Comparison Guide

AdsX vs Doing It Yourself

You can absolutely optimize for AI visibility yourself. The question is whether it's the best use of your time and resources. Here's an honest comparison.

The Honest Truth

DIY can work, but it's slower and harder than it looks. AI visibility optimization is a new discipline without established best practices. We've already made the mistakes and learned what works. You can either spend months figuring it out yourself, or leverage our playbooks to see results in weeks.

Time to Results

How long each milestone takes with professional help vs. going solo.

Milestone
With AdsX
DIY
Initial visibility audit
24 hours
1-2 weeks
Strategy development
1 week
2-4 weeks
First visibility improvements
2-4 weeks
2-3 months
Ongoing monitoring
Automated
4-8 hours/week

Capability Comparison

What you get with professional help vs. going it alone.

Capability
With AdsX
DIY
Multi-platform visibility tracking
Proven optimization playbooks
Competitor monitoring
Content strategy for AI
No internal resource burden
Platform relationship insights
Faster time to results
Lower total cost

The Hidden Costs of DIY

What you'll encounter if you decide to build this capability in-house.

Time Drain

AI platforms change constantly. Keeping up with what works requires dedicated time your team probably doesn't have.

Tool Building

There's no off-the-shelf tool for AI visibility tracking. You'll need to build custom monitoring or check manually.

Learning Curve

AI optimization is fundamentally different from SEO. Expect trial and error while you figure out what actually works.

Opportunity Cost

Every hour spent on AI visibility is an hour not spent on your core product or service.

DIY might work if...

  • You have dedicated marketing resources with bandwidth
  • You're willing to experiment for 3-6 months
  • Budget is your primary constraint
  • Competitors aren't already dominating AI mentions

Work with AdsX if...

  • You need results in weeks, not months
  • Competitors are already being recommended by AI
  • Your team should focus on core business activities
  • You want proven playbooks, not trial and error

Start with a free audit

See exactly where your brand stands in AI search before deciding how to proceed. Our free audit shows your visibility, competitor positioning, and quick wins.