How To Do an AI Search Optimisation Audit (Step-by-Step Guide)

Learn what (most) agencies aren't telling you about SEO in 2026 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzszJFXCDnQ Try Semrush One* 👉 https://exposure.ninja/semrushone Try Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit* 👉 https://exposure.ninja/ai-toolkit Try Semrush's SEO Toolkit for FREE* 👉 https://thankyouninjas.com This video is sponsored by Semrush ==================== Gemini 3 has just been released — and it's proving so popular that access is currently limited due to overwhelming demand. This isn't just another AI update. It's further evidence of a fundamental shift: more customers are starting their buying journey in AI platforms rather than Google. As a forward-thinking marketing leader, you know AI Search Optimisation (or as some call it, Answer Engine Optimisation) is critical. But there's a problem: you don't know how to properly audit your brand's performance across these platforms. If you're checking visibility manually, you're facing two challenges. First, it takes an enormous amount of time to test queries across multiple AI platforms. Second, even when you discover gaps in your visibility, you get zero actionable insights on what to do about them. In this video, I walk you through our complete AI Search audit methodology — based on the 25+ hour audits we conduct for clients — in a simplified format you can implement yourself, either manually or (with better results and a smarter use of your time) using Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit. Here's what you'll discover: • Why AI Search audits are fundamentally different from traditional SEO audits — and why the strategies that worked for Google won't work here • The critical shift from visibility to sentiment: it's no longer just about appearing in results; it's about how you're being mentioned, whether you're getting cited, and what's being said about you • Why traditional SEO elements (technical optimisation, on-site factors, backlinks) still matter for the RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) components o