The debate over whether SEO is dead is nothing new, but a new question has emerged: What is the future of AI search? Have you ever found yourself asking a question directly to Gemini or ChatGPT instead of starting with a search engine? You're not alone! Millions of people are doing the same thing.

Website owners should start thinking about AI-friendly content the way they think about search engine-friendly content. While this shift is still new, HubSpot has created a free and insightful tool—HubSpot AI Search Grader—that evaluates a website’s strengths and weaknesses in AI search.

Available Grades in HubSpot AI Search Grader

First, the tool provides an overall score, which can be checked regularly to track performance. For deeper insights, it also includes Brand Sentiment and Share of Voice scores.

Which AI Models Are Evaluated?

Currently, the tool analyzes major language models, including Gemini and ChatGPT.

Brand Sentiment

It’s no surprise that people share positive, negative, or neutral opinions online. AI tools analyze this feedback and may use it to assess a brand’s trustworthiness or decide whether to recommend its content. For example, if a filter coffee machine has consistently bad reviews, AI models are less likely to recommend it when users search for coffee machine recommendations.

In recent years, customer perception has also played a role in Google Search rankings. Since Google's goal is to provide useful information, products or websites with high complaint rates are less likely to rank well.

This metric can offer insights into customer satisfaction and public perception of a brand. However, improving brand sentiment is not purely a digital marketing effort. Reviews and feedback are influenced by factors beyond marketing, such as product quality and price-to-value ratio. Even with excellent brand messaging, a low-quality product or poor pricing can lead to negative sentiment online.

Share of Voice

While Brand Sentiment focuses on qualitative analysis, Share of Voice is more about visibility—similar to search rankings. This metric indicates how frequently AI language models cite a website's content, representing an opportunity to gain traffic and increase brand visibility in AI search results.

If a website is new, has thin content, or covers topics requiring high expertise (e.g., healthcare) without being an authority in the field, AI models may skip it in favor of more established sources.

To increase Share of Voice, the strategy is similar to SEO:

• Build authority

• Establish trust (see Google EEAT)

• Create unique, relevant content that satisfies user intent

• Expand content coverage to increase the likelihood of being referenced

Discover Industry Leaders

One of the most insightful features of HubSpot AI Search Grader is its list of industry players with the highest Share of Voice. This reveals the most cited, trusted sources in AI search results. Understanding which websites dominate AI citations can offer valuable insights into content strategies, long-term backlink opportunities, and potential partnerships.

Free Guide Available

Along with the grader, HubSpot AI Search Grader provides a free guide on improving performance in AI search results. After reviewing the grader's results, users can download this resource for further optimization strategies.

Sources & Further Reading

HubSpot AI Search Grader
Google EEAT

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