We Just Closed Our Series A. Should AI Visibility Be a Priority?
Yuval Halevi · January 2026 · 7 min read
Congratulations on the raise. Now comes the hard part: deciding where to deploy that capital for maximum impact.
AI visibility is probably on your list somewhere. Maybe your investors mentioned it. Maybe you noticed competitors showing up in ChatGPT. Maybe you're just trying to figure out if this is hype or substance.
Here's a framework for deciding if and when to prioritize it.
TL;DR
AI visibility should be a priority if your buyers use AI for research (most B2B buyers now do)
Series A is the ideal time: you have budget, runway, and time to build before competitors lock in positions
It's not urgent if you're pre-PMF or in a category buyers don't search for
Budget 10-30% of marketing spend on AI visibility. Start with foundation work.
The Decision Framework
Not every Series A company needs to prioritize AI visibility right now. Use this assessment to figure out where you fall:
AI Visibility Priority Assessment
Answer 5 questions to get your priority level
Question 1 of 5
Have you tested what AI says about your category? Do competitors appear?
Why Series A Is the Right Time
If you scored medium or high priority, here's why acting now makes sense:
Why Now Works
You have runway
AI visibility takes 3-6 months. You have time to invest.
Positions aren't locked
AI models retrain regularly. Early movers get compounding advantage.
You have the story
Series A itself is PR-worthy. Use it to build authority signals.
Foundation compounds
Work done now pays dividends through Series B and beyond.
Why Waiting Hurts
Competitors establish first
Every month you wait, they accumulate more authority signals.
Catch-up costs more
Playing from behind requires 2-3x the effort of building early.
AI adoption accelerates
More buyers use AI for research every quarter. The channel grows.
Series B pressure
Investors will ask about AI visibility. Better to have answers ready.
The Series A AI Visibility Roadmap
If you decide to prioritize this, here's what the first 6 months should look like:
6-Month Post-Funding AI Visibility Roadmap
Tap to enlargeClick to enlarge
Budget Allocation
How much should you allocate? Here's a realistic breakdown for Series A companies:
AI Visibility Budget Guide
10-15% of marketing budgetConservative: Foundation + minimal agency
15-25% of marketing budgetRecommended: Full program with agency partner
25-35% of marketing budgetAggressive: Accelerated catch-up mode
When NOT to Prioritize AI Visibility
To be clear, this isn't always the right call. Deprioritize if:
1
You're still finding product-market fit
If you're pivoting or haven't nailed PMF, visibility for the wrong positioning wastes money.
2
Your buyers don't use AI for research
Some industries lag in AI adoption. If your buyers are offline-heavy, other channels may matter more.
3
You're creating a brand new category AND haven't defined it yet
Define the category first, then optimize for it.
4
You have zero traditional SEO foundation
If your DA is under 20 and you have no content, start there. GEO accelerates existing authority.
The Bottom Line
Series A is the ideal inflection point for AI visibility. You have budget, runway, and a story to tell. The work you do now compounds through your growth journey.
But it's not urgent if you're pre-PMF. Get the fundamentals right first. AI visibility amplifies what's working. It doesn't fix what's broken.
Start with foundation work. Entity consistency, schema markup, your funding announcement PR. These cost little and set you up for everything else.
Helping SaaS companies and developer tools get cited in AI answers since before it was called "GEO." 10+ years in B2B SEO, 50+ cybersecurity and SaaS tools clients.
