The shift from traditional SEO to AI search is accelerating and the data is clear: Different AI platforms use radically different sources to answer user questions. If you want your brand to be visible in the age of AI, you’ll need new strategies tailored to each platform.
🔍 What the Latest Research Shows
Profound’s analysis of 30 million citations across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Microsoft Copilot (Aug 2024–present) reveals:
ChatGPT is Wikipedia-heavy (47.9% of citations), with Reddit a distant second (11.3%).
Google AI Overviews spreads citations across Reddit, YouTube, and Quora reflecting its ecosystem.
Perplexity has a unique pattern, with a recent surge in Reddit citations, now accounting for over 4.5% of all references.
Microsoft Copilot grounds its answers in your organisation’s internal data (documents, emails, SharePoint) and trusted web sources, so the most-cited sources vary by company and configuration.
Takeaway: There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. If you’re focusing on AEO/GEO (AI/Google Engine Optimisation), you must adapt your strategy for each platform.
💡 James Cadwallader’s Perspective (CEO, Profound):
“The user doesn’t care where content comes from as long as they get viable answers... the new environment basically requires that we consider bots as a primary consumer because the bots are the interpreters of information for the end user.”
🛠 How to Boost Your Brand’s AI Visibility
✅ Publish on Crawl-Indexed Platforms: Use platforms like Medium, PR Newswire, and others regularly scraped by Common Crawl and AI engines.
✅ Optimise for AI and Search Engines: Make sure your pages are crawlable, indexable, and use structured data (FAQ, How-To, Article schema).
✅ Monitor Your Inclusion: Tools like Profound’s Conversation Explorer let you see how often your brand appears in AI search results across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot.
✅ Engage With AI Tools: Reference your own content in conversational AI to build authority and visibility.
✅ Structure for Clarity: AI tools like Perplexity value clear headings, direct answers, and up-to-date knowledge over backlinks.
📈 Why This Matters
AI search is quickly becoming a dominant discovery channel. Gen Z and Millennials are already using AI tools over Google for research and recommendations. AI conversations span the entire marketing funnel, from awareness to conversion, all within a single session.
Key Takeaway:
To stay visible and influential in an AI-driven world, publish high-quality, crawlable content on domains included in major training datasets, and optimize for both human and machine readers. The future of search is agentic - make sure your brand is ready.
Sources:
Insights and data from Profound, James Cadwallader, Perplexity Deep Research, and the latest industry report
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