Discussion Topic Research Keyword Tools

What tools help find topics that will actually get cited by AI? Traditional keyword research seems useless now

CO
ContentPlanner_Mike · Content Strategy Manager
· · 72 upvotes · 8 comments
CM
ContentPlanner_Mike
Content Strategy Manager · January 7, 2026

My keyword research process feels broken for the AI era.

What I’ve been doing:

  • Semrush for keyword volume and difficulty
  • Finding high-volume, low-difficulty opportunities
  • Creating content targeting specific keywords
  • Building backlinks to boost rankings

The problem:

  • High-ranking content isn’t getting AI citations
  • Low-ranking competitors ARE getting cited
  • No correlation between keyword metrics and AI visibility
  • My content strategy isn’t working for AI

Questions:

  1. What tools help identify topics AI actually cites?
  2. How is AI topic research different from SEO keyword research?
  3. What should I be looking for in topics now?
  4. Is there an AI-specific keyword tool?

Need to rebuild my research process from scratch.

8 comments

8 Comments

AR
AIContent_Researcher Expert AI Content Strategist · January 7, 2026

You’re right - traditional keyword research misses the AI opportunity. Here’s the new approach:

The fundamental shift:

Traditional SEOAI Optimization
Keyword volumeQuestion comprehensiveness
Keyword difficultyCitation potential
Exact matchSemantic coverage
Ranking positionAppearance in answers
BacklinksAuthority signals

Tools that work for AI topic research:

1. AnswerThePublic - $11/month

  • Visualizes questions around topics
  • Shows “what,” “how,” “why” queries
  • Perfect for AI’s question-answer format
  • Identifies content gaps

2. Frase - $38/month

  • AI visibility tracking across platforms
  • Shows what content AI cites for topics
  • Competitor citation analysis
  • Content optimization for AI

3. AlsoAsked - $15/month

  • Maps related questions in tree format
  • Shows question progression
  • Helps structure comprehensive content

4. Google Autocomplete - Free

  • Real-time user queries
  • Natural language patterns
  • Trending topics before tools index them

The workflow:

  1. Start with Google Autocomplete for topic ideas
  2. Expand with AnswerThePublic for questions
  3. Validate with Frase for AI citation potential
  4. Create comprehensive content covering all angles
CM
ContentPlanner_Mike OP · January 7, 2026
Replying to AIContent_Researcher
How do you evaluate “citation potential”? Is there a metric for that like keyword difficulty?
AR
AIContent_Researcher Expert · January 7, 2026
Replying to ContentPlanner_Mike

No standard metric yet, but here’s how I evaluate citation potential:

Manual evaluation framework:

FactorHow to CheckWeight
Query typeIs it a question AI would answer?High
Current citationsWho’s being cited now?High
Content gapsAre existing answers comprehensive?Medium
Your authorityDo you have expertise here?High
Evergreen vs. trendingStable topic or temporary?Medium

The “AI Citability Test”:

  1. Ask ChatGPT/Perplexity the question
  2. Note who gets cited
  3. Analyze WHY they got cited
  4. Identify gaps in current answers
  5. Assess if you can do better

Topics with HIGH citation potential:

  • “How to” questions
  • Definition queries (“What is X?”)
  • Comparison queries (“X vs Y”)
  • Best practices questions
  • Troubleshooting queries

Topics with LOW citation potential:

  • Transactional queries (“buy X”)
  • Navigational queries (“X login”)
  • Opinion-based queries (varies too much)
  • Very recent events (no authoritative sources yet)

Using Frase for validation:

Frase shows AI visibility for topics. If a topic shows:

  • Low AI visibility = opportunity (if you have authority)
  • High AI visibility with weak sources = opportunity
  • High AI visibility with strong sources = harder to break in
SE
SEOTools_Expert SEO Tools Consultant · January 7, 2026

Comparison of tools for AI topic research:

Tool breakdown:

ToolBest ForAI-Specific FeaturesPrice
AnswerThePublicQuestion discoveryQuestion mind maps$11/mo
FraseAI optimizationAI visibility tracking, GEO features$38/mo
SemrushComprehensive analysisAI features added, personalized metrics$140/mo
AhrefsCompetitor analysisMulti-platform keywords$129/mo
AlsoAskedQuestion mappingQuestion progression trees$15/mo
Surfer SEOContent optimizationReal-time scoring$79/mo
Google AutocompleteReal-time discoveryFree, unfiltered queriesFree

My recommended stack:

Budget approach ($15/mo):

  • Google Autocomplete (free)
  • AlsoAsked ($15/mo)
  • Manual AI platform testing

Mid-range approach ($100/mo):

  • AnswerThePublic ($11/mo)
  • Frase ($38/mo)
  • AlsoAsked ($15/mo)
  • Am I Cited for tracking

Enterprise approach ($300+/mo):

  • Semrush or Ahrefs
  • Frase
  • Conductor Monitoring
  • Custom AI visibility tracking

The key insight:

No single tool does everything. Combine question-discovery tools with AI-tracking tools for best results.

CL
ContentStrategy_Lead · January 6, 2026

Content characteristics that get AI citations:

What AI systems prefer:

  1. Comprehensive coverage (2000+ words)

    • Not word count padding
    • Multiple angles on topic
    • Address follow-up questions
    • Include examples and data

  2. Clear structure

    • Question-based headings
    • Logical progression
    • Self-contained sections
    • Tables and lists for comparison

  3. Original insights

    • Proprietary data
    • Expert commentary
    • Unique perspectives
    • Real-world examples

  4. Authoritative signals

    • Author credentials
    • Third-party citations
    • Updated dates
    • Structured data

Topic research with these in mind:

When evaluating a topic, ask:

  • Can I cover this comprehensively?
  • Do I have unique data/perspective?
  • Is my site authoritative in this area?
  • Can I structure this for AI extraction?

If yes to all, high citation potential. If no to any, may struggle despite good topic.

PM
PracticalGEO_Manager · January 6, 2026

My actual workflow for AI topic research:

Step 1: Seed topic discovery (30 min)

  • Google Autocomplete: Type topic, note suggestions
  • AnswerThePublic: Generate question map
  • Reddit/Quora: What are people actually asking?

Step 2: Question expansion (30 min)

  • AlsoAsked: Map related questions
  • People Also Ask: Check Google SERPs
  • ChatGPT: “What questions do people have about X?”

Step 3: AI citation check (45 min)

  • Ask ChatGPT the main question
  • Ask Perplexity the main question
  • Note who’s cited and why
  • Identify content gaps

Step 4: Validation (30 min)

  • Frase: Check AI visibility data
  • Semrush: Verify search demand exists
  • Competition check: Can we beat current citations?

Step 5: Prioritization (20 min)

  • Score topics: Authority + Gaps + Demand
  • High score = prioritize
  • Document reasoning for each

Total time: ~2.5 hours per topic cluster

More time upfront, but much higher success rate for AI visibility.

CM
ContentPlanner_Mike OP Content Strategy Manager · January 6, 2026

This completely changes my approach. Here’s my new process:

Tool stack I’m implementing:

  1. Free tier:

    • Google Autocomplete (daily)
    • Manual AI testing (per topic)

  2. Paid tools:

    • AlsoAsked ($15/mo) - Question mapping
    • Frase ($38/mo) - AI visibility tracking
    • Keep Semrush - Still useful for demand validation

New research workflow:

Weekly (2 hours):

  1. Google Autocomplete for trending questions
  2. AlsoAsked for question clusters
  3. AI citation check (ChatGPT + Perplexity)
  4. Frase validation

Per topic evaluation:

CriteriaWeightHow to Check
Question format30%Is it a “what/how/why” query?
Citation gap25%Are current AI citations weak?
Our authority25%Do we have expertise/data?
Search demand20%Semrush validation

Content requirements:

For each approved topic:

  • 2000+ words comprehensive
  • 3-5 subtopics covered
  • Original data/examples
  • FAQ section with schema
  • Question-based headings

Success metrics:

  • AI citations (tracked via Am I Cited)
  • AI referral traffic
  • Share of voice in AI answers

The mindset shift:

Stop asking “What keywords have volume?” Start asking “What questions can we answer better than anyone else?”

Thanks for helping me rebuild my process!

Have a Question About This Topic?

Get personalized help from our team. We'll respond within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tools help find AI search topics?
Key tools: AnswerThePublic (question-based research), Frase (AI visibility tracking + optimization), Semrush/Ahrefs (comprehensive keyword analysis), Google Autocomplete (real-time discovery), AlsoAsked (question mapping), and Surfer SEO (content optimization). Combine multiple tools for best results.
How is AI topic research different from SEO keyword research?
Traditional keyword research focuses on search volume and keyword difficulty. AI topic research prioritizes: question-based queries, comprehensive coverage needs, semantic relationships, and topics where AI platforms actively cite sources. Volume matters less than citation potential.
What content characteristics do AI systems prefer?
AI systems favor: comprehensive answers (2000+ words), clear definitions with examples, data-driven content with statistics, well-structured information (headers, lists, tables), original research/insights, and question-based formats that match how people query AI.
Should I still use traditional keyword tools for AI optimization?
Yes, but differently. Use traditional tools to find topics with search demand, then optimize for AI differently - focus on comprehensive coverage, question-based content, and semantic depth rather than keyword density and exact match optimization.

Track Your Topic Performance in AI

Monitor which topics and pages get cited in AI answers. See what content resonates with AI platforms.

Start Monitoring Learn More

Learn more