{
  "study": "AI search tools category SERP composition",
  "publisher": "Meridian15",
  "collected": "2026-08-01",
  "engine": "Google",
  "market": "United States",
  "source": "DataForSEO SERP API",
  "queries": [
    "best geo tools",
    "ai search monitoring tools",
    "llm tracking tools",
    "ai brand monitoring tools",
    "ai seo tools",
    "answer engine optimization",
    "generative engine optimization",
    "ai overview tracking tool",
    "chatgpt visibility tracker",
    "ai search optimization tools",
    "ai visibility tools",
    "aeo tools",
    "chatgpt seo tools",
    "llm seo tools",
    "generative engine optimization tools",
    "ai visibility tracking",
    "ai search rank tracker",
    "geo optimization tools",
    "brand visibility ai search",
    "llm optimization tools"
  ],
  "positionsPerQuery": 20,
  "organicResults": 330,
  "findings": {
    "queriesWithAiOverview": "20/20 (100%)",
    "vendorPublishedShare": "51.5%",
    "vendorShareOfTop10": "53.2%",
    "vendorAuthoredBestOfShare": "31.2%",
    "uniqueDomains": 172,
    "domainsAppearingOnce": "114 (66.3%)",
    "top10DomainsShareOfResults": "27.6%",
    "ugcShare": "10.6%",
    "listicleShare": "52.1%",
    "listicleAvgRank": 11.3,
    "listicleTop10Share": "47.7%",
    "testedFormatShare": "6.1%",
    "testedAvgRank": 10,
    "testedTop10Share": "45.0%"
  },
  "classificationNotes": "AI Overview presence and format classification are mechanical. Vendor classification is a manual judgment call; the full domain list is included below so the analysis can be re-cut.",
  "vendorDomains": [
    "aeotool.com",
    "aibrandpulse.ai",
    "aiclicks.io",
    "aioverviewtracker.com",
    "airankchecker.net",
    "alhena.ai",
    "athenahq.ai",
    "beamtrace.com",
    "blog.answersocrates.com",
    "blog.frizerly.com",
    "brandmentions.com",
    "cairrot.com",
    "capston.ai",
    "contentpen.ai",
    "dageno.ai",
    "explodingtopics.com",
    "galleaai.com",
    "geolyze.org",
    "geoptie.com",
    "keyword.com",
    "koala.sh",
    "llmclicks.ai",
    "llmpulse.ai",
    "llmrefs.com",
    "mangools.com",
    "morningscore.io",
    "nightwatch.io",
    "omniseo.com",
    "orchly.ai",
    "otterly.ai",
    "outreachbloom.com",
    "peec.ai",
    "rankflo.ai",
    "rankscale.ai",
    "respona.com",
    "rightchoice.ai",
    "screpy.com",
    "searchatlas.com",
    "sellm.io",
    "senso.ai",
    "seo.ai",
    "seocrawl.ai",
    "seranking.com",
    "serpstat.com",
    "siftly.ai",
    "slatehq.com",
    "storychief.io",
    "summaryai.app",
    "surferseo.com",
    "truintel.ai",
    "tryxlr8.ai",
    "ultrascout.ai",
    "visible.seranking.com",
    "wordlift.io",
    "writesonic.com",
    "www.advancedwebranking.com",
    "www.airops.com",
    "www.authoritas.com",
    "www.blazly.ai",
    "www.botric.ai",
    "www.brandwatch.com",
    "www.conbersa.ai",
    "www.conductor.com",
    "www.confident-ai.com",
    "www.dataslayer.ai",
    "www.eesel.ai",
    "www.finseo.ai",
    "www.frase.io",
    "www.frizerly.com",
    "www.geoflux.ai",
    "www.getmint.ai",
    "www.meltwater.com",
    "www.mentionlytics.com",
    "www.omnibound.ai",
    "www.pageoptimizer.pro",
    "www.patronus.ai",
    "www.promptrush.ai",
    "www.quattr.com",
    "www.rankability.com",
    "www.rankshift.ai",
    "www.searchable.com",
    "www.seo.com",
    "www.seobility.net",
    "www.seomonitor.com",
    "www.seoreviewtools.com",
    "www.siteimprove.com",
    "www.tryanalyze.ai",
    "www.tryprofound.com",
    "www.trysight.ai",
    "www.usegrowthos.com",
    "www.useomnia.com",
    "www.yotpo.com",
    "ziptie.dev"
  ],
  "headline": "Half of the AI search tools category on Google is published by vendors ranking themselves.",
  "sample_label": "20 US Google results pages, 330 organic results classified",
  "collected_label": "August 1, 2026",
  "key_findings": [
    {
      "value": "100%",
      "claim": "Queries in the category that carry an AI Overview"
    },
    {
      "value": "51.5%",
      "claim": "Organic results published by a company selling a tool in the category it ranks for"
    },
    {
      "value": "53.2%",
      "claim": "Share of the top ten positions held by those vendors"
    },
    {
      "value": "172",
      "claim": "Distinct domains across 330 results"
    },
    {
      "value": "66.3%",
      "claim": "Domains that appear exactly once"
    }
  ],
  "citation": "Meridian15 (2026). We Analyzed 330 Results in the AI Search Tools Category. Half of It Is Vendors Ranking Themselves. https://fifteenthmeridian.com/blog/ai-search-tools-category-study-2026",
  "reuse": "Quote any figure with a link to the study URL. Method and full result table published beside it."
}