--- title: "AI SEO Data Studies | Suff Digital" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo description: "122 original AI SEO studies from Suff Digital, each with its data source, method and sample size." lang: en --- Resources: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources Guides: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/guides News: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/news Data Studies: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies Data Studies # AI SEO Data Studies Research on how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews answer the questions your customers ask: which brands they name, which pages they cite and link to, and where they send shoppers. Most studies are built on thousands of answers we collect from those engines, including the web searches ChatGPT runs behind the scenes. Many compare those answers with Google search and Google Maps results, Google Business Profiles, Google News, or robots.txt files from the public HTTP Archive crawl. Use them to see where AI answers pull from in your market. 122 studies · page 1 of 6 · Need help acting on them? See our AI SEO services (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/ai-seo-services). 20.2% AI SEO ### ChatGPT vs Google: They Agree on the Top Answer Only 20% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-vs-google-top-answer The first website ChatGPT cites in an answer is the same website Google ranks #1 for that question 20.2% of the time, so four times out of five ChatGPT leads with a different source. Agreement runs from 69.4% on software questions down to 0.5% on recipe questions. Sep 24, 2026 87.7% AI SEO ### 87.7% of the Pages ChatGPT Cites Aren't on Google's First Page: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-sites-not-on-page-one 87.7% of the pages ChatGPT cites in its answers are not in Google's top 10 results for the same question. Even counting whole websites, 66.2% of the websites ChatGPT cites have no page on Google's first page, and in 41.9% of ChatGPT answers not one cited website appears there. Sep 24, 2026 57.6% AI SEO ### Google Now Shows an AI Answer on 57.6% of Commercial Searches: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-overviews-share-of-searches 57.6% of Google searches for products and services now open with an AI Overview, the AI-written answer Google places above the regular results. On phones the rate is higher: 61.2% against 55.4% on a computer for the same keywords. Sep 24, 2026 40.2% AI SEO ### Google Pushes Every Website Listing Off the First Screen on 40.2% of Phone Searches: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/first-organic-result-below-fold-mobile On 40.2% of Google searches made on a phone, the first regular website listing starts below the bottom of the screen, so the searcher has to scroll before seeing a single website. Map listings, not AI Overviews, do most of the pushing. Sep 24, 2026 25.5% AI SEO ### ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity Name the Same Best Brand Only 25% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-gemini-perplexity-best-pick Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity the same "what is the best..." question and all three name the same brand first on 25.5% of questions. Three times in four, at least one AI assistant puts a different brand at the top, and no two assistants agree even half the time. Sep 24, 2026 9.5% AI SEO ### Google vs Google: Gemini Disagrees With Google Search 90% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/gemini-disagrees-with-google-search Google's own AI assistant, Gemini, leads its answer with the website Google Search ranks #1 for the same question in 9.5% of answers, so nine times in ten Google's two products point to different sources. ChatGPT matches Google's #1 result twice as often, at 20.2%. Sep 24, 2026 82.7% AI SEO ### 83% of the Pages Perplexity Cites Don't Appear in Google's Top 10: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/perplexity-sources-not-in-google 82.7% of the pages Perplexity cites in its answers are not in Google's top 10 results for the same question. Perplexity lists 18.4 sources per answer on average, nearly twice the ten regular results on Google's first page, and most of them come from beyond it. Sep 24, 2026 14.4% AI SEO ### When AI Says a Business Is Open 24/7, It's Wrong 14.4% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-business-hours-wrong 14.4% of the local businesses ChatGPT or Gemini describe as open 24/7 do not list round-the-clock hours on their own Google Business Profile. Phone numbers hold up better but not perfectly: 1.4% of ChatGPT's local business listings show a number that does not match Google, rising to 3.9% for emergency plumbers. Sep 24, 2026 383 AI SEO ### Closed for Business: One in 383 AI Local Recommendations Has Shut Down: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-recommends-closed-businesses One in 383 local business recommendations from ChatGPT and Gemini that match a Google Business Profile is a business Google marks as closed. A bigger gap is matching: 1,350 of 10,000 recommended businesses have no Google profile at all, and 31% of the business names Gemini gives in its answer text match a Google Business Profile, against 94.8% of ChatGPT's picks. Sep 24, 2026 1.8% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Links to Dead Pages More Than 3x as Often as Gemini and Google's AI Mode: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/broken-links-in-ai-answers 1.8% of the links ChatGPT cites lead to a page that no longer exists or a server error, against 0.5% for Gemini and Google AI Mode. Across all three AI engines, 0.9% of cited links are dead, and one cited page in six turns away automated visitors. Sep 24, 2026 38% AI SEO ### Ask AI for the Latest and 38% of Answers Cite a Page Over a Year Old: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-latest-questions-stale-sources 38% of AI answers to questions about the latest, newest or current version of something cite at least one page more than a year old, and 24.3% cite a page more than two years old. The reader asked for what is new; more than a third of answers lean partly on last year's information. Sep 24, 2026 56.3% AI SEO ### Ask ChatGPT Twice and Its Top Pick Changes 56.3% of the Time vs 82.7% for Gemini: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-changes-top-pick Ask ChatGPT the same "what is the best..." question twice in a row and it names a different top pick 56.3% of the time; Gemini changes its top pick 82.7% of the time. Saying "please", swapping "best" for "top", making a typo or asking in Spanish adds only a few points to that everyday churn, while adding a budget changes ChatGPT's top pick 87.4% of the time. Sep 24, 2026 3.9% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Recommends a Chain for 3.9% of Local Picks vs 6.3% on Google Maps: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-chains-vs-local-shops Only 3.9% of the local businesses ChatGPT recommends are chains, against 6.3% of the top 20 Google Maps results for the same searches. The gap is widest for locksmiths: chains hold 29% of Google Maps' top 20 but 2.6% of ChatGPT's locksmith picks. Sep 24, 2026 1.9% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Picks 1.9% of Local Businesses With Under 10 Google Reviews vs 26.9% With 500 to 999: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-review-threshold-local-businesses ChatGPT recommends 1.9% of local businesses with fewer than 10 Google reviews, against 26.9% of businesses with 500 to 999 reviews, a 14-fold gap. Nearly a third of businesses on Google Maps sit below that 10-review line. Sep 24, 2026 88.4% AI SEO ### 88.4% of the Local Businesses ChatGPT Recommends Aren't in Google's Map Pack: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-picks-vs-google-map-pack 88.4% of the local businesses ChatGPT recommends are not among the top three Google Maps results for the same service and city, the three businesses Google shows in its map pack. 17.5% are not in Google Maps' top 100 at all. Sep 24, 2026 17.4% AI SEO ### AI Recommends a Business Outside the City You Asked About 17.4% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-recommends-business-wrong-city 17.4% of the local businesses ChatGPT and Gemini recommend for a US city are located in a different city from the one in the question. In Cleveland and Detroit, more than half of AI's local picks are outside the city. Sep 24, 2026 0.2% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Cites Yelp in 0.2% of Local Business Answers vs 28% for Expertise.com: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/yelp-share-chatgpt-local-answers Yelp appears among ChatGPT's sources in 0.2% of its answers about the best local businesses, 3 answers out of 1,580, while Expertise.com appears in 28% and Angi in 20.6%. Gemini skips directories almost entirely and links Google Maps in 71.5% of its local answers. Sep 24, 2026 46.2% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Names the Highest-Rated Business in Town Only 46.2% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/top-rated-business-ai-picks Ask ChatGPT for the best local business in a US city and it names the highest-rated one on Google Maps only 46.2% of the time, so more than half the time the best-reviewed business is left out. Gemini names it 8.5% of the time. Sep 24, 2026 37.3% AI SEO ### Only 37.3% of ChatGPT's Local Picks for Cleveland Are Inside the City, vs 93.8% in San Antonio: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/which-city-ai-knows-best In Cleveland, only 37.3% of the local businesses ChatGPT recommends are real, open and inside the city, against 93.8% in San Antonio. Nationwide, 72.5% of ChatGPT's local recommendations check out, so more than one in four fail at least one of the checks. Sep 24, 2026 12.3% AI SEO ### Local Businesses With a Website Are 3.9x More Likely to Be Recommended by ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/website-ai-local-recommendations ChatGPT recommends 12.3% of local businesses that have a website on their Google Maps listing and 3.2% of those without one, a 3.9x gap. On Gemini the gap widens to 10.5x. Sep 24, 2026 0.1% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Links to Amazon in 0.1% of Shopping Answers vs 17.4% for Perplexity: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-shopping-answers-link-amazon ChatGPT links to Amazon in 0.1% of its answers to "what is the best..." shopping questions, four answers in 4,000, while Perplexity links to Amazon in 17.4%. Across five AI engines, 5.5% of shopping answers link to Amazon. Sep 24, 2026 133% AI SEO ### ChatGPT's Product Picks Cost 133% More Than Google Shopping's Top Results: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-product-picks-cost-more For the same "best product" search, the products ChatGPT recommends cost 133% more than Google Shopping's top 10 results in the typical case, and they cost more in 38 of 41 searches. Sep 24, 2026 16.2% AI SEO ### AI Shopping Answers Link to Walmart More Than Amazon, 16.2% vs 11.8% of Retailer Links: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-retailer-links-walmart-amazon-target Walmart receives 16.2% of links to US retailers in AI shopping answers and Target 9.9%, against 11.8% for Amazon. ChatGPT sends 23.9% of its retailer links to Walmart and 12.6% to Target. Sep 24, 2026 2.8% AI SEO ### Only 2.8% of ChatGPT's Product Recommendations Show Shoppers a Star Rating: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-product-ratings-under-four-stars ChatGPT shows a star rating on 2.8% of the product cards it puts in shopping answers, so almost every product it recommends reaches shoppers with no score attached. When a rating does appear, it is usually a strong one: 4.6% of rated recommendations sit under 4 stars. Sep 24, 2026 Make Search Your Best Channel ## Stop guessing. Start growing. Get a tailored growth plan for your site, backed by a senior team with 20+ years shipping results. Get Your Free Proposal (https://www.suffdigital.com/get-a-proposal) ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo#webpage", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo", "name": "AI SEO Data Studies", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website" }, "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Resources", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Data Studies", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "AI SEO", "item": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo" } ] } ] } ] ```