in English, worldwide · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 60 answers read

Leader

Semrush

75Heralded Score, range 63–82

Most cited source

zapier.com

10citations

From Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

They agree

Every engine names the same top three.

Brands

Search is not measured for this board yet, so it ranks on AI answers.

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score All AI Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Semrush US New entry 75 , range 63–82 75#1
75
  • : score 75 · #1
76% 49% First reading
2 Google Search Console US New entry 74 , range 62–82 74#2
74
  • : score 74 · #2
68% 56% First reading
3 Ahrefs SG New entry 71 , range 57–79 71#3
71
  • : score 71 · #3
74% 40% First reading
4 SE Ranking GB New entry 42 , range 34–52 42#4
42
  • : score 42 · #4
37% 18% First reading
5 Screaming Frog GB New entry 41 , range 33–51 41#5
41
  • : score 41 · #5
35% 17% First reading
6 Google Keyword Planner US New entry 28 , range 8–38 28#6
28
  • : score 28 · #6
14% 10% First reading
7 Moz US New entry 26 , range 8–38 26#7
26
  • : score 26 · #7
19% 5% First reading
8 Ubersuggest US New entry 21 , range 6–37 21#8
21
  • : score 21 · #8
13% 8% First reading
9 Mangools SK New entry 21 , range 6–37 21#9
21
  • : score 21 · #9
13% 8% First reading
10 Yoast NL New entry 18 , range 6–36 18#10
18
  • : score 18 · #10
14% 6% None First reading

“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. AI gives each brand’s score and rank from the engines’ answers; Search is not measured for this board yet. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
1 zapier.com Vendor site 16.7% 4 of 4 2 17
2 lendio.com Vendor site 5.0% 2 of 4 1 11
3 web.dev Vendor site 5.0% 1 of 4 1 Not read
4 agencyanalytics.com Vendor site 3.3% 2 of 4 2 Not read
5 crazyegg.com Vendor site 3.3% 2 of 4 1 2
6 dashthis.com Vendor site 3.3% 1 of 4 1 6
7 hubspot.com Vendor site 3.3% 2 of 4 2 Not read
8 networksolutions.com Vendor site 3.3% 1 of 4 1 11
9 accuwebhosting.com Vendor site 1.7% 1 of 4 1 Not read
10 bazoom.com Vendor site 1.7% 1 of 4 1 Not read

Questions asked

QuestionLanguageMost recommended
What are the best SEO tools for small marketing teams? English Semrush
Search engine optimization software for small businesses English Google Search Console and SE Ranking, tied
How can a small business find out why its website doesn't show up in search results? English Google Search Console
How do I find the keywords my customers search for? English Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console and Semrush, tied
Doing SEO in-house with software vs. hiring an SEO agency for small businesses English Google Search Console
Free SEO tools vs. paid SEO platforms for marketing teams English Ahrefs, Google Search Console, Screaming Frog and Semrush, tied
Alternatives to tracking keyword rankings in spreadsheets English SE Ranking
Alternatives to manual website audits for SEO English Ahrefs, Conductor, Google Search Console, Lumar, Screaming Frog, Semrush and Sitebulb, tied
I run marketing at a 20-person company. What tool should I use to improve our search rankings? English Google Search Console
I'm a freelance content writer and want to check which keywords my articles rank for. English Google Search Console

Each engine's top three

Method

Each leaderboard ranks brands on two sides. AI is how ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode answer the board's buyer questions. Search is Google's top 10 results for the keywords behind those questions. All combines the two, where Search is measured.

For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.

How the leaderboards are measured