As AI chatbots become go-to tools for everything from travel planning to product recommendations, marketers face a growing question: How do you make sure your brand shows up in the answers?
Semrush thinks it’s found an answer — and it’s launched an award program to highlight the brands leading the way.
The newly announced AI Visibility Awards recognize the companies most cited, recommended, and surfaced in AI-generated responses, drawing from Semrush’s AI Visibility Index — a dataset built on over 2,500 real prompts run through ChatGPT and Google’s AI Mode.
“This year marks a turning point in how brands earn visibility,” said Andrew Warden, CMO at Semrush. “It’s not about submissions or panels — it’s about real user behavior. These awards recognize the marketers cracking the AI code and earning trust where it counts: inside the answers”.
What the AI Visibility Awards measure
The awards highlight three types of performers across four major verticals:
- Category Leaders: Brands with the largest footprint in AI search
- Growth Engines: Fastest gainers in visibility
- Challengers: Up-and-comers gaining traction in AI results
For example, Google topped the Business & Professional Services category, while Rippling was recognized as a Challenger brand. In Consumer Electronics, Samsung led the pack, with Logitech and Nothing Technology earning Growth Engine and Challenger honors, respectively.
Other notable winners:
- Microsoft, Category Leader for Digital Tech & Software
- UNIQLO, Growth Engine in Fashion & Apparel
- Anthropic, Challenger in Digital Tech & Software
AI search trends marketers should watch
The award data reveals a few emerging truths about AI-driven discovery:
- Stability among leaders: Top brands showed less than 20% monthly volatility in AI share-of-voice, suggesting AI engines “lock in” trusted names.
- Niches break through: Brands with clear topical relevance — like Patagonia in ethical fashion or Logitech in gaming accessories — punch above their weight.
- Challengers can compete: Newer players like Nuuly and Anthropic are finding traction with strong positioning and momentum.
- Verticals behave differently: Some, like Business & Professional Services, remain highly competitive, while others reward consistency or focus.
Why this matters for marketers
These awards reinforce what many marketers are just beginning to grapple with: AI visibility is now part of the competitive equation. And for some, it’s already driving strategy.
Semrush is the parent company of MarTech.
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