What We Know About Semrush’s New AI Visibility Feature - And What It Means for 2026

If you know anything at all about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you probably remember when everything revolved around keywords, rankings, and praying that your latest blog would end up landing on page one. But the game is changing fast, and AI is completely rewriting the rules in real time. Now, instead of only tracking where you show up on Google, you can track when you’re mentioned by the AI tools themselves!

Yes, really!

ChatGPT, AI overviews, and soon Gemini can now show you exactly where your brand appears in AI-generated answers.

I’ll be honest, when AI visibility features started rolling out earlier this year, I was really skeptical. It felt too early, a bit messy, and a little like wishful thinking. But Semrush’s new feature? I’m genuinely excited!

Today, I am going to give you a sneak peak into the top things I can’t wait to start using in 2026 - and why this shift could reshape SEO and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) for all of us.

So, What Exactly Is Semrush AI Visibility?

Ok…let’s think of it this way - if traditional SEO is about climbing the search results ladder, Semrush AI Visibility is all about stepping into an entirely new spotlight, on a totally different stage. Instead of tracking only where your site ranks on Google, this tool shows you when your brand gets mentioned across all of the different AI-powered platforms, from LLM chatbots like ChatGPT to AI Overviews and pretty soon, Gemini as well.

This new feature is inside the Semrush AI Visibility Toolkit and powers the AI Visibility Index, which gives you an excellent picture of how often AI is pulling you and your brand into the conversation. It measures things like mentions, citations, and how recognizable your brand is to AI…not just your keyword position like in the old days.

But, why does this matter, you ask? Because more people are turning to AI tools to get the answers they are looking for. If your brand isn’t visible to AI, you’re invisible in a very fast-growing part of the discovery journey. To put it plainly - you’re being left behind.

Here’s Why I’m Excited to Use AI Visibility in 2026

As 2026 quickly approaches, we’re stepping into a brand-new era of both SEO and AEO, and this feature has me super excited for what’s coming next. Here are the top things I can’t wait to start putting into practice for my clients:

1. Spot Missed Mentions and Capture Hidden Opportunities

One of the biggest perks of AI Visibility is being able to see when your brand is mentioned by AI tools, and when it isn’t. For years, smaller clients, local practices, and nonprofits were practically invisible in AI-generated answers. If a chatbot recommended anything, it was almost always a major brand that had national recognition.

Now, we can finally see all of the conversations that some of us smaller businesses have been left out of. That alone is a major wake-up call. If your brand never appears in AI answers, that doesn’t mean that you’re not valuable…it means that there’s a brand new discovery channel just waiting for you to tap into it. For clients who’ve struggled to break through all of the big-name-brand-noise, this feature can help reveal all of those unseen opportunities and show exactly where you need to focus next.

2. See Where Competitors Are Mentioned and Find Your Gaps

AI Visibility also lets you compare your presence to your competitors…and trust me, this is where things get really interesting. You can literally see which questions AI tends to answer with competitor brands, and where your business is missing from the conversation.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t about copying your competitors, or trying to do exactly what they’re doing. This is about understanding how AI currently sees the entire landscape so that you can start positioning yourself more clearly. Why is a competitor getting recommended for certain prompts? What signals are they sending that you aren’t yet? And when you are properly armed with this insight, you can adjust your content strategy, strengthen all of your most-important pages, or create some new resources that speak directly to the questions that people are asking these AI tools.

Think of it as a cheat sheet for staying competitive as AI-driven search quickly becomes the norm.

3. Build Long-Term Authority 

Here’s one of the biggest challenges that is coming to light in artificial intelligence: there’s still a pretty wide gap between the brands that AI perceives as “credible” and those that it does not. And yes, this often ends up meaning that the big-name brands get recommended first while the small businesses have to work a whole heck of a lot harder to be seen.

But AI Visibility is a step toward leveling that playing field. Smaller organizations now have the ability to build more trust with AI through the creation of consistent, high-quality content. You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 company to become a trusted source…you just need to show up regularly and provide valuable information that matches with what your audience is searching for.

Now, it’s important to know that this isn’t a quick fix. It’s a long-game strategy, but it’s definitely one worth investing in, and for many of my clients, this is the first time that they’re finally being picked up by LLMs, which means the momentum is here and it’s growing!

4. Combine Traditional SEO + AI Visibility 

Here’s the fun part! This new feature doesn’t replace traditional SEO…it actually helps strengthen it! Optimizing for Google rankings still matters, but now we get a second lane of visibility when we are optimizing to be recognized by AI tools as well.

Let’s face it, search behaviors are shifting. People are asking chatbots for advice, explanations, and recommendations (we’re all doing it now!). We’re relying on AI-generated summaries as much as search results, and with AI Visibility, you can build a blended strategy that helps your brand appear in both places, capturing even more of the market.

That means your content becomes more discoverable and more aligned with where audiences are actually going to be looking for answers in 2026.

5. Gain Data-Driven Insight (AKA Know What Questions Your Audience is Asking AI)

One of the most exciting parts of AI Visibility is the glimpse that it gives us into real user intent. You now have this amazing ability to actually see which prompts people are typing into AI tools, which questions show up the most often, and what information users are trying to get.

This eliminates so much of the annoying guesswork! Instead of wondering what your audience wants to know, you can create highly valuable content that speaks directly to the questions they’re already asking.

When you write with purpose (and not just random assumptions) you create content that resonates and builds long-term trust.

6. Monitor Brand Reputation and Sentiment

And, just in case all of that wasn’t enough, here is one final amazing benefit! You will now have the opportunity to see how AI tools actually describe your brand. You can monitor the tone, phrasing, sentiment, and positioning. If AI says something off, slightly vague, or downright incorrect, you’ll know exactly where to course-correct your messaging and content strategy.

This gives businesses a whole new level of control over how they’re perceived in the growing world of AI-driven search and discovery, and that right there…is pure gold!

The Part We’re Still Figuring Out

Even with all of this progress that’s been happening over the past year, the world of AI search is still changing really fast. The tools are still evolving, the algorithms are still shifting, and what counts as real visibility today may look completely different a year from now. And while getting mentioned by AI tools is exciting, it doesn’t always mean your brand is seen as truly authoritative just yet. Many different brands are showing up in AI answers, but only a smaller number are getting consistent trust or regular, ongoing citations.

For small businesses, this is our opportunity to stay curious, keep experimenting, and continue showing up with reliable, highly valuable content on a regular basis.

Let’s Make 2026 Your Year of Visibility

AI visibility is opening a whole new door in SEO and AEO, and it’s honestly one of the most exciting changes we’ve seen in the past few years. We’re moving into a world where brand mentions, authority signals, and being referenced by AI tools carry just as much weight as getting traditional rankings. And for those businesses that are ready to jump on board (especially the smaller ones) this change can finally create a more even playing field.

If you’re wondering how to bring AI into your content strategy in a meaningful way, now’s the time to start exploring it. I help businesses and healthcare organizations create clear, trustworthy, human-centered content that AI actually understands, and feels confident using in its answers.

Are you as excited as I am to show up in more AI conversations, reach more people, and stay ahead in 2026? If so, let’s talk about SEO, AEO, and building the visibility your brand deserves. Book your consultation today!