Comparison

AEOCheck vs. Semrush Local

Which one is right for your business?

By Tyson McKay · Published 2026-09-01 · Verified 2026-09-01 · 6 min read · How we review

One-time AI visibility report, $25

AEOCheck

Runs eight real buyer-intent searches for your trade and city across ChatGPT/OpenAI, Perplexity, Google Gemini and Google organic
Tells you whether you were named, who was named instead, and where you rank
Five prioritised fixes per lens, an on-page audit, and copy-paste starter files
No subscription. Done-for-you work is a separate, scoped engagement if you want it

The Local Toolkit, Priced Per Location

Semrush Local

Automated Google Business Profile management with an AI agent
AI-generated posts, review auto-replies, automated photo posting
Map Rank Tracker and listing management
From $30/month per location (Base, billed annually) to $60 (Pro)

Disclosure: AEOCheck sells a competing product. We write these pages under a published method, we say what the other tool does better than us, and every claim about them is read from their own material and dated.

The honest difference

Semrush Local is the local toolkit inside a very large SEO platform, and it is priced per location rather than per seat. The Base tier leans hard on automation: an AI agent that manages the profile, generates posts, replies to reviews and posts photos without anyone logging in.

That is a lot of activity on one surface. It is not a measurement of whether AI engines name you.

AEOCheck asks a narrower question and answers it concretely: run the real buyer searches across the answer engines, record whether your business is named and your site cited, find what is stopping it, and fix that. Crawler access, schema, the content an engine can actually quote.

Automating a profile assumes an engine can already read and trust the business behind it. When it cannot, more automated posts change nothing about the answer.

What each one measures

	AEOCheck	Semrush Local
AI crawler access (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot)	✓ Fetched and reported in the on-page audit; fixed in an engagement	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
Schema / structured data audit	✓ Audited in the report; a FAQPage starter is included; implemented in an engagement	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
AI answer engines measured	✓ ChatGPT/OpenAI, Perplexity, Google Gemini — plus Google organic	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
Google organic ranking	✓ Measured per buyer query	✓ Map Rank Tracker (375 credits Base, 1,225 Pro)
Google Business Profile	– Reviewed in the report; optimisation is an engagement add-on	✓ Automated management with an AI agent
llms.txt	✓ A filled starter file is in every report	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
Expert Answer Article (HowTo content)	– Written in an engagement; the report tells you what to write	– AI-generated GBP posts, not long-form site content
FAQ schema	✓ A skeleton keyed to your business is in every report	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
Competitor citation analysis	✓ Which domains AI cites instead of you	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
Review platform setup	– A reviews quick-win in the report; platform setup in an engagement	✓ Review management, generation and auto-replies
Website build / rebuild	– Available as a scoped engagement, not in the report	× Not a build service
90-Day Visibility Review	– Included in every engagement; the report is a one-time snapshot	? Not stated on the Local toolkit pricing page
Ongoing automation	– Optional retainer	✓ Core product
Pricing	✓ $25 one-time per report; done-for-you engagements scoped separately	✓ $30/mo per location (Base, annual), $60/mo (Pro)

Semrush Local's features and pricing as published on their own site, checked 2026-09-01. Their product changes without telling us — verify anything you are deciding on.

What the numbers say

Across the 212 businesses AEOCheck has scanned so far, 192 — 91% — failed their AI visibility check. Most had the same three problems: AI crawlers blocked, no structured data, and no content for engines to cite. None of those are fixed by automating a Google Business Profile.

That number is read live from our own scan corpus when this page loads, counting the most recent scan per business — not a figure typed in once and left.

Who should use Semrush Local

Semrush Local is the right choice when:

You want Google Business Profile management running on autopilot
You already use Semrush and want local in the same platform
You have several locations and per-location pricing suits you
You want review replies and photo posting handled without logging in

At $30/month per location on the Base tier, billed annually, it is one of the cheaper ways to keep a profile active — provided a profile is the thing you actually need to fix.

Who should use AEOCheck

AEOCheck is the right choice when:

You have searched for your own business on ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI and you did not show up
You don't know whether AI crawlers can read your site
Your site has no schema, no structured FAQ, and no content written the way AI engines actually cite
You want to know specifically what is wrong before you spend money automating anything
You want a fixed scope, a defined deliverable, and a before-and-after measurement you can verify yourself

The question to ask first

Before choosing either tool, ask one question: when someone in your city asks ChatGPT or Perplexity who to hire for what you do, does your business get named?

Run the free AEOCheck headline scan and find out in minutes. No payment required.

Run my free check →

FAQ

Does Semrush Local measure AI answer engine citation?

Their Local toolkit pricing page describes automated GBP management, AI-generated posts, review tools, listing management and Map Rank Tracker. Measurement of whether ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Grok name your business is not stated there. Semrush sells a large platform, so check their current toolkit list if that is your requirement.

Is Semrush Local priced per location?

Yes. Their pricing page states the Local toolkit is priced per location — Base at $30/month per location billed annually, Pro at $60. A business with several locations buys a limit for each one.

Can I use both AEOCheck and Semrush Local?

Yes. AEOCheck fixes the foundation — crawler access, schema, structured content, AI citation — and that work is done once. Semrush Local runs on top of it. They are not mutually exclusive, and the two together cover more ground than either alone.

Does AEOCheck offer ongoing management?

AEOCheck offers an optional ongoing retainer and a Quarterly Visibility Review at $300 per quarter. It is not a set-and-forget automation tool. It is a measurement and delivery service with human involvement on every engagement.

How long before AEOCheck results show up?

AI citation typically builds over 60 to 90 days after the foundational work is complete. Google ranking movement for specific queries can appear within 30 days. The 90-Day Visibility Review included in every engagement measures exactly what moved and what did not.

Is the AEOCheck scan free?

The headline scan is free. It shows your single most damaging visibility finding with no payment required. The full report is $25 and delivers to your inbox, usually within the hour.

Where this came from

Semrush Local toolkit plans and pricing — https://www.semrush.com/pricing/local/
Semrush Local product page — https://www.semrush.com/apps/local-seo/

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