OtterlyAI has ranked #10 on G2’s 2026 Best Software Awards, earning a place on the Rookies of the Year list. OtterlyAI is the only company in the Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) category to place in the overall Top 10.
G2 evaluated 25,115 products across software categories. Of these, 211 met eligibility criteria and 25 were selected. According to G2, 100% of this year’s Rookies of the Year list are new entrants compared to 2025.
Why This Matters for AI Search Monitoring
Definition: Answer Engine Optimization focuses on how brands are mentioned, positioned, and cited inside AI-generated answers.
AI search experiences such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot increasingly provide direct answers instead of traditional ranked links. Visibility is no longer limited to page-level rankings. It depends on:
Whether a brand is mentioned in AI answers
Where it appears in the response
Whether its domain or URLs are cited
How consistently it shows up across prompts and countries
OtterlyAI operates as an AI search monitoring and Generative Engine Optimization platform. It measures these visibility signals across tracked Search Prompts and summarizes them in Brand Reports and KPIs.
According to G2, the AEO category has grown 2,000% year over year. The shift reflects how quickly teams are moving from traditional ranking analysis toward AI answer visibility measurement.
20,000+ Users and Continued Platform Expansion
As of February 2026, OtterlyAI has surpassed 20,000 users, up from 10,000 in September 2025, based on internal company data.
Recent platform developments include:
Enhanced GEO Audit
Definition: The GEO Audit is divided into a Crawlability Checker and Content Checker to evaluate technical access and content readiness.
Updates further strengthen how teams diagnose AI readiness by identifying:
Server-level crawl access issues
Robots.txt conflicts
Dynamic rendering risks
Structured data gaps
Content structure improvements for AI readability
Brand Visibility Index
The Brand Visibility Index combines Brand Coverage and a likelihood-to-buy signal derived from Avg. Brand Position into a comparative quadrant view.
It provides a portfolio-level snapshot of how often and how prominently a brand appears across monitored prompts.
Expanded Citation Insights and Exports
The Citations report supports content gap analysis by identifying domains and URLs cited in AI answers where competitors appear and the brand is missing.
Enhanced exports make it easier to:
Prioritize PR outreach
Identify content refresh opportunities
Align SEO and GEO workflows
Share findings with stakeholders
Introducing the Recommendations Feature
OtterlyAI will soon introduce a Recommendations feature designed to translate AI Search Monitoring insights into prioritized optimization actions.
The goal is to move from measurement to structured execution, based on:
Observed Brand Coverage gaps
Domain Citation gaps
Prompt-level performance shifts
GEO Audit findings
Expanding the Technology Ecosystem
OtterlyAI recently announced a technology partnership with Noble to connect citation intelligence with targeted execution strategies.
AI platforms increasingly rely on third-party domains when generating answers. Identifying which domains influence responses is only the first step. Acting on those insights through coordinated content and digital strategy is where measurable impact occurs.
The partnership is designed to help teams close visibility gaps identified through citation and Brand Report analysis.
A Category Shift, Not Just an Award
This recognition reflects a broader structural change in how software is discovered.
AI search visibility now requires:
Prompt-first monitoring
Measurement of mentions and citations
Country-context analysis
Citation gap identification
Technical readiness validation through GEO Audit
OtterlyAI focuses on measuring and improving likelihood of visibility inside AI-generated answers, not replacing SEO but extending it with Generative Engine Optimization workflows.
We will continue to expand monitoring coverage, reporting depth, and actionable insights as AI search evolves.
For teams tracking AI search visibility across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode, Perplexity, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, this milestone reinforces the importance of measuring what customers actually see in AI answers.
Why Answer Engine Optimization Tools Matter Now
Traditional SEO metrics like rankings and clicks tell you less than they used to. When ChatGPT answers a question, there’s no click to track. Your brand either gets mentioned or it doesn’t. OtterlyAI shows you which prompts include your brand, which competitors’ websites are getting cited instead, and what content gaps you need to fill.
Try OtterlyAI Free
We’re building the go-to Answer Engine Optimization tool for marketers navigating AI visibility. Sign up for free at otterly.ai, book a demo, or reach us at hello@otterly.ai.
