Persenbeug, LOWER AUSTRIA, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OtterlyAI, an AI Search Monitoring and Optimization Platform, today announced it has been named to G2’s 2026 Best Software Awards, placing 10th on the G2’s Rookies of the Year. OtterlyAI is the only company in the Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) category to place in the overall top 10.
The G2 AI Search Category grew +2000% in just 1 year
G2’s 2026 Best Software Awards evaluated 25,115 total products across software categories. Of these, 211 products met eligibility criteria, and 25 were selected. According to G2, 100% of this year’s Rookies of the Year list are new entrants compared to 2025.
OtterlyAI is categorized by G2 under Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), a software category that has grown by +2000% in just 1 year.
“This recognition reflects a structural shift in how software is discovered,” said Thomas Peham, CEO and Co-founder of OtterlyAI. “A year ago, Answer Engine Optimization barely existed as a category. Today, we're the only AEO platform in G2's top 10 Rookies of the Year while the AEO category grew by 2,000% according to G2. That growth reflects how quickly marketing teams are recognizing that AI search isn't a future concern. It's a present-day imperative.".”
Product and Platform Momentum
OtterlyAI recently surpassed 20,000 users, up from 10,000 in September 2025, according to internal company data.
Recent product developments include:
- An all-new GEO Audit to help teams identify visibility gaps across AI search environments.
- A Brand Visibility Index to automatically track brand visibility over time and benchmark against a set of competitors
- Website Citation Report: Enhanced insights and citation exports to operationalize website citation data.
- An upcoming Recommendations feature, to be publicly introduced for the first time, designed to translate AI Search Monitoring insights into prioritized optimization actions.
Together, these updates extend OtterlyAI’s positioning beyond monitoring toward execution within Generative Engine Optimization workflows.
Expanding Technology Ecosystem
OtterlyAI also recently announced a technology partnership with Noble to connect AI citation intelligence with targeted digital execution.
“AI platforms are redefining how authority is interpreted and summarized,” said Rahul Jain, CEO at Noble. “If AI systems draw heavily from third-party domains, brands need a disciplined strategy to earn visibility within those ecosystems. Our partnership with OtterlyAI connects citation intelligence with targeted execution, enabling teams to prioritize the right publications and close visibility gaps with measurable impact.”
The partnership is intended to help brands move from identifying where they are cited in AI-generated answers to actively improving presence across authoritative domains that influence those outputs.
About G2’s 2026 Best Software Awards
G2’s 2026 Best Software Awards rank software companies and products based on verified user reviews and publicly available market presence data. To be eligible, a product must have received at least 10 approved reviews during the 2025 calendar year. Scores reflect only data from reviews submitted during that evaluation period.
To learn more, view G2’s 2026 Best Software Awards and read more about G2’s methodology.
About OtterlyAI
OtterlyAI is an AI Search Monitoring and Optimization Platform that helps brands track and boost visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, Gemini, and Copilot. The platform enables teams to monitor brand mentions, website citations, and search prompts, supporting data-driven Generative Engine Optimization strategies in the evolving AI search landscape.
Picture of the OtterlyAI dashboard
Press Inquiries
OtterlyAI
Thomas Peham
thomas.peham@otterly.ai
https://otterly.ai/
