What Tools Do I Need for GEO Optimization?
You need three kinds of tools: something that checks whether ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity mention your brand, something that checks whether AI crawlers can access your site, and your existing content tools to actually write and publish the pages. That is genuinely most of it. GEO does not require a large new toolset.
The tool you are probably missing
Google Search Console and your analytics tools tell you nothing about whether ChatGPT or Gemini mention your brand, since those conversations happen entirely outside your website. You need a tool built specifically to run your buyer questions against multiple AI models and show you the actual answers. That is a genuinely new category, not something your existing SEO stack already covers.
Crawl access checking
AI models learn from crawlers just like search engines do. Check your robots.txt and server logs for whether GPTBot, Google-Extended, and PerplexityBot are actually reaching your pages. Some CDN and bot protection setups block these by default without anyone noticing.
Content structure tools
You likely already have what you need here. A CMS that lets you use clear headings, a way to add FAQ or structured data, and a spot to publish an llms.txt file if you choose to. None of this requires new software, just applying existing tools with GEO in mind.
What you do not need
You do not need a dedicated GEO platform with a large monthly fee before you have even confirmed you have a visibility problem. Start by checking where you stand, then decide what is actually worth paying for based on what the checks show.
Where to start for free
QueryTrace runs a free AI readiness check that covers both the visibility question and basic crawl access, so you can see where you actually stand before buying anything.
See where you stand
Check your own AI visibility free, no signup required.