--- title: "AI SEO Data Studies, Page 4 | Suff Digital" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo?page=4 description: "Page 4 of Suff Digital's 122 original AI SEO studies, 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, Page 4 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 4 of 6 · Need help acting on them? See our AI SEO services (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/ai-seo-services). 44.9% AI SEO ### 44.9% of the Websites AI Engines Cite Are Small, Low-Authority Sites: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/low-authority-sites-ai-citations 44.9% of the 10,000 websites ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode cite most often are low-authority sites, and together they collect 10.1% of all AI citations. Being cited does not take a famous domain, though the biggest sites still win the most: the top 3.6% by authority take 34.7% of citations. Sep 24, 2026 79.8% AI SEO ### Old Domains Win AI Search: Websites Over 20 Years Old Collect 79.8% of AI Citations: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/new-websites-ai-citations Websites registered more than 20 years ago collect 79.8% of the citations ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI Mode give out, four in every five. Young sites still get in: 8.7% of cited websites are less than two years old, but together they collect 1.45% of AI citations. Sep 24, 2026 66% AI SEO ### AI Answers Cite .com Websites 66% of the Time vs 14% for Government and University Sites: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-citations-by-domain-extension 66% of the sources ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI features cite in their answers are .com websites, against 14% for government (.gov) and university (.edu) websites. ChatGPT is the one AI engine that cites government and university websites more often than .com. Sep 24, 2026 49.3% AI SEO ### Perplexity Cites a Foreign Website in 49.3% of Answers to US Questions vs 5.5% for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/foreign-sources-in-ai-answers Ask Perplexity an everyday question from the United States and 49.3% of the time its answer cites a website from another country, against 5.5% for ChatGPT. Across five AI engines, 14% of answers to US questions cite at least one foreign site, led by Britain's NHS and BBC. Sep 24, 2026 7.9% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Sends 7.9% of Citations to Sites With Almost No Google Traffic vs 1.2% for Gemini: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/cited-sites-tiny-search-audiences ChatGPT sends 7.9% of its citations to websites that get fewer than 100 Google visits a month, six times the 1.2% rate of Gemini and Google AI Overviews. Across all AI engines, 7.5% of the 10,000 most-cited websites have almost no Google audience, one in thirteen. Sep 24, 2026 62% AI SEO ### 62% of AI Software Recommendations Cite the Vendor's Own Website: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/software-answers-cite-vendor-blogs 62% of AI answers to "best software" questions cite the website of a vendor they recommend, so the vendor's own pages help make the case for it. One answer in six cites the vendor's own blog or guide, and on Perplexity it is 48%. Sep 24, 2026 70% AI SEO ### 70% of AI Product Recommendations Cite Sites That Earn Affiliate Commissions: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-product-answers-affiliate-sites 70% of AI answers to "best product" questions cite at least one review or comparison site that earns commissions on sales. Perplexity cites one in 99.4% of its product answers, and finance questions rely on them most. Sep 24, 2026 72% AI SEO ### Asked If a Brand Is Good, Gemini Leaves Out the Brand's Website 72% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-cites-brand-own-website Ask Gemini whether a brand is any good and 72% of its answers do not cite the brand's own website, leaning on review sites instead. Across ChatGPT and Gemini, one answer about a brand in three leaves the brand's website out. Sep 24, 2026 51% AI SEO ### Microsoft Supplies 51% of the Help Pages AI Engines Cite for Software Questions: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/software-citations-help-docs-share One company, Microsoft, supplies 51% of the help center and documentation pages AI engines cite when answering software and tech questions. Help pages make up 10% of all AI citations on software topics, and more than one in five on ChatGPT. Sep 24, 2026 1.6% AI SEO ### LinkedIn Appears in Only 1.6% of AI Answers to Business Questions: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/linkedin-citations-ai-business-answers AI engines cite LinkedIn in 1.6% of their answers to business, careers and software questions, fewer than one answer in 60. Gemini did not cite LinkedIn once in 1,136 business answers, and LinkedIn posts were cited 15 times in 4,966 answers. Sep 24, 2026 9.1% fewer AI SEO ### The First Brand in an AI Recommendation Gets 9% Fewer Words Than the Brands After It: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/first-brand-ai-answer-fewer-words The brand an AI engine names first in a product recommendation gets 9.1% fewer words than the brands named after it, 30 words against 33 on average. On Perplexity the first brand gets 18.4 words against 26.3 for the rest. Sep 24, 2026 53.7% AI SEO ### 54% of AI Product Recommendations Don't Mention a Price: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-product-answers-mention-price 53.7% of AI answers to "best product" questions never mention a price, so more than half of AI shopping advice leaves out what the product costs. ChatGPT quotes a price in 69.2% of its product answers and Perplexity in 14.1%. Sep 24, 2026 93.3% AI SEO ### AI Recommends 93% of Brands Without Mentioning a Single Downside: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-recommendations-mention-downsides 93.3% of the brands AI engines recommend in product answers come with no downside at all: no con, no drawback, not even a "but". On Perplexity the figure is 97.4%. Sep 24, 2026 7.2% AI SEO ### AI Confuses 1 in 14 Top Brands at Least Once When Asked What They Are: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-confuses-brand-names Ask ChatGPT or Gemini "What is [brand]?" and 7.2% of top brands, about one in 14, get confused with something else or not recognized at least once. Brands named after surnames and places suffer most: Bryant was confused in all four of its answers. Sep 24, 2026 82.9% AI SEO ### Ask ChatGPT Twice for a Brand's Top 3 Alternatives and the List Changes 83% of the Time: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-alternatives-same-three-competitors Ask ChatGPT "What are the best alternatives to [brand]?" twice, a few hours apart, and the top three competitors it names change for 82.9% of brands. Gemini changes them for 93.6%. Sep 24, 2026 315 words AI SEO ### Google AI Mode Writes 315 Words per Answer vs 141 for Perplexity: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/average-ai-answer-length-words The average Google AI Mode answer runs 315 words, more than twice the 141 words of the average Perplexity answer to the same everyday questions. Across five AI engines, the average answer is 229 words long. Sep 24, 2026 89.3% AI SEO ### Google AI Overviews Are Mostly Bullet Points 89% of the Time vs 37.5% for ChatGPT: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-mostly-bullet-lists 89.3% of Google AI Overviews are mostly bullet points, against 37.5% of ChatGPT answers to the same questions. Across five AI engines, 60.5% of answers are mostly lists and 91.6% contain at least one. Sep 24, 2026 80% AI SEO ### AI Ends 80% of Its Answers With a Follow-Up Question or Offer: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-end-follow-up-question 80% of AI answers to everyday questions end by asking for more detail or offering another step, four answers in five. Google AI Mode does it in 90.2% of its answers. Sep 24, 2026 97.9% AI SEO ### 98% of AI Answers Skip Standard Disclaimer Phrases Like 'Not Medical Advice': https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-include-disclaimers 97.9% of AI answers to everyday questions use none of the standard disclaimer phrases, such as "not medical advice" or "consult a professional". On health questions 0.8% of AI answers use one, and on legal questions 0.5%. Sep 24, 2026 40.2% AI SEO ### Google AI Mode Adds a Comparison Table to 40% of Product Answers vs 1.3% for AI Overviews: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-comparison-tables-product-answers Google AI Mode lays out products side by side in a comparison table in 40.2% of its answers to "best product" questions, 31 times the 1.3% rate of Google AI Overviews. Across five AI engines, 21.7% of product answers include a table. Sep 24, 2026 72.5% AI SEO ### Google AI Mode Shows Images in 72.5% of "Best Car" Answers vs 9.5% Overall: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-ai-mode-images-by-topic Google AI Mode illustrates 72.5% of its answers to "best car" questions with images, against 9.5% of its answers overall. Money questions almost never get a picture: 0.7% of mortgage answers include one. Sep 24, 2026 95.1% AI SEO ### ChatGPT Returns a List of Business Cards for 95.1% of Local Questions: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/chatgpt-local-business-cards Ask ChatGPT for the best plumber, dentist or restaurant in a US city and 95.1% of the time it answers with its built-in list of local business cards, holding about 12 businesses. Gemini, asked the same questions, showed no such list. Sep 24, 2026 grade 11.3 AI SEO ### AI Answers to Health Questions Read at a Grade 11.3 Level vs 6.8 for Recipes: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-answers-reading-grade-level AI answers to health questions read at a grade 11.3 level, close to a high school senior's, the hardest of any topic and four and a half grades above recipe answers. On Gemini, health answers read at grade 12.6. The average AI answer reads at grade 9.3. Sep 24, 2026 35.8% more AI SEO ### Detailed Questions Get 35.8% More Citations From ChatGPT Than Short Ones: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/detailed-questions-more-ai-citations When a shopper spells out what they care about, ChatGPT cites 35.8% more websites in its answer: 4.21 sources per answer for a detailed product question against 3.10 for the short version. The detailed question also changes ChatGPT's top recommendation three times in four. 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?page=4#webpage", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo?page=4", "name": "AI SEO Data Studies, Page 4", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website" }, "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo?page=4#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/ai-seo?page=4#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" } ] } ] } ] ```