--- title: "Startup SEO in the AI Search Era: A Practical Guide · Aeonav" description: "Startup SEO when a growing share of searches end in an AI answer: which prompts to track first, what to publish, and how to measure visibility on no budget." canonical: https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/startups updated: "2026-10-08" --- Aeonav for startups # Startup SEO and AI Search Visibility Build AI visibility from zero without enterprise pricing, on a tool you can self-host for free. [Get Started](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-aeo-for-hero)[Book a Demo](https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/demo?ref=marketing-aeo-for-hero) [Self-Host for Free](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/docs/getting-started) [![Aeonav Overview page: Visibility, share of voice, sentiment, and position at a glance](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/overview.png)![Aeonav Visibility page: How often AI names you, per prompt and model](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/visibility.png)![Aeonav Share of Voice page: Who AI recommends instead of you](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/share-of-voice.png)![Aeonav Sentiment page: How AI describes you when it mentions you](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/sentiment.png)![Aeonav Responses page: Every AI answer, with each brand's rank and tone](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/responses.png)![Aeonav Query Fan-Out page: The searches AI runs behind each answer](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/query-fan-out.png)![Aeonav Citations page: The sources AI trusts in your category](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/citations.png)![Aeonav Opportunities page: What to do next, ranked by impact](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/opportunities.png)](https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/demo?ref=marketing-demo-frame) Overview. Visibility, share of voice, sentiment, and position at a glance. A Complete AI Search Visibility Workflow - AI Visibility Tracking - Share of Voice - Citation Analysis - Sentiment Analysis - Prompt Research - Rank Tracking - Site Audits - API and MCP ## Your buyers are asking AI. Is it naming you? A new brand starts out invisible to AI engines, because there is little for the models to have learned. The job is to build a credible footprint quickly: clear content, early reviews, and mentions on sources the models trust. Budgets are tight, and most tools in this space are priced for larger companies. An open-source platform you self-host for free lets you start measuring on day one and only pay for the API calls you actually make. Prompts startups should track - best \[new category] tools - alternatives to \[incumbent] - what is \[your brand] Tracked up to 4× daily in - ChatGPT - Claude - Gemini - Perplexity - AI Overviews and more ## See the Product Before You Sign Up. See tracked prompts, competitor share of voice, sentiment, citations, and ranked opportunities in a guided walkthrough. [Book a Demo](https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/demo?ref=marketing-demo-frame) ## The AEO playbook for startups. What gets a brand named in AI answers in your category, and where Aeonav shows you the gaps. 1. 1Define a tight prompt set A handful of high-intent prompts beats a broad, expensive list. Track the questions your earliest buyers ask. 2. 2Tell a clear category story Help engines place you by explaining your category and product plainly, with consistent naming. 3. 3Earn your first reviews Early mentions on trusted sources give the models something to ground an answer about you in. 4. 4Track weekly Visibility moves as you publish and get covered. A weekly read shows whether it is working. Where Aeonav fits Aeonav is free to self-host, so an early-stage team can track AI visibility without an enterprise contract and only pay for the provider API keys it uses. [Get started](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-aeo-for-hero)[Book a Demo](https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/demo?ref=marketing-aeo-for-hero) ## From Zero to a Plan in One Afternoon. No sales call, no bloat. Aeonav sets up your tracking and tells you what to change. 1. ![Aeonav prompts settings listing the buyer prompts tracked for Nike, each tagged by topic](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/prompt-settings.png) 1Add your brand Point Aeonav at your site. It suggests the prompts your buyers ask and the competitors to track against. 2. ![Aeonav visibility page showing per-prompt visibility over time against competitors](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/visibility.png) 2See where you stand Visibility, share of voice, and the sources AI cites, sampled up to 4× daily from the real apps. 3. ![Aeonav opportunities page with prioritized recommendations for content and sources](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/screenshots/opportunities.png) 3Know what to fix Opportunities ranked by impact. Aeonav keeps you updated, so you always know what to do next. ## Every Answer Engine Your Buyers Use. Aeonav both scrapes what real users see in popular AI search tools and captures all other models with direct API calls and OpenRouter. - ChatGPT - Claude - Gemini - Perplexity - AI Overviews - AI Mode - Copilot - Grok - DeepSeek - Mistral - Qwen - Kimi - All OpenRouter LLMs ## Why Teams Choose Aeonav - More Frequent Data Aeonav can run prompts against tracked models up to 4× daily. - Focused Scope We only do AEO / GEO, but we do it very well. - API + MCP Connect Aeonav to your stack and AI agents. - Open Source Self host at any time, with no lock-in. ## Simple, Self-Serve Pricing. We recommend Starter for startups: 50 prompts across ChatGPT, checked 1× daily, for $29/mo. Unlimited seats on every plan. [Best for startupsStarter$29/mo](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-starter) [- 1 brand, 50 prompts- ChatGPT only- Answers checked 1× daily- 10 DataForSEO calls/day- No premium models](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-starter) [Basic$99/mo](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-basic) [- 1 brand, 50 prompts- Any 4 AI platforms- Answers checked 4× daily- 30 DataForSEO calls/day- No premium models](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-basic) [Pro$299/mo](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-pro) [- 2 brands, 150 prompts- Any 4 AI platforms- Answers checked 4× daily- 75 DataForSEO calls/day- 20 premium prompts 1× daily](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-pro) [Business$649/mo](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-business) [- 5 brands, 350 prompts- Any 4 AI platforms- Answers checked 4× daily- 150 DataForSEO calls/day- 30 premium prompts 1× daily](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-plan-business) ### Self-Hosted Run the same product on your own servers with access to the full source. [Read the Setup Guide](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/docs/getting-started) ### Custom More brands, custom prompt limits, higher sampling rates, and any models. Contact Us ### White Label Offer AI visibility tracking to your clients under your own brand, domain, and SSO. Contact Us [Compare Every Plan](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/pricing) ## Self-Host for Free. Self-Host ### Upstream-Compatible Setup Aeonav is built from the MIT-licensed Elmo project. Its self-host path uses the upstream Elmo CLI (`@elmohq/cli`) and Docker Compose. [Read the Self-Host Guide](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/docs/getting-started) - Open Source MIT-licensed and runs on Docker. - Own Your Data Everything is stored in Postgres. - Bring Your Own Providers Connect supported model and scraping providers. [Read the Setup Guide](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/docs/getting-started)[View the Source on GitHub](https://github.com/orbitrepos/aeonav) ## Frequently Asked Questions Something we did not cover? Email . ### Is there a free AI visibility tool for startups? Yes. Aeonav is free and open source to self-host. There is no license fee or per-seat pricing, so you only pay for your own infrastructure and the AI provider keys you use. ### When should a startup start doing AEO? As soon as buyers in your category ask AI engines for recommendations, which is early for most categories now. Starting sooner builds the trusted footprint that later answers draw on. ## Start Winning AI Search Today. Start tracking your brand in minutes. Plans start at $29/mo. [Get Started](https://app.aeonav.fivecoder.com/?ref=marketing-aeo-for-closing)[Book a Demo](https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/demo?ref=marketing-aeo-for-closing) - Self-Serve - API and MCP Access - Open Source Want a walkthrough first? [Book a 30-Minute Tour](https://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/demo?ref=marketing-cta). Aeonav for other industries - [Agencies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/agencies) - [SaaS companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/saas) - [E-commerce brands](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/ecommerce) - [B2B companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/b2b) - [Enterprises](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/enterprise) - [Healthcare brands](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/healthcare) - [Financial services](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/financial-services) - [Law firms](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/law-firms) - [Local businesses](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/local-business) - [Real estate companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/real-estate) - [Education institutions](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/education) - [Travel and hospitality brands](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/travel-hospitality) - [Manufacturers](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/manufacturing) - [Insurance companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/insurance) - [Automotive brands](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/automotive) - [Nonprofits](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/nonprofits) - [Cybersecurity companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/cybersecurity) - [Recruiting and HR companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/recruiting) - [Developer tools companies](http://www.aeonav.fivecoder.com/aeo-for/dev-tools)