Search is shifting under our feet—Google Gemini and ChatGPT aren't just tools anymore; they are the new gatekeepers of your brand's visibility.
And I have 10 — yes, you’ve read that right — 10 Surfer updates that will make mastering visibility in Google and AI Search much, much easier.
Want the summary? Watch the video:
Prefer to read? Scroll down!
🔥 TL;DR — What Matters Most This Month
- Workspaces stop brand and domain context from bleeding across projects.
- AI Search Guidelines tell you exactly what to add so content ranks AND gets cited by AI.
- Gemini is now in AI Tracker — Google’s AI is no longer a blind spot.
- Mention Gap + Sentiment Analysis show where you’re missing from AI answers and how AI frames you.
Is there more? Of course there is. But these four will improve your workflow and results from day 0.
If you do only one thing:
👉 Open AI Tracker and check the Mention Gap and Sentiment Analysis.
Jan-Feb 2026 Surfer Updates
Workspaces: Easily Manage Multiple Domains
Managing 20 different domains meant constantly double-checking if you were using the right Brand Knowledge or internal linking settings.
Now, you get a dedicated, siloed environment for every domain and can focus on being your best self ✨
When you switch Workspaces, Surfer "switches brains” with you. It automatically loads the correct Brand Kit, Tone of Voice, and site-specific Internal Linking and recommendations. You can now scale a multi-domain portfolio with zero risk of "context bleed.”
Gradual rollout. Want early access?
💌 Email us: [email protected]
AI Search Guidelines: Get Ranked AND Cited
Ranking on Page 1 is no longer enough. If AI models (LLMs) don't trust your facts, they won't cite you in their answers, and you lose the "Zero-Click" traffic.
That’s why we added new sets of AI Search guidelines to the Content Editor:
- In the Write & Optimize step, you’ll now see a dedicated AI Search box. It tells you exactly which facts AIs need to see to trust your content and cite it. You can apply them one by one OR use Auto-Optimize for a 1-click SERP + AI answers optimization.
- In the Pre-Publish Review step, under AI Readability, you’ll now see the Analyze Content button. It will scan your content against AI Search formatting requirements and provide you with a list of suggested fixes. You can apply them one by one OR hit Apply All to have Surfy add them for you.
Content can rank and still be ignored by AI answers. Missing facts, weak structure, or shallow coverage quietly kill visibility. Now you can apply fixes manually or use Auto-Optimize to insert missing info in a single click.
Gradual rollout. Want early access?
💌 Email us: [email protected]
Gemini: Grow Visibility in Google’s AI Ecosystem
Google Gemini isn’t just another chatbot; it’s the engine for the future of search, embedded into the top search engine. If you aren't tracking your visibility there, you're missing the most significant shift in user behavior in a decade.
That’s why we added it to AI Tracker.
You can now monitor brand mentions, citations, and exact responses in Gemini alongside AI Mode and AI Overviews (along other AI models). This ensures you aren't flying blind in Google’s primary AI ecosystem.
Note: Limited access.
If you’re on plans Pro, Peace of Mind (plans available from Jan 29th, 2026), Enterprise, or have an active AI Tracker add-on, you’ll automatically gain Gemini coverage - no setup needed.
Mention Gap & Backlink Marketplace: Find and Fix AI Visibility Gaps, Instantly
You see a competitor getting mentioned in AI answers, but you have no idea why or how to get in there yourself?
Well, you’ll loooove this one!
Mention Gap in AI Tracker shows you where competitors appear — and where your brand doesn’t — across LLM sources.
Think of it as competitive analysis, but for AI answers instead of blue links.
Marketplace in AI Tracker lets you quickly find paid inclusion opportunities without leaving Surfer (paid articles, as well as mentions).
You no longer have to guess how to influence AI answers. You get a ready-made outreach list and a direct path to closing visibility gaps.
Sentiment Analysis & Fanout Queries: Own the AI Narrative
To own the AI narrative you need one of two things:
- Being cited (becoming the core source)
- Being mentioned — everytime
But becoming a source takes time and effort. And a mention is only a win if it’s positive. If AI calls your product "clunky," you’re visible alright—but you’re still losing money.
So, here’s how Surfer can help you, starting today:
Sentiment Analysis in AI Tracker shows you the exact AI response users see, along with a breakdown of whether cited sources frame your brand as positive, neutral, or negative. Use it to quickly spot neutral, misleading, or negative mentions and fix them via outreach or paid opportunities.
Fanout Queries in AI Tracker show you the follow-up questions AI asks internally before it generates an answer. Use it to enrich your content strategy and get more citations.
Want extra guidance on how to make the most of this update?
Feedback is our love language ♥️
Give new AI Tracker updates a try and let us know how you like them and what could be improved.
💌 Email us: [email protected]
API & Looker Studio: Report AI Visibility Next to Revenue
AI SEO data is often siloed, making it hard to prove to leadership that AI visibility actually drives business results.
Buuuut, Surfer Enterprise users can now export AI Tracker data via API or connect directly to Looker Studio.
Blend your AI visibility metrics with GA4, Google Ads, and CRM data to spot growth patterns and make your content efforts defendable.
Smarter Outlines: Briefs You Can Actually Use
Generic AI outlines often need 30 minutes of cleanup before they’re fit for a human writer. Your time can be better spent, wouldn’t you agree?
Good news: outlines in the Content Editor now use your full Brand Knowledge, SERPs & AI Search insights, and domain context.
You get a shorter, more focused H1–H4 hierarchy that reflects top-ranking content and your unique brand voice. It’s a brief you can hand straight to a writer—or Surfy—without lengthy notes.
Gradual rollout. Want early access?
💌 Email us: [email protected]
Learn on YouTube
Learn from Data Studies
Ranking for Multiple Fan-Out Queries Dramatically Increases Your Chances of Getting Cited in AIOs (173,902 URLs Studied)
We analyzed a ridiculous amount of pages to find out the impact fanout queries can have on 2026 content strategy. Read more →
Scraped AI Answers vs. API Results from LLMs. Is There a Difference? [AI Search Study]
Or: why most AI tracking companies are lying to you and what you NEED to understand before you pick an AI tracking tool. Read more →
67.82% of AIO Citations Don’t Rank In Google's Top 10. So Where Do They Come From?
Whichever way we looked at the data, it’s clear (and surprising) that a lot of AIO citations don’t rank in the top 10 regular “blue link” results at all. Here’s why →
That’s it for February!
Personally, the speed of AI SEO changes is making my vision blurry at the edges.
Anyone else? 🥹
That said, I’m amazed at how much AI Tracked changed since we released it.
Internally, it already brought us hundreds of thousands of leads interested in improving their visibility — and keeps on giving every day as we keep applying the insights that surface.
It’s impossible NOT to win with it — If you’re not seeing a massive spike in your visibility and sales… you’re not using it correctly.
(You can fix it by signing up for the next Surfer Academy webinar → get live tips from our co-founder and Head of Innovation, Michał Suski!)
And if you’re still considering Surfer (or hesitating to come back), let me remind you this:
Pages written and updated with Surfer are 2x more likely to reach the Top 10 within just 30 days and 25% more likely to be cited in AI answers.
In 2025, Surfer users grew their Google and AI visibility by 423% on average.
The top performer grew their AI visibility by 800%.
And now every Surfer plan includes AI Tracker.
Those results?
That could be you.
