Volume Nine, a Denver-based digital marketing agency founded in 2007, released the GEO Grader on July 31, 2026 - a free tool that measures how well brands show up in AI-driven search systems like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. The tool gives businesses a report on whether AI platforms can find their site, understand what the brand does, and trust it enough to recommend it. As AI search reshapes product and service discovery, knowing where a brand stands has become a practical necessity, not a future hypothetical.
What the GEO Grader actually measures
Traditional SEO metrics like page rankings don't capture how AI systems interpret and cite a brand. The GEO Grader analyzes a site's "AI readiness" by checking alignment with emerging best practices for generative search. It flags gaps where a brand might be misunderstood or overlooked by AI platforms, then provides specific steps to fix them.
The tool moves beyond vague scores. It delivers a detailed breakdown of successes and shortcomings, showing marketers exactly where to focus. For example, it can reveal whether an AI model sees the brand as a credible source or simply fails to surface it at all.
Why the agency built it now
Natalie Henley, CEO of Volume Nine, said the shift to AI search is already happening. "AI search isn't the future; it's already here, and brands need to know what to do in order to show up in these platforms," she said. "The GEO Grader gives businesses the insights they need today, not predictions for tomorrow. We've created a tool that helps brands assess how AI-ready they are and shows them how to improve their visibility."
Volume Nine has spent over 15 years helping clients navigate changes in search, social media, and digital advertising. The agency measures success by revenue growth, lead quality, and long-term performance. The GEO Grader extends that approach into a new search environment where AI models, not just search engine crawlers, decide which brands get recommended.
Why this matters for marketing professionals
AI search platforms don't just rank pages - they synthesize answers from across the web. If a brand's information isn't structured in a way that AI systems can parse and trust, it won't appear in those answers. The GEO Grader gives marketers a concrete starting point to fix that, rather than leaving them to guess at what's working.
For SEO specialists and marketing teams, the tool signals a broader need to build skills in generative engine optimization. Many are already seeking structured ways to learn these new techniques, with resources like the AI Learning Path for SEO Specialists helping professionals adapt to the same shifts the Grader evaluates. Getting a clear read on AI visibility is step one - knowing how to act on it is what separates brands that get surfaced from those that don't.
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