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.