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Original research

Measured studies on what AI answer engines cite

What this research covers. AEOForged runs live questions to ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, records every cited source (and every miss), and publishes the article, methodology, and dataset. The live corpus spans 96 questions and 3,563 recorded citations across four independent studies.

Each study uses a same-day variance panel to control for answer-engine randomness; raw datasets are published alongside every article. Numbers are frozen at measurement — nothing is invented after the fact. Purchasable sector editions live on Sector Intelligence; packages that use this measurement stack are on Pricing. Research updated .

Live dogfood measurement

Not a frozen sector study — our own domain on the same citation instruments, updated as daily checks land. Also at /research/live-citation-board.

Live AI citation rates for aeoforged.com (updated daily)

First-party dogfood: branded vs generic citation rates from daily ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini checks — misses recorded, limits stated. Request the observation pack after review.

Open the live board

AI sector reports

Product-led guide to purchasable sector artifacts — distinct from first-party dogfood above. Storefront: /intel.

AI sector reports — measured citation benchmarks by industry

AEOForged Sector Intelligence Reports as purchasable AI sector reports: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini panels, Wilson CIs, battlegrounds, snapshot vs Dominate.

Read the guide

Competitive AI citation benchmark for my sector

How a multi-brand sector benchmark differs from your own citation board — frozen panels, misses, confidence intervals, and Sector Intelligence Reports.

Read the methodology explainer

Four-study synthesis

Start with the cross-study rollup — then open any individual paper below.

What Sources Do AI Engines Like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity Actually Cite?

Across four studies — 96 questions, 3,563 recorded citations — editorial content captured 89.5%. Only youtube.com and linkedin.com placed in the top five in every sweep.

Read the synthesis

Individual studies

One measured paper per topic. Each line: the finding, then article · methodology · dataset.

  1. Is answer engine optimization a scam or a legitimate discipline

    Reddit led at 30.8% (95% CI 22.2–40.9%). Trust and “is AEO a scam” queries cite community threads more than vendor pages.

    Article · Methodology · Dataset · Updated 2026-07-27

  2. Building brand authority signals for AI search citations

    LinkedIn led at 34.8% (95% CI 25.8–44.9%). Authority-signal queries preferred social corroboration over brand sites.

    Article · Methodology · Dataset · Updated 2026-07-27

  3. Evaluating and trusting AEO and GEO platforms, agencies, and citation-tracking tools

    LinkedIn and YouTube tied as leaders at 17.4% (95% CI 11.0–26.4%). GEO and AEO platform queries still cite off-site surfaces heavily.

    Article · Methodology · Dataset · Updated 2026-07-27

  4. Answer engine optimization and AI search visibility

    Reddit led citations at 33.7% (95% CI 24.9–43.8%). Same-day variance flipped 10 of 10 panel queries.

    Article · Methodology · Dataset · Updated 2026-07-27

How citation rate is measured

A citation rate here is the share of live engine answers that named a given domain, with Wilson 95% confidence intervals. A variance panel repeats the same queries the same day so flip rates sit next to the headline. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and Answer Engine Optimization are the category labels under study — engines covered are ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity; Google AI Overviews is not in these sweeps.

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