Mentioned vs AnswerThePublic: Which Tool Fits Your Trade Business
Let's be direct: AnswerThePublic and Mentioned solve different problems. One tells you what customers are searching for. The other tells you if they're finding you when they search. Understanding the difference saves you money and time.
What AnswerThePublic Does Well
AnswerThePublic is a keyword research tool. It listens to Google, Bing, and YouTube searches and shows you the questions, comparisons, and related terms real people type in. If you're trying to understand what your customers actually search for—"best HVAC in my area," "can I upgrade to a heat pump," "furnace leaking water"—AnswerThePublic surfaces it fast.
It's solid for content planning, SEO strategy, and identifying customer pain points. If your job is "what should I write about," AnswerThePublic gives you a shortcut to the answer. No guessing, no brand bias—just real search volume and intent data.
Where Mentioned Is Different
Mentioned flips the lens. Instead of tracking Google searches, it tracks AI. Specifically: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini. The question we answer is different: "When a contractor looks up a solution in an AI engine, does it mention my company?"
This matters because AI is now the first stop for buyers. A roofing contractor doesn't necessarily Google "roof repair near me" anymore—they ask ChatGPT. Someone shopping for a heat pump asks Claude for recommendations. That's where invisibility is a silent revenue leak.
We've audited 137 trade contractors. Median AI visibility score is 32/100. The top 5% score 79+. That 47-point gap is real money walking out the door. You can't see it in Google Search Console because it's not in Google.
Mentioned tracks four AI engines, surfaces exactly where you're invisible (which topics, which platforms, which searches), and gives you an open methodology so you understand the math. Free 90-second audit at mentionedinai.com.
Best For
| Tool | Best For | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| AnswerThePublic | Content strategy, SEO ideation, understanding Google search intent | Planning: "What should I write about?" |
| Mentioned | AI visibility audits, competitive positioning in AI, finding revenue leaks | Diagnosis: "Am I visible where buyers are searching?" |
Use Both
They're complementary, not competitive. AnswerThePublic tells you what to write about. Mentioned tells you if AI algorithms are picking up and recommending what you've already written. Use AnswerThePublic to plan content. Use Mentioned to verify it's working in AI engines. That's the feedback loop most contractors miss.
How to Start
Run a free Mentioned audit first. 90 seconds. See your AI visibility score across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini. You'll know immediately if this is a problem or not.
If your score is under 40, you're in the majority—and your competitors are too. That's an opening.
Founder Cohort closes July 4. Early contractors get lifetime access at $1,497 (or $297/mo). After that, pricing moves to standard SAAS tiers. All data is open-source (CC-BY-4.0), methodology is public, and you own your insights.
Get your free audit: mentionedinai.com
See your AnswerThePublic AI visibility score in
Enter your business below. We run live queries across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini. You get your score in under 90 seconds.
Common questions about AI visibility for AnswerThePublic contractors in
Google ranks pages. AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity name specific businesses in answers. A AnswerThePublic contractor in can rank #1 on Google and still be invisible in ChatGPT, because the signals are different (schema, citations, structured data, training-data presence).
Most AnswerThePublic contractors see meaningful score lift within 30-60 days of implementing the three core fixes: Google Business Profile completion, consistent industry directory listings, and schema markup. The 47-point gap between median (32) and top performers (79) is closeable.
Yes. Roughly 40% of homeowner searches now start in ChatGPT or Perplexity instead of Google. Even with strong Google rankings, you can be completely invisible in AI answers, which means losing calls you don't even know about.
Your AI visibility score across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini. Specific gap analysis against top performers in . Three highest-leverage fixes prioritized by impact. Takes 90 seconds, no card required.