AI search relies on brand-controlled sources, not Reddit: Report

A dominant share – 86% to be specific – of AI citations come from sources brands already control, according to a new analysis of 6.8 million citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity conducted by brand visibility platform Yext.

Why we care. The findings challenge the perception that forums like Reddit dominate AI answers. Yext’s analysis also suggests that brands can directly influence visibility in generative results by keeping website content accurate, structured, and crawlable. (Yes, SEO.)

By the numbers. Across all industries, 86% of AI citations came from sources brands owned or managed.

• Websites lead: 44% of citations came from first-party sites.
• Listings close behind: 42%.
• Reviews and social: 8%.
• Forums: Just 2%.
• AI model bias: Gemini favors websites (52.1%), OpenAI leans on listings (48.7%), and Perplexity spreads across sources like MapQuest and TripAdvisor.
• Industry variation:
  • Retail: 47.6% from brand websites.
  • Finance: 48.2% from authoritative local pages.
  • Healthcare: 52.6% from listings like WebMD and Vitals.
  • Food service: 13.3% from reviews and social (the most of any sector).

What they’re saying. The most impactful sources are the ones they can already control or influence, according to Christian J. Ward, Chief Data Officer at Yext:

• “Discussions about measuring AI visibility are missing the most important factor. The consumer. AI generates answers based on a person’s real-world location and context, not a generic brand view. This has led to more confusion than clarity about what really powers AI. Our research clears this up. We start with the consumer and their specific query. That is what determines visibility.”

About the analysis. Yext analyzed 6.8 million AI citations from 1.6 million queries across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity between July and August, using its Scout platform to test four intent types across four industries.

The report. You can read it here.