HOW AI ENGINES CITE SOURCES - WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR SEO

New research from Profound, covering 30 million AI citations (Aug 2024–June 2025), unveils distinct citation habits of three major AI platforms: ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. Understanding these behaviors is key to optimizing your content's visibility in AI-generated answers.

ChatGPT: Wikipedia is Essential

ChatGPT heavily favors Wikipedia, citing it nearly half the time (47.9%). Reddit trails significantly (11.3%), with business and tech media like Forbes, G2, TechRadar, and NerdWallet making smaller appearances.

Key Insight: Ensure your Wikipedia entries are accurate, detailed, and frequently updated. While mainstream media contributes, Wikipedia remains your strongest leverage for ChatGPT visibility.

Google AI Overviews: Diverse Content Wins

Google AI showcases a balanced mix of platforms: 

• Reddit (21%) 

• YouTube (18.8%) 

• Quora (14.3%), LinkedIn (13%) 

• Gartner, Forbes, NerdWallet, Wikipedia (each ~5–7%)

Key Insight: Visibility here depends on diversified content—professional articles (LinkedIn), engaging video (YouTube), and community interaction (Reddit, Quora). A multi-format approach is essential.

Perplexity: Community Content Dominates

Perplexity relies on authentic user-generated platforms: 

• Reddit (46.7%) 

• YouTube (13.9%) 

• Yelp (5.8%), TripAdvisor (4.1%) 

• LinkedIn, Forbes, G2, PCMag, NerdWallet

Key Insight: To gain Perplexity visibility, focus on genuine engagement within Reddit communities, niche review sites, and authentic user discussions.

Domain Strategy: .com Remains Supreme, but Tech TLDs Rising 

• .com dominates citations (80.41%) 

• .org (11.29%), primarily due to Wikipedia 

• Country-specific domains (.uk, .au, .ca) (~3.5%) 

• Tech-focused domains (.io, .ai) increasingly influential

Key Insight: .com remains your best bet for broad visibility, but tech and niche sectors may benefit from using .ai or .io.

Strategic Recommendations 

• Tailored Content Strategy: Each AI engine requires a unique approach—generic strategies won’t work across all platforms. 

• Prioritize Wikipedia & Reddit: Wikipedia is crucial for ChatGPT, while Reddit engagement boosts visibility on Google AI and Perplexity. 

• Diversify Formats: Particularly for Google AI, blend videos, discussion threads, blogs, and professional insights. 

• Domain Awareness: Stick primarily with .com, but strategically utilize tech-friendly domains (.ai, .io) when targeting niche or tech-savvy audiences.

Bottom Line: AI-driven SEO requires precision targeting. Whether updating Wikipedia, fostering Reddit conversations, or creating engaging videos, optimizing for AI citations demands platform-specific strategies—not a one-size-fits-all approach. We've revamped our SEO services to address these evolving AI demands directly—offering specialized AI-ranking deliverables like tailored FAQs, advanced Schema markup, generative content creation, and Voice Search Optimization specifically designed for Conversational AI. We have you covered.